speed of starting your charger

[fireguyfire]

I am done the full resto of my 383 68 and am now playing with and tweaking the little things on the car. The engine had a full rebuild, it has a new carb, intake, fuel pump, etc, etc.
When I start the car it takes a while for it to fire and sometimes it almost catches once or twice before it goes. I realize that it is not a fuel injected new car but I would like to have it start quickly once the key is turned.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to tweak the car so it starts better?

[DAY CLONA]

If your running points/condenser and ballast resistor, get rid of it and install a Pertronix II or III conversion kit, platinum Bosch plugs, Pertronix ignition wires for a start 

[cbrestorations]

Does it fire easy when warm?

[lloyd3]

I'd try a carburetor rebuild kit from the sounds of things. If the carb won't hold fuel when it's not running, it takes quite a while cranking it for the fuel pump to re-fill the bowels and then have the carb properly meter it. That might account for the symptoms you've described.

[ht4spd307]

pump the accelerator a few more times before starting that's how these old cars are the fuel drains back.with mine i pump it 4 times and it starts right up

[fireguyfire]

Thanks for the suggestions; I should add it's got a brand new edelbrock performer carb and has a pert tonic ignition and coil.

[Charger_Fan]

Sooo...you are wanting that thing to fire like a modern FI engine? Rude awakening pal, unless you bolt on a whole lotta "current technology" (IE cubic dollars), that's not happenng. These old cars work at their own pace, until they are fully awake. They have a personality.
Be patient & enjoy their simplicity...and hang on when they are awake & feeling feisty!

[cbrestorations]

Probably needs more fuel at idle, try opening the idle screws a 1/2 turn

[Zeeman]

I fitted a Holley Street Avenger 670 with electric choke to my rebuilt 383, starts right up and idles great. Stock motor with mild cam and dual plane manifold.

Had an Edelbrock 800 before, was way overcarbed.

[XH29N0G]

I think it boils down to having enough fuel and the right spark/ignition.  I pump 2 times hit the key and it seems to start within a second of first turning over.  Keeping it running calls for feathering the gas (no choke).  I noticed a difference since my car was rebuilt with an MSD and double pumper.  The fact that the fuel stays in the carb must help.  Any time it has been different, I have either not pumped the gas enough or there has been another problem.  

Before having the MSD, I had a points ignition and vacuum secondary carbs (the original holley, and then a series of replacements, last was a 670 VS Holley street avenger). Those did not start as quickly, but I remember counting 5 full shots of the throttle and then turning over would often make those catch pretty quickly (a few seconds).  The pump shot needed to be working, and it was this way from when I bought the car from my dad in 1983.  When learning to drive the car, my dad told me to do 5 pumps of the throttle and then turn the key.  I suppose this could have just been lucky, but I think it was in part a learned process and in part that there was enough gas.  I know the few times it did not start were times when the accelerator pump was dried up and not working or when the car was out of gas.

[myk]

My car is about a second till it fires.  I'm running an MSD 6 and an electric fuel pump so you could consider that cheating.  When I was running a mechanical fuel pump and a stock ignition my car always took a few seconds of gas pedal pumping, cranking and prayers to get it going...

[moparnation74]

It also depends on how long the car sits as well without starting.

When it is driving season, mine starts on the beginning of the second rotation cold and in a sec or so when it is hot.....

It's all about timing, fuel, and spark!!!

[myk]

That modern gas sure likes to evaporate...

[crj1968]

 383 / MSD -6AL / Holley 670 electric choke/  Mechanical pump     3 pumps and it fires right up.


I bet you just need to tweak your timing a bit

[RallyeMike]

I'm assuming you are talking cold start only? To confirm gas pumps as everyone is suggesting, that's what the old op manuals say for a cold start.

[Challenger340]

It also depends on how long the car sits as well without starting.

When it is driving season, mine starts on the beginning of the second rotation cold and in a sec or so when it is hot.....

It's all about timing, fuel, and spark!!!

I agree.
A well setup old school Carb & Points system is perfectly capable of starting immediately when setup properly.
Mine usually sits weeks at a time, so obviously cold starts after sitting always require cranking for a while to get fuel up to the carb again,
but once run on one day.....
the next day, just a few pumps and just a very few crank rotations to fire(2-3 seconds)
and then,
if restarted in the same day, I don't think it even goes half a turn before firing right up, even after many hours sitting.

