Hard Starting

[marty in Ohio]

Tried to start Margaret (30 Town Sedan) last Friday night and she wouldn't go. Tried again on Saturday morning and still nothing. She turned over but no go. Tonight Modelacarman, Bob came over and we went through the routine, thinking it was electrical. Everything seemed O.K. and Bob asked me for a hammer. He tapped on the end of the Zenith carb. and told me to start it up. She started on the first go around. Seems that the float was stuck. Is this something that is more prone to happen when the weather is sticky and humid?
Thanks again for your help, Bob.
Marty

[Tom Wesenberg]

I haven't had that problem, but the corn crap gas can make things a bit sticky, especially if the gas gets old. I try to only use the more expensive good gas without food parts in it.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by marty in Ohio

Tried to start Margaret (30 Town Sedan) last Friday night and she wouldn't go.

How long had it sat before you tried to start it? I try to drive mine a minimum of once a week to keep the Ol' Girl's juices flowing.

I add 1 oz. per gal. of Seafoam at each fill up to help with the "corn crap gas".

[w.michael]

I had problems with a sticking float valve all the way to Perrysburg (1,219 miles, round trip.) I have a newly-rebuilt Zenith, built by one of the best professionals, with a "new viton rubber tipped float valve," but the valve would stick in the closed position every time I stopped at a stop sign or stop light. Then about the time I would clear the intersection and start to accelerate, the bowl would run out of gas. I could usually get it going by choking the carb, but not always. (One time, the TANK ran out of gas, but that was a different story.) I was using whatever gas I could buy, which of course contained ethanol, and I was adding MMO to every tankful. The valve seems to have cured itself by the time I returned home, so I have not disassembled the valve at this time. While on the trip we cleaned the valved and strainer, but that did not solve the problem.

So I don't think the problem was old gas, or trash in the valve, or ethanol gas, or infrequent use. I think some of these valves just stick closed sometimes.

I have three different types of valves on hand for replacement, but I can't decide which to use. I'm not going to do anything yet, unless and until the problem occurs again.

W. Michael

[gweilbaker]

This something to check from Marco's site:

http://www.abarnyard.com/workshop/carb-1.htm

[Mitch//pa]

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Originally Posted by gweilbaker

This something to check from Marco's site:

http://www.abarnyard.com/workshop/carb-1.htm

That usually causes the float valve to not seal

[marty in Ohio]

In reply, my "A" sat for five days and, yes, I am using "crap gas." It's the only gas we can buy around here unless you want to go to a marina. I do use 4 ounces of MMO in each tankful. The carb. is a Zenith that I put on about 5 years ago and it was a BRAND new unit from Snyders. I haven't had the troubles that W. Michael had. Mine only seems to stick when I start it, and it really has only happened 3 or 4 times since new. When I first put it on the car wouldn't start so I called Snyders to complain. They explained that this sometimes happens with the new carbs as they are stored on their sides in their shelves. They suggested that I tap on it with a screwdriver handle. Oh, how soon we forget.
Marty

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

When sitting, the rubber tipped needles won't stick, if you run the carb dry. This leaves the valve WIDE OPEN.
Bill W.

[Jim/GA]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

When sitting, the rubber tipped needles won't stick, if you run the carb dry. This leaves the valve WIDE OPEN.
Bill W.

This has been my experience, too. I run the fuel out of the carb when parking for several days.

I like the modern style polymer tipped needles because they seal well with little float pressure on them. But with no fuel pump on a Model A, you don't have much pressure pushing fuel against them to open them up when you start the car after sitting, and they do stick at times.

I had one stick so bad once that even a rap with a screwdriver handle would not free it. I had to drop the bottom half of the carb and spray some carb cleaner up into the valve to free the needle. Only happened once, though, so I keep using the viton-tipped needles.

YMMV.

[mshmodela]

Marty,

After two months of dry weather in our neck of the woods and a lot of rain in the past two, that corn gas will suck it up more than 100% gasoline... Strongsville LandMark sells 100% gasoline..

[marty in Ohio]

Thanks Mike. Strongsville isn't too far to go for good gas. I'll check Landmark outlets closer to Elyria.
Marty

[Hook]

There is an App for the iPhone called Pure Gas that will show the stations that carry ethanol free gas.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

On the first straight 6 Volvos, the "Viton" needles would stick while driving & would "kill' 1 carb & run on 3 cylinders!
We changed them to Grose-Jet, double ball valves & all was well!
Bill W.

[mshmodela]

Originally Posted by marty in Ohio

Thanks Mike. Strongsville isn't too far to go for good gas. I'll check Landmark outlets closer to Elyria.
Marty

I just bring 2 5 gal cans. --it's the only place in Cuyahoga County that I know that sells it.. --if you're lucky, you'll see others old time cars there..