HARD START AFTER SETTING A COUPLE OF DAYS??

I have a 1969 440 with all new fuel system and rebuilt original CARTER carburetor. It starts fine until it has set for a couple of days. Then no matter the order of cranking and pumping the pedal no start. You will run the battery down before it starts? If you prime the carb with a small amount of fuel it will start and run fine till it sets for a couple of days. Has anyone experienced this problem and if so what did you do to solve it? I don't want to put an electric pump in.
Thanks!

Are you sure that your choke is working properly? Are you setting the choke properly before trying to start the engine? step gas pedal to the floor once and then about 1/2 way then try starting.

seems with this fuel now days it evaporates from the carb rather quickly.. i added a small electric near the tank on my hemi car as it seemed nothing helped..good luck dan

Possible bleeding float bowl, possible bad check valve in fuel pump. I would check your battery because if either of the above is correct a 20 second crank should fill the bowl and start the car. How long is your crank?

Our Challenger does it with a Holley carb if sitting more than a week (fuel bowl is larger). When we had the thermoquad on it, the fuel would evaporate after a few days. I have a small funnel that fits on the primary vent of the holley and I just pour a small cup of fuel in the primary bowl and it starts right up.

I have the exact same problem with my newly-rebuilt 383 and Holley. Runs great after started, but takes a lot of cranking to get it there...

With the Holley style carbs having the air vent on top of the bowls, is there a chance that when the carb sits for lets say a week or two, and the bowl vent is open to the air coming in thru the air cleaner assembly, would the fuel in the bowl become "stagnet" or less flammable causing the starting issues?

Thanks for all the responses and welcome to my frustration those with the same problem!
I have tried MoparforLifes choke set this morning after the car sat only 1 day and had great results! It started the best after 1 day than it ever had! I am going to let it set a couple of days and try the same procedure and see if it still starts as well???
goundpoint6, My starting crank is well over 20 seconds usually off and on as to not roast the starter till the battery starts to fade.
Thanks! moparjohn

I had experienced similar hard starting after prolonged periods of time with my recently completed six-pack (new carbs). I have a fully functional choke set correctly, overnight or a couple of days, starts up cold perfectly. Sits a week or longer, behaved as though there were no fuel in the bowls. Went so far as to pull the center carb off, filled the bowl and let it sit on bench stand expecting to see leakage, didn’t find it. I had converted over to an electric fuel pump system anyway, pretty easy to wire up a “prime” button to manually run the pump for a few seconds prior to start up. Now it fires right up no matter how long it’s been sitting, if it’s been primed. I’m convinced the fuel is simply evaporating out of the bowls.
I don’t recall having starting problems like this back in the day, running original mechanical fuel pumps on these cars. I have read today’s gasoline formulation makes for much faster evaporation rates. Then again, my cars then were daily drivers and never sat around long.

I'd add the ~1/2" thick 4bbl spacer that felpro sells between the carb/intake & block the heat riser. As said heat soak evaporates todays gas FAST. I'd take off the air cleaner before starting just one time & if pulling on the throttle gives no/little AP squirt something will need to be changed.

I waited a couple of days this time and tried the procedure that was suggested by Moparforlife. The car started almost right away! So far so good. I will see what happens in 3-4 days.
Mopar John

In NW Indiana you definitely need to use a choke for easier cold starts. If the car sits for extended period of time you may have to let it crank over a few times first to fill the bowls. Then give it a few pumps and make sure the choke is closed.

My Duster with a 750 Eddy/manual choke starts well with this method and if it's just a few days all I do is close the choke give it a few pumps and it fires right up.

My old SpaceDuster 340 was a bear to start in cool weather/extended periods with a chokeless TQ.