OK, I have a puzzling but really frustrating problem. The Comet is really hard to get running and I'm constantly killing the battery trying to get it started. Once its running its great; idles fine, accelerates fine, does great. But when I try to start it, it struggles. I recently rebuilt the carb b/c of trash from the gas tank which has all be taken care of so I'm stuck. W/ a dose of starter fluid it fires up but w/o it kills the battery most times before it starts. Help?
is your fuel line draining back to the tank? try using a clear filter inline and see if your not sure. also is it just when its cold or every time? does it start\crank like it is flooded, or the timing is too advanced?
I am using a clear inline filter, w/ a new fuel pump and there is fuel in the filter when the engine is turning over. I'm using a Mallory Unilite distributor w/ a MSD Blaster 2 coil. My timing is 13 BTDC. I guess I can check the distributor to see if its slipped but I don't think so. Also note, before I rebuilt the carb, Edelbrock #1406 (650 cfm w/ electric choke) it didn't have this trouble. I wonder if somehow the choke is messing it up. Once it flamed up through the carb but I had probably flooded it messing w/ the throttle.
Kind of sounds like the fuel is boiling or percolating out of the carb. Each time you start it you have to fill the fuel bowls back up. NExt time you have a hard time starting it, with the key off, very safely somehow, look down the throat of the carb and give the throttle a little push and see if the accelorator pump is shotting out two streams of gas. If so then there is gas in the bowls clint
Are you useing the original positive cil wire to the coil??? If so you need to run a wire to a 12 volt switched source.The stock wire is a resistance wire and doesnt supply 12 volts.Your new ignition set up requires 12 volts to the coil.This could be a source for your hard start since the coil isnt getting the saturation it needs to build the proper voltage to fire the plugs.Make sure your ingnition timing is correct as well.If its advanced/retarded too much you will have a hard start. 10 to 14 deg is where these cars like to be with a stock 302.You may also have your carbs mixture set way too lean.Good luck hope this helps you.
I'm using a relay from the battery to make sure I'm getting the full 12V. My timing is between 13 and 14 degrees. I have the trouble w/ the car hot or cold. The only thing I've found so far is that if I adjust my idle screw up to around 1300 rpm it starts a little quicker. Right now I'm troubleshooting a weak battery/charging issue so I may not be getting 12V to the distributor anyway. I think I'm going to swap out my alternator for a new one from NAPA, from what I've heard they're more likely to put out 14v and give the battery a decent charge than a rebuilt one from AZ.
Hard to start My Mav started to take 3 or 4 times to start at one time an $11.00 choke solved it. Of course maybe I just got lucky.
you may want to check the auto choke as stated above, and make sure it is set a little towards lean. clean the spring inside the black piece and maybe clean off the linkage behind it on the carb side. also check that it doesnt smell too rich when you start it up....
Went to NAPA last night and my alt is putting out 12.5v. Soooo now I've got a fresh rebuilt one from them to install tonight. When I take the old back for the core I'm going to get them to check this new one. I also ordered a new harness from the alt to the voltage reg. The BS part of it is that only one end of it is assembled, where it goes into the volt reg. I guess I'll have to remake the alternator end. Those actually look more specific and it may be hard to find the caps that go over the terminals. I know its all the rage to switch to a 1-wire or something cool but honestly I'm tired of screwing with it. Maybe over the winter.
one wire isnt all its cracked up to be. did it on my truck and now im back to stock style. i want a higher output due to camper and towing and such but overall the stock never burned a bearing when adjust correctly(belt tension wise). most aftermarket one wires are the GM style. also the built in voltage reg is a cool idea but when it goes out, again your rebuilding the alt or buying a new one.
this may be too simple but I had a car do that when I was a kid, it became almost impossible to start but ran perfect when it finally would, finally got my dad to look at it, first thing he did was grab the carb and move it, the nuts had backed off and it was just loosely sitting on manifold, once it started the vacuam would suck it down tight ! I bet my dad was really proud of his mech. inclined son LOL
