Starter Fluid Required

[Sixt8Chrgr]

It appears that my newly restored 69 RT 440 is requiring starter fluid to fire after sitting for 24 hours. Is my fuel pump losing the prime? I have never had this issue before. Can someone let me know how to diagnose this problem?

Thanks

Lawrence

[TommyGun]

Most likely the fuel is boiling out/ evaporating from the carb after you shut it off.  There are lots of threads on here with the same issue.  Heat shields, carb spacers, blocked off crossover valley pans are the go to fix.  After the car has sat 24 hours before you try to start it  take off the air cleaner and while looking in the carb with a flash light pump the accelerator and if you get no fuel then that is the most likely cause.

[b5blue]

Choke adjusted?

[Sixt8Chrgr]

Most likely the fuel is boiling out/ evaporating from the carb after you shut it off.  There are lots of threads on here with the same issue.  Heat shields, carb spacers, blocked off crossover valley pans are the go to fix.  After the car has sat 24 hours before you try to start it  take off the air cleaner and while looking in the carb with a flash light pump the accelerator and if you get no fuel then that is the most likely cause.

Yea, I am familiar with this, but it just seems like after several cranks the fuel pump should pump fuel up to the carb and the engine fire? Once I squirt starting fluid in the engine it fires immediately and the fuel flows?

[Sixt8Chrgr]

Choke adjusted?

That is a great question. When I first started the car with the choke "on" it ran super rich to the point of not running. The choke pull of was not in adjustment. So I have been playing with this. I may not have it dialed it correctly, but I don't know if the choke pull of being out of adjustment would cause this issue?

Any more thoughts?

[Challenger340]

After sitting for 24 hrs, remove the Air Cleaner, and look down the Carb as you manually move the throttle.  If you can see fuel "squirting" into the Carb as you pump the throttle plates, the Carb has fuel and hasn't drained back or evaporated.

If the car was recently restored, someone may have wired something wrong and you have a weak spark ?  Stock Coil ? Stock Ignition or electronic ?
When cranking, Mopar wiring bypasses the ballast resistor to apply full cranking Voltage to the Coil, then once started and you release the key from the "Crank" position to the "run" position, the Ballast Resistor is then engaged to knock System Voltage when running(13.8 to 14.5 Volts), back down to around 123.5 Volts so as not to fry the coil.
 

[b5blue]

Manual choke then. Do you step on the gas pedal a few times when cranking?

[Sixt8Chrgr]

After sitting for 24 hrs, remove the Air Cleaner, and look down the Carb as you manually move the throttle.  If you can see fuel "squirting" into the Carb as you pump the throttle plates, the Carb has fuel and hasn't drained back or evaporated.

If the car was recently restored, someone may have wired something wrong and you have a weak spark ?  Stock Coil ? Stock Ignition or electronic ?
When cranking, Mopar wiring bypasses the ballast resistor to apply full cranking Voltage to the Coil, then once started and you release the key from the "Crank" position to the "run" position, the Ballast Resistor is then engaged to knock System Voltage when running(13.8 to 14.5 Volts), back down to around 123.5 Volts so as not to fry the coil.

Stock ignition with stock coil. I would think that if I had an electrical problem the Starting fluid would not help? But good thought. I do have a new coil I will put in the car. I installed the wiring so may be I made a mistake? But so far so good.
Thanks!!
 

[Sixt8Chrgr]

Manual choke then. Do you step on the gas pedal a few times when cranking? Yes 

[resq302]

With todays crappy fuels, I found I have had to crank the engine over a few revolutions an then pump the pedal twice and it fires right up.    Most likely its the fuel evaporating out of the bowls since the factory carb has the vent in the open position at idle.