[tcs69rt]

Fireguyfire = Looks like most people have great ideas for you. The positive side of it not firing immediately is that you get oil circulating before it fires. I have a mechanical fuel pump and on cold starts I turn the key for a few seconds while pumping the gas pedal, it usually does not fire instantly when you think of the distance fuel must travel to reach the cold carb. I turn the key again and it will fire now that fuel is in the carb. I had a 68 Barracuda with an electric fuel pump and it would fire instantly. It's all about the timing, fuel and spark. 

[LaOtto70Charger]

Half your problem is probably the Edelbrock evaporating all the gas.  There some other threads complaining about this also.  I know my 318 with a Edelbrock goes bone dry if it sits a week.  I have a clear plastic fuel filter that is now mounted where I can see it when the engine turns over with the hood open.  I can crank watch it fill the filter up and than she fires right up.  If just ran I think it starts best with no pumping at all.  If a day 1.5 pumps otherwise she takes forever.  Oh and I have points too.

[tan top]

 when mine has been sitting  for any length of time & temperature dependent ie  cold motor cold start ! crank the motor for a few seconds first  , then   , the drill is !  switch the electric fuel pump on for about 10 to 15 seconds ( that's how long it takes for fuel to flow up a dry fuel line , fill the fuel bowels & flow back to the tank via a return line . yes I timed it  ) turn pump off   , ,  pump the gas pedal 4 times ,  pull the manual choke out half way , then crank the motor ,  starts almost instantly  , one or two seconds ,  with in one or two turns of the motor .  after about 2 minutes I push the choke in a quarter & or weather dependent  in fully after 5 minutes ,  will start cold  & run with out a choke in  the summer time / warmer weather  , but don't really like it , since I blocked the crossover & removed heat riser & current cam in there, likes to be warm or the temp gauge start to move first before I push in the choke fully. I will say while it fires up almost instantly with in a second or two , with mopar orange box , & 20 degree initial . if I put the points distributor in , with matching ballast resistor,& make no other changes  it seems to fire up quicker , hard to explain ,    example  if it starts with in a second with electronic set up , seems just touching the key before starter motor even cranks , it fires up with points distributor !  

[CRW-FK5]

Sooo...you are wanting that thing to fire like a modern FI engine? Rude awakening pal, unless you bolt on a whole lotta "current technology" (IE cubic dollars), that's not happenng. These old cars work at their own pace, until they are fully awake. They have a personality.
Be patient & enjoy their simplicity...and hang on when they are awake & feeling feisty!

My 440 with Edelbrock starts right away.  One pump and fires up.  Even quicker when warm.

[holanae]

I understand going electronic is better, but I'm still on points and mine starts up in half a turn.  It's all about dialing everything in properly. 

[Brass]

I have a double pumper, electric choke, orange box, and a mechanical fuel pump.  If it has been sitting cold for a couple of weeks: 2 slow pumps to the floor and it fires within a few short seconds.  I may have to feather the pedal for a couple seconds though, and sitting longer than two weeks may take a few more moments of cranking to start.  Warm start up: 2 quick partial pumps and it fires almost immediately.  The only time it can be hard to start is if it is heat-soaked.  

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Fireguyfire = Looks like most people have great ideas for you. The positive side of it not firing immediately is that you get oil circulating before it fires. I have a mechanical fuel pump and on cold starts I turn the key for a few seconds while pumping the gas pedal, it usually does not fire instantly when you think of the distance fuel must travel to reach the cold carb. I turn the key again and it will fire now that fuel is in the carb. I had a 68 Barracuda with an electric fuel pump and it would fire instantly. It's all about the timing, fuel and spark.  

I concur with this.   If the car has been sitting for a few days, I purposely do not set my choke (ie pump gas)....  I crank engine over for a few seconds just to get oil circulating....then I set choke & she fires on second revolution.

When its hot it fires instantly....

PS---Eddy 800 Thunder Series....

[BrianShaughnessy]

Throw out the boat anchor old style starter and get a mini-starter.  Spins the engine a lot faster.

[myk]

Not a bad idea...

[fireguyfire]

good discussion gents and yes I do appreciate the old technology and have restored several Mopar muscle cars over the years; just find this one a bit slower to start.

