414TATA Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Call me a slow learner but I've owned my Buick 3 years and I am still having trouble starting it with out flooding it:mad:. I've tried one slow push on the acc. to starter. I've tried 2 pumps first and 3 pumps first.:confused: (any more than 3 is a guaranteed flood out). then I wait 10 mins. & try again. Car will usually start but sometimes needs another 10 min. wait. Engine is a 248 with compound carbs which were rebuilt 3 years ago. I drive it about every ten days. The weather is usually between 75 & 80 deg. when this happens so it's not a cold engine. What's the best way to start these Buicks?ThanksWayne1941 Super 5128K original miles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meteor Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Hi Wayne, Are you sure it is flooding? My 40 and many others on this forum have to prime the carb with raw gas or have installed an electric fuel pump. If the car sits for any extended period the gas drains back or evaporates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 The twin carbs are progressive so only one is active until you put your foot down.Have you tried starting it without pumping the pedal all the way down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest outlaw car man Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Might do as Mark has said, crank it over a few times, no foot feed. ( like 3-4 times ) This delivers fuel to the float bowl. Then wait 10-15-30 seconds, little or no foot feed and try. If you get a bit of a fire you are probably on the right path, then experiment a bit. 3 times OK, 8 times it floods back to 5 times..... etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
414TATA Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 Thanks.. Mark and outlaw car man these Buicks require the foot to the floor to engage the starter. Impossible to hit starter with out pushing down the accelerator on original car. meteror.. thanks but yes I think it floods as there is a strong gasoline smell when this happens. Others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest outlaw car man Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Forgot about that, my 33 has a push button on the dash. My guess might be the needle & seat & float level. Also make sure it's firing OK, as in timing issues.I'd think more needle & seat area tho- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danhar1960 Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Wayne, are these carbs Stromberg or Carter ?? I don't think you should need to put your foot to the floor to start the engine. Maybe the starter switch needs to be adjusted to engage earlier so that the throttle doesn't have to open as wide before cranking.Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tly410 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Wayne, I have a 41 Super with dual carbs (strombergs) and like Meteor mentioned above, I have the opposite condition than you. If my car sits for a month or more, the fuel either evaporates or drains back to the tank, requiring a cranking period so fuel to be pumped back into the carbs before it will fire up. In regard to your condition...... smelling gas is a good indication it is flooding. Have you checked the function status of the automatic choke? Remove the air cleaner unit and look at the postion of the choke. If it is stuck in the closed position, it will cause the engine to flood as it won't get enough air flow, just raw gas. They do have some adjustment, but first I'd check to make sure it's not stuck in the choked position. Just for info, I don't believe there is any "adjustment" for the starting switch and don't think that would be your problem.Hope this helps, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBuick Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 I don't have a '41 Buick but in the '38 shop manual it suggests to depress the clutch pedal then push the starter to the floor. I do this all the time and it works fine for my '38. It might be worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
414TATA Posted August 26, 2014 Author Share Posted August 26, 2014 Thanks again Gents. I'll check that choke.. I do depress the clutch every time to start. She did crank on the first try yesterday with a very slow push to the starter.. Might be on to something here. I'll try that one again tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 The Strombergs on my '41 Roadmaster tend to dry out also after about a week of sitting. I usually pump the gas twice, and it with fire immediately, but stall out just as quick. Then it takes some cranking to fill the carb then it starts fine. On an overnight sit, or just a few days, it starts and runs fairly easily from cold. Choke adjustment is important, and I keep mine a bit on the lean side. As I recall there is a start switch adjustment, but it is usually done when the carb is on the bench and it has to be shimmed to achieve proper action. But as long as it works, that's the main thing. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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