I’m having trouble cold starting my ‘85 12a. I can crank and crank and crank with it choked or not and it will not start. I took the fuel hose off that leads into the carburetor and cranked the motor and gas comes out there at a pretty good rate. I put the gas hose back on, took a flashlight and looked down into the throat of the carburetor while my wife tried to start the car. While she was cranking, I could not see any mist in any of the carburetor throats. I also could not tell whether the choke was open or closed. Shouldn’t those butterflies open and close when you open and close the choke? If I pour gasoline down the carburetor, and fully choke it, it will begin to pop and eventually start. Once the thing is running it will restart without any problem. It has a brand new fuel pump and filter. And earlier this summer I put in new plugs. I hope someone can give me some clues. Thanks Dennis

 

Right now, it sounds like its flooded. A couple of ounces of Seafoam down the carb should get her back on her feet for you.

As to why this keeps happening, there could be a few different reasons:

1. Timing is off
2. Fuel float bowl solenoid is not connected. This is on the front driver's side of the carb, and has a single wire coming out of it (right by the alternator). It is designed to release the pressure in the float bowls when the car is shut off, otherwise fuel will begin to run into the bowls while the car is off, making it hard/impossible to start again later.
3. Low compression. This can be due to high miles on the engine, or carbon buildup. Take the remainder of that bottle of Seafoam and dump it into the gas tank to take care of any carbon in the engine.
4. Yes, you should see the flaps close when you engage the choke. If not, then check the cable to make sure it is connected.

For more information on the carb, check out www.sterlingmetalworks.com

Good luck.