1952 ford loses prime

T

tonydennisadw

Senior Member
when care sits for about a week it loses gas prime and have to crank and crank till gas gets back.... when starts runs great any help on where to start... dennis
 
Get fuel line from Robert Shewman with extra check valve. Holds fuel for weeks! Have them on several cars. Add in v 8 times.
 
Generally speaking you have a fitting that is not 100% tight. Went through this with my dad's 39 Merc....I started at the carb and went to every joint in the line, turns out it was the line at the gas tank, he had the tank cleaned and had not completely tightened the line going in!!!!
 
Whenever I've had this problem, it was usually the power valve leaking. These days, when I change one, I set the carburetor (without it's top) on a pad of paper towels in a metal pan and fill the bowl with gas. When you come back the next morning, you'll know if it's done right. Power valves for Holley 4-BBLs will screw into the Ford carb, but generally won't seal right; it's a common problem.
 
Sounds just like my 52 Merc with the teapot carburetor. I've just resigned myself to priming the carb to start if it has sat a week or more without running.
 
I use an electric pump.. Hit the switch.. couple pumps and it starts right up. Could even do a momentary switch if you worry about turning it back off.
 
tubman suggests a great first starting point. After a week, if everything is together right and functioning, you should not have to to a lot of cranking. Although I have an electric pump on my '47, it starts on the very first turn over...without the electric pump....even after a month of no starting. So, you have a number of things to trouble shoot.!!

Not sure, buy I might have one of Shewman's check valve fuel lines. Might have been on the car when I bought it 2 years ago.!!
 
Back in the day, the people that owned these cars drove them every day, back and forth to work, on family vacations, to the store and on many other journeys. They didn't have electric fuel pumps, special valves in the gas line and other band aids. I would suggest getting off on the right foot and trying to find and solve the problem before resorting to other "fixes". Usually, these problems can be solved by simply getting the car back up to factory specifications. In certain cases, there may be too much wear or age to accomplish this. That is when you start looking for alternatives.;
 
For years I've checked fuel pump inlet and outlet valves by blowing and sucking by mouth. Recent experience taught me that minute leakage can only be detected by checking with vacuum pump & gauge (Mity Vac). Went thru several NOS valves before finding two with no leakage. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!
 
For what it is worth I've always checked fuel pump inlet and outlet valves by blowing and sucking by mouth. Minute leaks can only be detected by checking with vacuum pump & gauge (Mity Vac). I went thru several NOS valves before finding two with no leak down. WHAT A DIFFERENCE THIS CAN MAKE!!
 
I have the exact same problem with my ‘53 so I’ve been priming with carb spray if it’s been longer than a week. I’m thinking my old 94 is worn out and has a slow leak.
 
Mikes ‘53 said:
I have the exact same problem with my ‘53 so I’ve been priming with carb spray if it’s been longer than a week. I’m thinking my old 94 is worn out and has a slow leak.
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You're most likely right. Now you should try to fix it. I'd start with a new proper power (economizer) valve and gasket from a reputable source (Daytona Parts or better yet "CharlieNY"). It's a pretty easy job and not expensive. If nothing else, you'll start to be able to find your way around your car.
 
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