Starting questions

[Jowersgd]

Hi, I'm fairly new to the FSJ thing, I've had an '89 grand wagoneer (72K) for a little over a month now. Before I bought this car I didn't know anything about car repair, like everyone else, by necessity I'm learning very quickly. I've also never had a carbureted car before. I've got a few questions about starting this beast in the mornings. In the morning I press the accelerator once. Turn the key and sometimes it fires right up. Other times it fires up, goes for about 2 seconds then dies. It always fires up after a few seconds of cranking on the next try. After that, for the rest of the day I can just turn the key without touching the pedal and it fires right up (w/no cranking). I've searched most of the posts in the last year and have seen that many folks have the exact same thing happen to them. I'm thinking about trying differnt ways of starting it in the mornings, once I understand how these things work. For instance: when the engine is flooded and you start it while you hold the accelerator to the floor, what does this do and why does it work? What is going on when you press the pedal in about an inch or two and start it? Why do some folks have to depress the pedal several times before starting? When the engine is cranking without firing up, is it pulling more gas in?

I hope my questions make sense. Maybe someone can benefit from them too. Thanks,
Jerry

[jeepbob]

Welcome to the world of old school tech.
What you are doing my pushing the pedal down once is allowing the automatic choke to set itself by freeing up the choke linkage. This also give a shot of fuel from the accelerator pump to enrichen the mixture for starting. What some people have to do with pumping the pedal is get more fuel into the system due to misadjusted choke or engine cond (or mods). When an engine is flooded, the holding of the pedal all the way to the floor opens the throttle plates wide open for more air flow, keeps the accel pump from working, and operates the mechanical choke unloader linkage which opens the choke about the width of a pencil to lean out the air fuel mixture. The engine will pull some fuel when cranking but usually not enough to start a cold motor. BTW fuel injected motors sometimes have cold start injectors to enrichen the mixture but most rely on increased flow thru the injectors to do this and if you hold the pedal down on efi motors most go into a flooded engine mode and lean the mixture to clear the flood.

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65 wag. 360/edelbrock rb4/t400/20 t-case/4:10 d27/d44 tracloc/onboard air/onboard 110v power(no inverter)/1999 Lincoln t.c.leather buckets/taurus ctr console/winch/33x12.50/tunes/water proof door pads
soon to have new motor/d44frt/d60r(4:10)welded diff/custom bumpers
see ya in da mud

[tuckers89GW]

exactly what Jeepbob said!! and welcome to one of the best places to get information on your new place where all your money will go.

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Mike
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>'89 GW
completely stock
<LI>'99 Windstar
under WARRANTY
<LI>see MY JEEP[/list]

[stuart]

Wheeeeww Jeepbob,

To quote Slim Pickens in Blazing Saddles... "You use your tongue purdier than a $20 whore!"

Thanks for that explanation, now I think I need a cigarette...and I don't even smoke!

Stuart