it is always touch and go to start my stude. sometimes it starts up good, other times, you have to keep on trying. is it the carb. is there an adaptor plate to convert a one barrel carb to a two barrel carb. husband has rebuilt the carb one or two times and it still does the same old t hing. he is thinking he might convert it to a two barrel carb, not sure if there is an adaptor plate for that.
-
-
What type of Studebaker? Do you have real gas or ethanol in the tank?1942 Packard Clipper Custom Touring Sedan * 1952 Studebaker Champion Regal * 1954 Studebaker Commander Regal Starlight * 1967 Thunderbird Hdtp * 1969 Continental Mark III * 1969 Mercury Marquis convertible * 1972 Buick Riviera * 1973 Continental Mark IV * 1978 Glass Top Lincoln Town Car * 1983 Mercedes 300SD * 1986 Dodge RAM 4WD * 1999 Infiniti Q45 -
Two suggestions which solve most hard starting problems:
1. Completely new ignition parts - points, condensor, rotor, cap, wires and plugs.
2. Electric fuel pump.
jack vinesPackardV8Comment
-
You are to be commended for getting involved in the repair. Only the best wives do this, and Studebaker husbands generally love the fact that the one they love helps work on the car.
Here's basic concept that will serve you both if you can go along with it. If the car is hard to start, you need to find what is wrong and repair it. Do not try to REDESIGN it by changing to a different design/model of carb.
The car worked fine when it was built, so it does not need to be mickey moused now.
Studebakers are generally noted for easy starting. Think about finding whatever component has gone bad and replacing that component(s).
There are lots of smart guys on this forum, so please give us more information and someone will help you and your husband figure it out.
Best of luck to you two.RadioRoy, specializing in AM/FM conversions with auxiliary inputs for iPod/satellite/CD player. In the old car radio business since 1985.
10G-C1 - 51 Champion starlight coupe
4H-K5 - 53 Commander starliner hardtop
5H-D5 - 54 Commander Conestoga wagonComment
-
Jack and Roy are dead on. If a car will not start most of the time it is ignition not fuel. Changing the carb will just make it harder to find the real problem. Does it fire if you pour a little gas in the carb? If not almost certainly ignition. There are a lot of smart people here. Give us more details, change one thing at a time, and it will work out.
NathanComment
-
studebaker starts hard
yes, we have put a little gas in the carb and it does fire when we do it. i would like this problem fixed, it kind of gets frustrating trying to start the car. when i want to go. i noticed when it starts hard i smell gas.Originally posted by nvonada View PostComment
-
thank you for the adviceComment
-
studebaker lark, real gasComment
-
ok, i will tell my husband that. thank youComment
-
A new carb may not help. The real cause of the problem is today's fuel. If the car sits for any length of time, the fuel in the bowl evaporates, and the most volatile fractions go first. Result is, car won't start until fresh fuel gets pumped up from tank. An electric fuel pump, mounted back near the tank, on a manual switch, is the easiest answer, and also gives you a solution to vapor lock.Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta BadlandsComment
-
Since it starts when primed you may have a leak in the fuel supply. Even a very small leak can allow it to suck air into the system. Check the gaskets around the fuel pump and filter. Look for any moisture from gas along the fuel line all the way to the tank. If you smell fuel in an enclosed space it is a sure sign of a leak. Also check the carb for leaks around the float bowl. It is possible for the float bowl itself to have leaks. All this means you have to crank it and crank it until the fuel is pushed back into the carb, most often when the engine is cold.
I had an air leak in one of mine that didn't show itself at all until I added an electric pump to prime it with, when I fixed the leak I found I didn't really need the elecric pump.
RobComment
-
We need to know some facts before we can really help.
1) is it hard to start when you start it every day, or only when it sits for days or weeks?
2) does it start easy cold, but not when hot?
3) what do you mean by "hard to start"? does it crank slowly? does it only fire occasionally, until it slowly builds enough fire to run? does it crank and crank forever, eventually firing and running as expected?
We can help but we need to know what you know.Comment
-
I had a heck of a time learning to start my 1963 Avanti R1, but have found a reliable method. A complete tune up helped immensely and I also got advice from other Avanti owners. Here's what works for me:
If the car has not been started for at least 24 hours (or weeks, for that matter) I don't touch the gas pedal and instead crank the engine for 5-6 revolutions (to get the current volatile gas to the carb - stock fuel pump, BTW). Stop cranking. Then I floor the gas pedal one time to set the choke. When I resume starting, it will reliably start after just a couple of revolutions and go into high idle.
For the rest of that day, DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL or you will have a very hard time starting! Just insert the key turn and she fires after 1-2 revolutions. This works for me and hope it may help you...BobComment
-
it starts up fine when i first pull it out of the garage. then occasionally when i park at stores, it is hard starting- and i dont stay long in the stores. when it is hot out, it starts hard alot. it will turn over when it is hard to start but the it wont be enough for the car to start running. it cranks and cranks occasionally and then it starts and it is fine. when i am driving my car which is in the summer, i drive it about three times a week. my car never just sits ,the only time it sits for a long time is from sept to may when i put it up for the winter. sometimes it takes about three times to try and start it until it actually does. it doesnt do this always. i never know when i will have the problem. sometimes it starts normal. sometimes i have to try several time until it starts. but the very first time i take it out for the day, i have no problem starting it. it doesnt like humid weather- when it is hot out, and humid- that is when there is the most problems.Comment
-
i may try the electric pump. thanks for the adviceComment
Comment