So its been about a week since i started my 47 flathead. Its been kinda cold but not to bad. With temperature's around the 50's during the day. Well i go to start my ride and it want do nothing but spin. Ended up draining the battery some so i jumped it. Still nothing. I cleaned the plugs and checked the gas to make sure it had not been stolen. Still nothing. Finally i poured gas in the carb and it started up. I am not sure what caused this any ideas?
flathead starting
- Thread starter fisheasy
- Start date
Old Henry
Well-known member
Sounds like no gas in your carburetor to me. Check that by looking down the carburetor throat with the choke open and operate the throttle. You should see and hear gas squirting into the throat being pumped in from the carburetor bowl by the accelorator pump. If not, check your fuel pump and fuel flow from there to the carburetor by disconnecting the line from the carburetor, but it in a container and crank the engine. Gas should squirt into the container. If not, could be the fuel pump or, heaven forbid, you are out of gas!
Merc Cruzer
Well-known member
That is why I have a backup electric fuel pump (along with the fact it takes care of vapor lock)....I turn it on for about 20 seconds and then pump the gas pedal a few times and it is good to go...I have heard that the gas with the ethanol will evaporate out of the carb float bowl when you shut it down because the engine is still warm...
just a thought!
just a thought!
It's not the pump or it wouldn't keep running when you poured the gas in. As much as you cranked the engine it would have started if the gas evaporated out of the carb. Could be bad valve in the pump which are not very good at their best which leaves the fuel drain back to the tank and takes a while to pick up. The most likely is a small hole in the flex hose or sucking air some other place. A small hole in the flex hose caused by this new fuel is hard to find because it is sucking air and fuel does not squirt out but sometimes if you look real close soon after it is shut down you can see a small wet spot on the hose. Bob shewman gadgiteer@aol.com Makes replacement flex hoses that are not effected by the new fuel or what ever comes along later on. He makes the standard flex hose and one with a check valve built into the end of the flex hose fitting that screws into the fluel pump. The valve is built into the hex where the wrench go's on to tighten the hose and is just a little longer than the stock type hex. I have never had a hose ptoblem since useing Bobs hoses. I know how the bad hoses act from the problems I have had with them since the new fuel as described above. G.M.
jimvette59
Well-known member
Fisheasy where are you? I have had trouble with ethanol separating and gumming everything up. Now I use a fuel additive like Staybil in all my gas tanks. I had most of the trouble in my boat it was being sensed as water in the filter and set off alarms.
ken ct
BANNED
Sorry [bad] pv = power valve. Its on the bottom of the middle section,you must remove cast iron base to access it. If its more than a few yrs old the rubber diafram in it is leaking or the gasket is the wrong type. The new gas eats them up.Its a direct path to the oil pan through that hole in the base chamber. ken ct.Probebly the wrong # pv anyway.
