<VV> Carburetor Conundrum

[Tim Verthein]

Question for your carb jockeys out there....

Three days ago I was coerced into moving my 64 Monza outta our single
car garage so my wife's snowmobile could be worked on.  After sitting
about a month, and on a 25 degree day, she started up after three tries
and ran beautifully.  Figured as long as it was out I'd take it for a
spin, so let it warm up for a while, the took it on about a 10 mile
hiway drive. Parked it in the driveway and let her sit.

Today....three days later. it's 15 degrees. Car won't start.  Cranked
like crazy. Checked for spark. Knocked Ryan on his butt as the
screwdriver in the plug wire held near ground plan quickly turned into
spark thru oil and moisture soaked glove, thru Ryan in to ground.  He
reported spark was excellent.  Well, OK, then we better see if we have
gas. Plenty coming from the fuel line into the pressure regulator from
the electric fuel pump mounted up front.  OK, pulled the air cleaner
and actuated the throttle, expecting what I've always considered the
traditional "ssqquurriitt" of gas in the carbs from the accelerator
pumps. Nothing.  Now, I've never actually worked on a Corvair carb, but
I expected this squirt, but nothing.

So Ryan suggests a puff of starting fluid in each carb. We do this, it
starts right up and runs fine. 10 mile test drive went perfect.

My question is then, is is possible that neither of my accelerator
pumps are pumping? And that the car, in cold weather, counts on these
squirts of gas to get her going when it's cold? And once it's going,
for some reason, I don't notice that they don't work?  I've noticed no
faltering, etc... as we drive.  Not all last summer, or today on our
hiway test drive (which also included whipping some donuts on an
ice/snow covered empty church parking lot whoohooooo!). Am I such a
conservative driver that I never noticed? Car is a 110/4 speed. BTW,
for the record, the chokes are working perfectly.  It's been harder to
start on cold days last fall too, but still managed to get her going in
a couple tries.  And I did start 3 days ago, after three 20 second
cranks...but it was 15 or so degrees warmer and in the garage, as
opposed to sitting in the driveway.

Whatdayaall think?

Tim in Bovey

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You *can* repair a flip-flop with a capacitor!
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