Hi all, I just recently purchased a 1984 Firebird V8 5.0L! Love it too!

Here is the issue, I dont really know how to start it properly lmao all my cars were always dig fuel injected so this is all forein to me.

Someone said doing a new start in the morning I should pump the gas to the floor once, let the pedal lift and then start.

Someone said pump two times, then let off the pedal and start.

Someone said you shouldnt have to pump....so wtf!?

So lets say I last use the car 7pm night before, its now 10 hours later im gonna start it up to go to work! I live in FL so its never too cold here. How to I properly start?


On a second part of this question, should i get to work at 8am, and wanna go to lunch at 12:30pm what steps should I take then?

Thanks

Greg

 

Properly tuned and all running right, you shouldn't have to pump. Turn the key and one pump won't hurt anything, it'll just start an old girl up faster. It may take a second because on a fuel injection, the fuel pump primed to have constant pressure to start. Carbed you just need a second to build that pressure to maintain engine running. Turn the key and enjoy, absolutely no rocket science to it, and you won't hurt it any which way except maybe flood it if you pump too many times before it starts.

 

Well I heard a few tell me that, which makes me wonder now if I have a issue or not.

See in the morning if I turn the key keep turning for about 6 seconds and let go it wont turn on, try it one more time then the engine turns but putters and nearly stalls, once it did stall.

I didnt pump the gas at all though, and the times where I start it up and one cranked the engine it still flutters but once I give it gas it evens out but still see the RPM stick fluctuate alot, going up and down rapidly but not so bad that it goes all over the place.

 

You maybe shouldn't have to pump the gas, but I've never had a carbd car that you didn't have to pump the gas. I give mine a pump, then I crank, and feather the gas while I crank - when she fires, I let the idle down some and usually end up pumping a leser pump again - then she never stops running.

 

Your carbureted engine has an automatic choke. In order for the choke to set for cold startup, you have to pump the throttle one time. This is not to pump fuel into the intake but simply to allow the choke to close and the fast idle cam to move to its highest point. This would have been part of the starting instructions printed in the owner's manual.

 

I have not driven my Camaro since '03 (spun a rod bearing and now it's a full restore project). But it is an '84 305 H.O. (carbed) setup. If I recall, I had to give it just two quick pumps and turn the key.
Now, for a while, when I first got the car, if you did not start it "just right" it ran for crap (remedy, hold at a slightly high RPM for about 10 seconds and usually that cleared it up). A friend of mine rebuilt the carb on it and after that, it started and ran like a dream (still using 1-2 pumps).

 

To the other poster, I wished this had came with the owners manual LMAO but sadly it didnt ;(

Okay so like you said with your 84 305, so I get in the car, push the gas pedal down to the ground then release it, then start the car correct? If one dont work then the next morn after ill try two pumps.

Also, someone said if the carb got flooded you would push the gas pedal all the way to the floor then start the car and then release the gas, is this true?

Oh yea, one more thing! You said that if you didnt catch it just right the car would run for crap for a few min, how do you mean? Liek you would feel a putter or something?

 

Pump it once, then about once more for every 10°F below 50°. Doesn't have to be real precise... just, a couple of times more if it's cold, and the colder it is the more times. Shouldn't ever take more than 6 or 8 pumps. Then take your foot off the gas and turn the key. Repeat if it starts and dies. Once it starts running, keep your foot off the gas until it starts to run smoothly; when it does, blip it GENTLY, just enough to let it fall off of the highest fast-idle step.

This of course assumes that the choke and the whole rest of the carb is working properly.

Yes if it floods, hold the gas to the floor (which will force the choke blade open), and start it. This should basically never be necessary. Very rarely if at all. Only if you accidentally pump it about 3 times as many pumps as you should.

 

This of course assumes that the choke and the whole rest of the carb is working properly.

I was about to say that. I have a 84 c10 and the electric choke quit working. So I installed a manual choke. pulled the choke turned the key and she fires every time. I have never had to pump the gas even in the 20"s

 

Okay so lets say I last drove my car at 1:30pm, I get off at 5pm to head home! Only a few hours but should I pump my pedal still?

 

My opinion. Only if it dosent start. If it will start without pumping the gas then there would be no reason to do it.

 

Also does the Carb have anything in it that can make a light clack sound? I just heard it during lunch for the first time lol now im pissing blood here! Engine oil is great, pressure it great but if the carb is bad would or could it make any noises?

 

Okay so if I try the key start and it gives me that almost start then putters to a shut down then pump and turn key this time? Or should I try an push a little gas to make it even out before it stalls?

I know these are stupid questions lmao but truth is this is my first carb engine so im lost with this stuff lol

 

Yes it has a mixture control solenoid, which operates about 7 times a second. It controls the tapered metering rods which go through the main jets. The ECM controls the duty cycle (the % of time it's energized vs the % of the time it's not) to in effect change the jet size. It also controls a valve in the idle system. That's how the computer controls the mixture.

If you turn the key on with the engine not running, it should click for about 30 seconds or so, then stop. It will be clicking 100% of the time once the engine is running.

If it doesn't run right when you do what I said, then it's not working right; and you'll either need to fix it, or develop how to deal with it.

 

When I mentioned it ran like crap it felt like it was going to stall out (and if you drove it, it would feel like it was "bucking"). I hard an argument with a guy at a tire store that could not get my car to stay started and he insisted it had a MAJOR problem (I never had a MAJOR problem, he was expecting a fuel injected car).

Anycase, if the car sat for a couple hours, I'd have to pump the gas twice real quick and start it. Say I go get gas and jumped right back in, no need to pump the gas, she started right up.

It may sound annoying, but you get a feel for it. And as with my Z28, you may be in need of a carb rebuild (after mine was rebuilt, my Z28 started a LOT easier and just ran BETTER).

 

i always give mine two quick pumps on initial startup. but mine is sometimes a hassle and floods easily i dont know why. after ive been driving for awhile, and its been sitting in a parking lot or so i usually give it one quick pump to reset the choke and it starts right up. if it doesnt start at all, i turn the igniition for a couple second and and tap it. if that doesnt work its usually flooded so i have to stick a screwdriver down the front and start it, run outside and manually accelerate

 

From the factory, you shouldn't have to pump the pedal. That was over 20 years ago though, and most cars aren't running to factory specs anymore (from rather neglect, or just engine wear) so usually a few pumps doesn't hurt. Mine will NOT start initially when its under 40 degrees out but always eventually puffs to life (yea, it needs some TLC).

 

something i havent gotten too, is a carb rebuild but 25 years does wear even on an engine that was taken care of and sat. or a car for that matter. so if you get a rebuild kit. it will likely perform much much better, and possibly just be a turn key istead of pumping thing afterwards

 

Exactly, your carburetor always holds some fuel so fuel delivery on a cold start shouldn't be an issue if everything is running right.