VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 33 Master

I'm still having problems with my 33 Master starting. I have to prime it every time to start it. No mater how much I crank it it will not start until I prime it. The carburetor has been rebuilt. I think the Fuel Pump is good. At first I thought it may be a weak Fuel Pump but that dosen't make sense. If there is gas in the Carb. it should start. Can all the gas drain out of the Carb. in short period of time? And if so why dosen't the Fuel pump pump fuel when I crank it? I can let my other Chevies set a month and go out and they start right up. Once it starts it runs fine but will not start when it sets, now even a few hours. Has to be a simple solution. Any ideas? I'll take any suggestions. I've tried a couple of things like changing the Spark Plug gap but that makes no difference.

There is no way for the gas to drain out unless the car is up side down.
Have you tried pulling the choke all the way out?

I have tried to pull the choke all the way out but it makes no difference. Do you think the Float may be sticken?

My 48 was like that, had to prime it if it sat very long then it would run good. I replaced the fuel pump and now it starts right up, even faster than the other cars that would always start without priming. Easy and relatively cheap fix!

Sounds like the accelerator pump in carb. does not give a squirt of gas when it is depressed to start car ??

I haven't looked in the Carb. when I'm trying to start it but I just put a new accelerator pump in it last fall. That was one of the first tings I did but it didn't help.

I have to pull the "throttle button" a handful of times to start my 34 Master to prime it. A mechanic explained that, since the system is not a closed system, gasoline will evaporate in the carb. If I let the vehicle sit for 3 weeks without starting, I have to prime it myself at the carb (not just using the "button"). BTW, the term "throttle button" is in the user's manual. I would have called it a pull, but I am not an automotive engineer.

I haven't heard that one. What does the Throttle button have to do with priming it? If you pump the accel. pedal does that not do the same thing? But I will try that.

Yes, pulling the throttle would do the same thing as pumping the accelerator, but in a much less convenient and slower way.

The gas pedal actually engages the starter. Once the engine starts, the vacuum pulls a lever and now the gas pedal functions as a gas pedal. Pretty crazy! So.... prime the carb with the button and step on the gas pedal to start and then use the gas pedal for gas.

For my '34 I would pull out the throttle about and inch, and then push it back in so the engine would be on fast idle. If the engine was cold pull the choke all the way out and then quiclly push in in about half as soon as the engine starts.

Aaah!

Forgot about the "starterator"!

You can prime it without pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

So my Coupe started yesterday but today it wouldn't. I tried tapping on the Carb. with a wooden handle thinking the float may be stuck. Nothing happened. I pulled the top of the Carb and the bowl was about half full, would this make a difference? Should the bowl be full?.

depends what you call full.....car should start when half full. Is the accelerator pump squirting gas in?

I drove through Farmington in 1951 driving a 1941 thru much of Colorado and much of South Dakota.
My first long trip as a teenager, over 3600 miles in 9 days. Stayed at the Hotel in Durango, I believe there were no motels in town at that time also did the Million Dollar highway up ro Silverton. Been back to Colorado many times since including three or four times for VCCA Meets.

OK, so I'm pretty sure it was half full. I could not see well into the Carb. to see if it was squirting gas. I would guess it was not but I'll look tomorrow.

The gas level in a W-1 carb is approximately 1/2 full with properly adjusted float.

OK, thanks, so that is correct. I replaced the Accel. Pump last year. I'm wondering if that's the problem?

If you don't get a squirt of gas into the carburetor throat when advancing the throttle arm when there is 1/2 bowl of gas, I can assure you that the accelerator pump or passage or jet of all of them is a problem.

I took the accelerator pump out yesterday and it looked ok to me, but what do I know. I may have to replace it again.

You took it out because it wasn't pumping?

I took it out to inspect it. It looked fine to me so I put it back. But today when I pumped it I saw no gas squirting into the Carb. I'm not sure why, but I may replace the Accel, Pump and see what that does. Maybe there is a reason no gas is getting to the pump to pump.

Maybe just a plugged orifice.

Jon,
Is there much resistance when moving the throttle arm? If so the jet may be plugged. The hole is in the 0.020" range so doesn't take much to plug it. A thin wire or correct numbered drill bit can open it up either in place or removed.

I'll look tomorrow. Do I remove the pump jet plug or the nozzel passage plug?

Remove the small pump jet plug to get to the jet so either it can be removed to check it or try to open it up if plugged.

I gave up. I've sent it off to have it looked at.

We have decided ( with the help of a VCCA expert) that it is not the Carb. The Carb. is fine. So once I get it on I look again at the Fuel Pump. I was told that was probably the problem but I didn't listen. I'll put in a new diaphram and sed. bowl gasket.

Remove pump jet plug located on top of carb sitting at an angle. Need nice straight sided electrical screwdriver to remove the jet a No. 72

Once I remove the Jet then what?

If the pump seal at the glass bowl is leaking even slightly the pump output will be affected. I use cork seals and not the neoprene ones sold with most kits.

My cork one was cracked so I found a neoprene one and put it in. When I get my carb. back I'll get a cork gasket. I now think I have an air leak somewhere.

The '36 Town Sedan we bought in Cottonwood AZ came with several problems in the fuel system that ganged up on me, and probably the PO. One was that the cork gauge float disintegrated and sank to the bottom. Since the little screen in the pump had a hole in it that plugged up everything downstream including the carburetor. The pressed in check valves on the aftermarket fuel pump would not hold so it had to be primed virtually every time it sat for a day. The fuel connection INSIDE the tank rusted a hole in it so that if the tank dropped down to below half full it would suck air along with the gas and the carburetor would starve.

Start with a list of possibilities, and a clear section of hose you can put on the pump inlet and see if it is sucking air.

This is on a nicely restored car we bought from a Chevrolet dealership. Someone spent a lot of money on this, I can only assume they could not get all the little gremlins figured out and gave up. You may be up against some similar problems.

Let the forum know what you find. I can guarantee someone else will have the same, or similar problems. Ours took a new pump, a new tank, a different carburetor, and a fair amount of work.