Starting issues

[Chopper]

Hey all, new member have owned my 1973 Mach 1 for 5 years. 351c 4 BB Holley carb, edelbrock intake.

I recently have been having an issue with the car stalling. I can start the car if I depress the accelerator to about 2500 revs I have to hold the accelerator down at this level or it will stall. If I try to start the car without pressing the gas peddle it tries to start but stalls out before really kicking over.

Recently the car had sat for about 4 months after being hit by a hail storm and needed a full respay and then followed by me having to have back surgery. When I started the car for the first time my radiator for the first time ever boiled over. So I replaced hoses and flushed the radiator. Now this new issue has arisen and I can't even try out if my repairs were correct.

I just replaced the alternator and my optima red tops volts are good.

I'm thinking my next move maybe to replace the external fuel filter.

Also if I pump the throttle on top of the engine (motor off) and air filter off it looks like it puffs a little dust. Wondering if when being painted it got a bit off dust and overspray.

 

[Mikes73]

Sounds like it is time to rebuild the old holley, add fresh gas if you haven't already, throw on a new fuel filter and see what happens. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Chopper]

Sounds like it is time to rebuild the old holley, add fresh gas if you haven't already, throw on a new fuel filter and see what happens. Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the reply Mike I was starting to think the same thing. Choke issues maybe?

 

[rocket366]

I agree with mike... no fuel bad fuel?

start there

Paul

 

[Chopper]

I had to get gas at a normal gas station 93 octane. Usually goto to a gas station with no ethanol. Learn my lesson I guess

 

[Mikes73]

The fast idle and the choke plate might need adjusted a bit but if it was working before it shouldn't have changed any.

 

[72HCODE]

bad fuel, clogged up carb possibly from paint shop, possible vacuum leak.

 

[Austin Vert]

Welcome from Brisbane, Australia.

Greg.

 

[goodnigh]

Welcome from northern California.

mike

 

[Chopper]

Thanks guys, originally from Sydney but lived in the US now for about twelve years.

Need to get some Aussie heads over here!

 

[Chopper]

Update: so I replaced the alternator seems to be bad out of the box. I had my jump box hooked up and car was running ok with a little gas being applied, as soon as I removed the jump box the car shut off. Optima red top is reading 11.5 with car off so I think my battery is still good.

When I had the car on and running the alternator light was still on, so my thought process is alternator is garbage.

Thoughts?

P.s. Ran some carb cleaner though the carb to help break up some of the carbon build up. Looks cleaner now so at least that's something, even if that was not the issue.


Also a quick add my volt meter in the dash was reading around 8 while the car was on.

 

[Chopper]

So went and took the battery and alternator to get checked. Bad optima red top, 6 months old.