I just put on a new intake manifold gasket this morning and I figured this would be a pretty simple job. I started hooking up all the vacuum lines as I go to make sure I didn't forget any and now after 2 hours of messing with this thing the car will not start! I thought maybe the carburetor may need retuned if I may of fixed a vacuum leak but that did not help. I tried starting fluid and the car started but only to burn the starting fluid and shut back off. So then I thought maybe its a fuel problem, so I took off the fuel line to make sure I was getting fuel and I found out that I was getting plenty of fuel. So I thought maybe it is not enough, so I opened up my regulator a little and tried it, didn't work, did it a little more, and so on until It was completely open. Still nothing. I tried starting fluid again and it started up then when it died it had a nice flame that was probably about a foot high shoot out of the intake and my girlfriend said she saw some shooting out of the exhaust. But now I am stumped. There is fuel in the float bowls, and the correct amount. I am getting spark, I am getting fuel, I didn't do anything internally to the carburetor, I don't see how I may not be getting air. And as I was told before if you get air fuel and spark the car should start, but obviously mine is not. I did just use gasket sealant for the intake but I made sure I didn't cover any holes or anything and if I just have a vacuum leak there I would assume it would at least try to start without fluid, or once it started it wouldn't just burn the fluid and die.

 

No one has any idea what is going on?

 

If starting fluid will make it start, you aren't getting sufficient fuel into the firing chambers. Might be in the bowls, but its not getting enough of it into the engine for some reason.

Starting fluid works by creating a super-rich mix that is also volatile at low temperatures.

Check to make sure your clutch is closing
Check to make sure your accel pump is working

The 'flames out the carb' symptom makes me think your timing got messed up - - you shouldn't be firing when the port's still open - - but if you super-saturated your system with ether (starting fluid) it's possible to get a backfire like that. Ether is more flammable than gasoline. Ether auto-ignites (catches fire without spark) at only 160*.

 

Ah, that is probably why since I drenched it with fluid to get it started. I was thinking maybe I was just really low on gas but I put about a gallon and a half of gas in it and it killed the battery before the car started. The fuel lines are not mixed up and having pretty much all new parts into the fuel system I can't see why it isn't getting the fuel, but I will make sure the accel pump is working and the clutch, thanks Divin. I may just have to get a new battery charger and attempt to start it again with a battery that isn't about shot.

 

Did you use the right gaskets? If its got a huge air leak it might do what you are describing.

 

I actually just smothered it with gasket sealant. I had the gasket ordered but was going to take 3 to 5 days to get here and I really didn't want to wait. But I put quite a bit on there. I actually though maybe it plugged up 1 of the holes so I took it off and realize none of the holes were plugged, but the sealant was still wet. So I let it sit over night and tried it again this morning still with no success.

 

Not sure why I said "clutch..." I meant "choke."

Without a gasket in there (and o-rings, unless you've blocked off the water channel) you'll never get a proper seal.

 

I just had some gasket sealant and I bought some o rings and figured I would give it a shot, but I guess the sealant isn't a good enough seal for this situation lol.