[b5blue]

Mini starter from D&B and Optima red top battery.....BAM! 

[fireguyfire]

Ordered up a DB mini starter; will be curious to see the difference when installed

[myk]

Make sure your battery and cabling are up to snuff, or else it won't make a difference how good the starter is...

[johnnycharger]

Make sure your battery and cabling are up to snuff, or else it won't make a difference how good the starter is...

Yup.
I would start with something simple like making sure your battery is 100%. I recently changed by battery and alternator and was amazed as to how much faster it starts. I didn't think my battery was that bad and I always kept it it on a tender just because sometimes it sits for a few weeks. I don't use the tender anymore and if I start it after it sits for a few days it still fires up almost instantly.  If I let it sit over a week it usually requires a couple of pumps of the pedal and about 5 seconds of cranking. 

[fireguyfire]

Battery and all cables are brand new; battery is 100% and cranks the old starter beautifully

[Mopar Nut]

I understand going electronic is better, but I'm still on points and mine starts up in half a turn.  It's all about dialing everything in properly. 

  even without a choke.

[b5blue]

Battery and all cables are brand new; battery is 100% and cranks the old starter beautifully

Mine did to. Then I noticed cranking seemed to peter out faster than expected. I installed the D&B mini and things seemed back to normal. After a bunch of engine and other repairs the battery got worked pretty hard, recharged and then everything would sit while doing other repairs. A bit later I noticed if the engine didn't start right away the battery ran out of reserve pretty quick. I bought the Red Top Optima to replace my standard battery and found the Red Top really spins the mini much much faster. The Optima outputs more amps at cranking and that gets the fuel pump moving fuel much faster. My engine has never had starting issues unless it sat for over a month but now it really really cranks right up!   

[Brock Lee]

When I bought my current car, it was bone stock under the hood. Factory 2 bbl carb, intake, huge starter, points ignition, etc. So long as it hadn't sat for a week, it would fire up immediately. Over the course of a year I changed the intake, carb, added a small starter, new fuel line, pump, modified to electronic ignition..and now it acts like everybody elses. You have to pump it a few times on a cold start. I know it is the way it goes, but I can't help but think that they all were not like this..this one certainly hasn't always been doing it.

[PlainfieldCharger]

Fireguyfire = Looks like most people have great ideas for you. The positive side of it not firing immediately is that you get oil circulating before it fires. I have a mechanical fuel pump and on cold starts I turn the key for a few seconds while pumping the gas pedal, it usually does not fire instantly when you think of the distance fuel must travel to reach the cold carb. I turn the key again and it will fire now that fuel is in the carb. I had a 68 Barracuda with an electric fuel pump and it would fire instantly. It's all about the timing, fuel and spark.  

I concur with this.   If the car has been sitting for a few days, I purposely do not set my choke (ie pump gas)....  I crank engine over for a few seconds just to get oil circulating....then I set choke & she fires on second revolution.

When its hot it fires instantly....

PS---Eddy 800 Thunder Series....

Same carb and procedure!! I like to think it eliminates any air in the system..

[brad mcintyre]

pump 2 or three times starts 2nd time around 

[fireguyfire]

Installed the D&B mini starter last night; unbelievable how quick the car fires now; I barely think about turning the key and she's running!
Although I will miss that Mopar starter sound I sure wont miss the slower starts!

[BrianShaughnessy]

Installed the D&B mini starter last night; unbelievable how quick the car fires now; I barely think about turning the key and she's running!
Although I will miss that Mopar starter sound I sure wont miss the slower starts!

I don't miss the sound of repeated cranking at all...

[myk]

Installed the D&B mini starter last night; unbelievable how quick the car fires now; I barely think about turning the key and she's running!
Although I will miss that Mopar starter sound I sure wont miss the slower starts!

I don't miss the sound of repeated cranking at all...

Lol good point...

[Bob]

Throw out the boat anchor old style starter and get a mini-starter.  Spins the engine a lot faster.

Exactly!

[Kern Dog]

Mini starter from D&B and Optima red top battery.....BAM! 

I have a Denso mini starter. My blue top Optima is on its way out though. I just ordered a new red top with 800 CCA. The car used to start fine before the battery started to fail. It never spun as fast as a newer car though.