69 440 6bbl.


If it set for weeks fuel pump won't prime or the carb is not giving gas? Pour some gas down the carb ...and it will fire up. Not an issue unhless it set for extended period.

Replace fuel pump or,accelerator pump diaphram on the carb seeems to be likley cause, but what is the purpose of the "canister" on the outlet line going to carbs.... filter, emissions ? about the size of a rattle can top ?
Could this be part of the issue ?

Make sure all the rubber lines are new or good all the way back to the tank. You may not be getting suction due to a leak. I replaced a fuel pump before only to find out the hose was bad ever though it looked good.

I've got the same problem, I was told to check for the right fuel pump push rod, if its too short it would cause this. I haven't done that yet, I am starting to think the fuel is just evaporating over time.

As said fuel evap & not sure why (how it is formulated) but it is worse than ever now even with non ethanol

I could see fuel evaporation causing hard/delayed starting but it still should prime on it`s own after cranking for while. The push rod does wear and even more quickly if it is a cheap China made replacement rod. I would think if it was worn that much you would have some drive ability problems once it is running. I will say it again. The rubber lines don`t last long with the ethanol gas blends. I had hoses go bad in a year depending on the quality of the rubber.

Didn't think of that one...good idea...hard to believe those lines could fail in 50 short years.

I only learned the hard way. I bought a new fuel pump and still had the same issue. The rubber line at the sending unit(that I replaced the year prior) had gone bad and it was the last place I checked because I though no way the rubber hose went bad that quick.

I've had a weak pump along with a slow cranking speed make em not want to prime on their own.

Yes, replacing a weak/bad pump is the obvious choice but I was warning him to check the hoses first before ordering one . I didn`t want him to run into the same issue as me.

Oh I totally agree with you brother (hoses are problematic/checking em is free). It is a logical 1st step.

Funny thing is they visually looked good. It wasn`t until I removed one and bent it sharply that I could see the cracks.

After your car has set for weeks, take the air cleaner off and see if the accelerator pump functions. I'll bet it doesn't because the gas has evaporated.

My hemi will do the same thing if it sits for a few days or is parked in the hot sun for several hours. Fuel is evaporating. If you drive it every couple days starts right up as soon as you turn the key. After setting you'd be surprised how long you have to crank it to refill the carbs. This is the reason most guys want an electric booster pump to prime the system.

I have been dealing w/evaporating gas for decades, thats not the issue this time.

If carb bowles are dry you just crank it until they fill up and off you go. This is different...you could crank until the battery goes dead and no fuel....After it fires up with a squirt down the carb...it starts and runs just fine, until it sets for a few weeks

i would for sure check the accelerator pump diaghram as well,I often have to replace them.You should see a stain on the intake if its been leaking.

My 65 corvette with an AFB did that too a few years ago and it was the accelerator pump.

Okay, I'll ask the obvious question, what is the difference between a squirt down the carb from something and a squirt down the carb from the accelerator pump? On my '67 Belvedere with a 273 two barrel, after it has sat for quite a while it takes about two minutes of cranking (with breaks) to get the engine to fire. And yes, my accelerator pump does not function when I start.

If my six pack sits 3 or 4 days, a couple of pumps of gas pedal it fires right off.

If sets a few weeks, I know I will have to crank a bit. I give about 5 seconds of this. Stop cranking then hit gas 2 or 3 times, then crank again, fires right off. My dual quad 300 B, basically the same.

Don’t get me started on the impact of these ‘modern’ fuels have on the performance of my 65 Rochester Fuel Injection systems. All a result of the finest government that money can buy. There are certainly no technical reasons for these miserable ethanol(think corn)/based fuels.

Always have assumed that float bowls run dry, either from internal leakage or evaporation. My wife is always grousing when I first park in the garage with any of my carb cars because of fuel odor. I blame a lot of this on these “modern” ethanol based fuels. And to boot, it is a miserable odor. I recall when gasolines loaded with lead and other good stuff were a pleasure to your nose.

Holley offers a 30cc & 50cc on the diaphram. Which is corredt for the center 440 6bbl ?

original equipment should be the 30CC..Look at the height difference between the 30 and 50 cc pump covers there's quite a difference.. Get the green one if you're using ethanol based fuel..