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Hard to restart.

5K views 31 replies 16 participants last post by  71 Ventura 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello guys, I am living in Japan and got 63SS small block 283 3speed AT recently. My ChevyII runs well and looks nice. I love it. It's quite rare in Japan.

I know I should read some articles about this issue. I am doing but I could not find out the reason. Also my English reading is low level. Could you give me any suggestion or recommended link?

Issue is...
Engine does not start after drove. For example, when I try restart after stopped by gasoline station. It's easy to start when the engine cold.
So I replaced the distributor, sparkplugs, plug wire and ignition coil. However it doesn't change. Sometime It restart after 3 or 4 times turned the key for start. A few times it did not restart and need to wait the engine become cold.

What should I check next step?

Postscript : Starter is cranking but hard to start the engine. It turns over but does not start.
 
#4 ·
My first thought is starter like the above poster mentioned its a common thing for the starter solenoid to get too hot in these especially if you are running headers, you can add a heat shield around the solenoid. And they do make kits I believe to move the solenoid off the starter and onto the firewall.
 
#21 ·
do you have access to ether or starting fluid? you could try that during hard starts. If its starts with ether the issue could be fuel, evaporation or vapor lock. if ether doenst have a effect, you issue could be ignition related.
just a thought.

By far .......... one of my best " Trouble Shooting tools " (starting fluid) ............... just be Smart & use it
correctly ...

jim
 
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#12 ·
Can you tell us what kind of distributor you have in your car?.... Points?... HEI?.... Electronic Conversion?

You need three things for the engine to fire... Air, Fuel, and Spark.
The next time your car does not start, remove the gas cap and listen for a "sucking air" sound. If you hear this type of sound when you remove the gas cap, the gas tank is not venting properly as you are driving and creating a vacuum in the tank. Remove the gas cap and drive the car. If the problem does not reappear, get a vented gas cap for your car.

If the gas tank/cap seems fine, remove the air cleaner and look down the carb's throttle bores as you move/open the throttle lever. Do you see gas squirting from the accelerator nozzle?
  • No - Possible causes are fuel vapor lock from engine heat or bad fuel pump. A fuel pressure gauge would be helpful to further troubleshoot.
  • Yes - see next suggestion.
Remove a spark plug wire from a spark plug and install a loose/extra spark plug into this wires spark plug boot and hold the spark plug thread against an engine ground surface. Crank over the engine. Do you see a spark across the plug's electrode?
  • No - Possible issue with ignition system. More troubleshooting required.
  • Yes - What are you gaping your plugs at? To much of a gap may fire the spark plug in open air (removed from the cylinder as described above), but may not fire when trying to ignite under compression/heat.
Let us know what you find out.
 
#19 ·
These engines and fuel systems are very prone to vapor lock. I have a modified 283 in my 1963 Nova SS and it did a very similar thing especially after it gets hot. My 1963 Nova 302 in high school also did it. Is the fuel line coming from the fuel pump to the carburetor bare steel? On both my 1963 Nova V8s I did a fuel things that helped 1. replace the bare steel fuel line from the fuel pump to the carb with something else or shield it. 2. I ran two fuel pumps an electric near the fuel tank and the normal mechanical. I put a switch under the dash to shut off the electric one so I can turn on the key sometimes without it running. 3. You will need to run a fuel regulator between the carb and the fuel pump as you will get two much fuel pressure running both pumps. In my high school car I just ran a good electric that was mounted on the side by the firewall but still had to run the fuel pressure regulator. I tried the carb spacers shielding etc ... nothing worked as good as running both fuel pumps.
 
#20 ·
All very good 'replies' ................... easy install , is a carb spacer (maybe for carb heat soak , at the carb) .

But , my 1st thought was . . . . do these starters use the " R " terminal on the starter solenoid . . . . up
to the ign. coil . . . ? (since it's cranking OK , spinning over ) . (depends on HEI / or not ? ) .


I know that I un-hooked that R terminal wire at my Chevy six solenoid (once - - forgot too hook that wire back up) ................. and , took me two days trying too start my motor ; before I remembered .
It would start - - - if you let go of the key , at the right second .


Inno . . . . a nice 63SS you have . . . . (y) .

jim
 
#25 ·
The original points distributor setup had a resistor wire that ran from the big connector on the firewall to the distributor. This was designed to supply 8V so that the points lasted longer. The wire from the starter was there to supply a full 12V while the starter was engaged to create a hotter spark at the plugs. Since yours is an HEI distributor, you don't need the wire that goes to the starter. For HEI though, you DO need a full +12V to the BAT terminal on the HEI. The 8V or so that the resistor wire supplied is not enough voltage to run a HEI distributor properly, so it either needs to be replaced by a regular copper wire, or the HEI needs to be powered from some other +12 source. Check to make sure you are getting a full 12v when the key is in the start and run positions.
 
#26 ·
Frist replace any sketchy batt cables and ground motor block straight to battery. Also install 2-4 gauge ground from motor to body I like 2gauge but 4gauge will do on front mount battery. On stock exhaust car,starter solenoid[relay] deteriorates with age and replacment can help. Exhaust header cars need to keep 2" gap from starter to prevent Hot start issue you have. A nu GM smaller perm magnet starter solved mine.
 
#29 ·
the picture shows you the fuel set up my 283 is using --the regulator is the silver device just behind the fan and mounted by the manifold --- I used to have a steel fuel line running all the way from the fuel pump to the carb. Vapor lock is worse of course when it is hot outside --- If i shut of the electric fuel pump I still experience it.
420302
Hood Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive tire Car
 
#30 ·
Kon Ichi Wa Check the basics first: if the car has a Rochester Quadrajet 4 barrel carburetor they have two simple problems that would cause your issue. The floats in these carbs are very bad at being porous and sinking from being heavy with fuel. Change the needle valve as well if that’s the issue.
if you have had issues with the car also starting hard or being flooded in the morning there are screws in the base of the throttle plate. The cure is to seal over the heads with a layer of epoxy glue...they cause fuel to pool in the manifold when it’s parked. The fuel leaks past the screw heads.
 
#31 ·
Konnichiwa. I think here is a very kind and supportive community.
A few days ago, I tried to flooring the pedal during starter turns over, then I was able to start even if the engine was hot.
I go to the shop for talking how fix this and check about the heat soak is happen tomorrow.
Appreciate a lot of supports.
 
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