Time for a puzzler..

OK, I have a '74 El Cam with a 350. If you leave the car sitting for two days and try to start it you will get an initial start (from fuel held in a viewable in-line filter) but then it will die and require you to have to spray starting fluid into it or pump 20 or 30 times to get enough fuel to get it started.

This only happens on the initial startup, it will start fine all day long after that. My brother in law has been doing the wrenching on this car, and he checked the battery, was good, we replaced all fuel filters, installed a new mechanical fuel pump. Rebuilt the old Quadrajet (Elec choke) and checked all vacuum and fuel lines.

The latest consensus is that by replacing the carb with an Edlebrock 1406, or similar, would correct this problem. I am being told it is the fault of the Quadrajet..

Does this sound right or any ideas? I would hate to throw good money into a carb unnecessarly! All ideas appreciated.

Thats not an uncommon problem with a q-jet---their float bowl is small and doesn't take much heat soak from the engine after shutoff to boil it dry---- the engine starts up on what is in the intake but then dies and can't restart until the bowl gets refilled-----I would go easy on the starting fluid if you want to keep that engine---its some mean stuff on an engine that doesn't have oil pressure up yet to defend itself-----I'd just pump it or have the automatic choke checked.................Dan

Mine will do the same thing if I let it set for a week. Have to pump it 10 times till it fires. I read somewhere. maybe it was here. That if you have a open element air cleaner that the fuel in the fuel bowl evaporates after setting for a while. I have a 1405 elelbrock.

Brian