won't start

I have a little nova 88 model, If this car sits for more then one day I have to pump the gas for a long, long time, to get it to start. What could be the problem?

 

When was the last time the carb has been rebuilt? It may be time now.

 

I could buy a new carb, but what if the problem is the gas filter or the gas pump.

 

It could be either of those. Fuel filter would have been my first thing to replace.

You can check fuel pump by hooking up some pressure gauges.

How does the car run after it's started? If fine, it's probably not your pump or filter, but worth a try.

 

It runs great after its up and running, so I guess the pump and filter are fine, I guess the floats are sticking in the carb, I am not sure, I will look into the price of a replacemnet carb.

 

It sounds like it could be the choke that is not closing like it should. Do a check by removing the air filter and then pull the throttle linkage to full throat. The choke butterfly should close. If it does the carb reservoir is empty of fuel. The easy way to check this is to hold the choke butterfly open and work the throttle linkage while looking down into the carb to see of there are some streams of fuel pumped into the carb throat. If no fuel is being pumped then the accelerator pump is bad and a kit needs to be put in the carb or the reservoir is empty. You will have to take the top of the carb to check to see if in fact the reservoir is empty, but I dought that it is if the car has sat for only two days.

 

Another reason for a hard starting is low compression due to bad ware on piston rings and/or bad valves. To check this you will need a compression gauge and pull the plugs after the engine is warmed up. If compression is less that 100 psi on any of cylinders you have more than carb problems. Most likely it would be ring and cylinder ware and the engine would be using some to a lot of oil. If this is the case the reason the engine starts up better after a short time setting is that there is still oil on the cylinder wall and piston ring to help hold compression but after 2 day this oil has drained down to the pan. If it was the valves it would be hard to start all the time.

 

When I add gas, its starts with no problem. I will check the butterfly to see if it closes when wot is applied.

I am sure of one thing, I checked this the last time, before trying to start the car, I did look into the carb and moved the accelerator by hand, but there was no stream of gas not even a little bit.

But if I were to pump it for aroung 3 minutes sloid it would start.

 

Does this sound right or just thinking wrong?

I the accelerator pump was not pumping correctly why does the car run great after starting, and never has the symptom of starving for fuel.

 

Just went out in the snow and checked the carb situation, the carb butterfly did close, after holding accellerater wide open.

While holding butterfly open to see in, no gas stream from anywhere, when accellerator was worked back and forth.

 

I would suspect the carb needs to be rebuilt or replaced for starters. If you're not getting a stream of fuel when you pump it, the accelerator pump at least is shot. Some of the internal passages may be gunked up and you could have a float problem; all fixable with a rebuild kit and some good cleaner. Fuel pressure problem also a possibility as HotinOKC has already mentioned.

 

I figured with my luck it would need something I could not give it, so I have been going through, on-line auto stores to find a replacement, but everytime I locate one, it seems to be a high end webber carburetor or a high end holley carburetor, both costing over 300 dollars, it seems no one has the correct replacement carb, unless I have on my four hundred dollar car, a 300 and something carb installed that now does not work.

If through your help, I found the proper re-build kit for whatever carb I now have, do you think I would be able to tear it down and put in the pieces as I come to them.

I am good with tools and mechanical things, I am getting started on putting together a hi performance 440, but I have probper books for this and nothing on re-building a carb.

To prevent my spending 300 plus I would rather attempt a re-build and fail if I must first. Am I going to have to go to the car, clean carb up, to find a number in order to get proper re-build kit, or does someone already know what they put on these little 4 cylinder chevy engines, these are exactly the same as toyota corrola. I believe

My 1.6 is not the hi powered 1.6 just the low end model

 

If your accellorator pump was bad it would be bad all of the time not just at start up.
For example whenever you hit the gas it would fall on it's face.
I'm pretty sure this car uses what is called a Throttle Body Fuel Injected Carburator kinda like a fuel injector placed inside of the carb.
Older generation carbs ( pre-1980's) did use an accellerator pump but I don't think they used it in the newer carbs. I could be wrong.
It seems like the pressure bleeds down when it sits.
Again, like allready suggested, rebuild the carb, replace the filters then go after the pump.
These newer generation carbs were very expensive to buy new $$$$.

 

Yeah, I thought about it being injected, too and looked it up on autozone.com. Looks like two types of fuel system, carbureted and injected, but the injected model is multi-port and not TBI, so I'm assuming he has a carburetor.

 

mine is the regular carb set up. I may try some carb cleaner, I don't know tommorrow I hope to get out there and look for the type, model carb it is.

 

It's import, but I have no idea who made the carb.

 

I would go to Autozone and tell 'em what year, make and model and ask for a carb rebuild kit.
The rebuild kits ussualy include a new accellerator pump, jets, valves and gaskets and directions. There're pretty easy for anybody that knows their way around a car.
Anybody with basic automotive skills can do this. Sounds like it's right up your alley.

 

No doubt a lot cheaper than the price you'll get if you find a replacement carb, too.

 

I would also consider that the pressure in the fuel line to the carb might be bleeding down and doesn't get built back up sufficiently until you run the fuel pump for awhile (which would occur while you are pumping the accelerator and trying to crank the engine). If it's an electric fuel pump I would test this just by turning the key to the run position (after car has set for a day or so) and just waiting for about a minute before turning the key to the start position to crank it up. If it cranks quickly then, it's a fuel pressure problem.

If you do decide to go ahead and rebuild the carb, I suggest you pre-select a place to dismantle it that is flat, free of other stuff, and well lit. And, do everything slowly because little stuff falls out when you pull them apart.

 

I like sitting on the floor when I do one, LOL; when you drop one of the little parts it can't bounce too far away and get lost.

 

I have to laugh Tow Guy, I once rebuilt a Quadrajet 4 barrel on my living room floor.
Of course after I had already dismantled and degreased it in my garage.

Rebuilding tip: Go to Sears and buy one of those magnetic parts trays to put all of your parts in.