1954 Vette question?

My 1954 vette is hard to start. The car sits about 4 months untill I can drive it again. Once it starts it is fine and runs wonderfully. Even the next day in the garage it starts well.

The problem I believe is there is no fuel pump. So the choke with the engine grinding is needed to pull gas into the stock side draft carbs. The car is stock except I did change it to a 12 volt system which has helped.

I would be interested in opions about cold start starting techques or fuel pumps that I could add to help it out. Is their a fuel pump kit for the 1954 vette.

Thank you for any help

Lee

 

I don't know if there's a kit but a good mechanic can install it for you

You can install a modern frame, AC, nav, drivetrain so just a fuel pump should b a snap

Try www.corvetteforum.com

 

Lee,

I watched you buy that car a couple of years ago when Discovery HD was televising the auction!

The car has to have a fuel pump...didn't gravity-fed systems go away in the 1910s?


KevFla

 

When we need to fire up that blue flame six, we spray starter fluid in each of the jets for a healthy dose. Fires right up each time!

 

These cars have a mechanical fuel pump, it's down on the block (if memory serves me it's on the passenger side about 2/3 of the way down the block) and is activated by a lobe on the camshaft. Over a long time the fuel in float bowls is evaporating and it takes some time to pump enough fuel to get fuel into the float bowls. You could add an electrical pump and turn it on for few seconds to get the float bowls full before you start it, but the real cure is just run it more often... Letting fuel evaporate in the float bowls can leave varnish and deposits behind, so just run it more often and it won't be a problem. Some of those old mechanical pumps had a little lever on them that you could toggle up and down to prime the pump and carbs, but I'm pretty sure that feature was long gone by 54...

It's not such a bad thing that it cranks a bit before it starts after sitting for a long time. If it cranks for a bit you will pump some oil to the bearings and lifters and it won't be as much of a dry start. Just keep your battery charged and crank it for a bit. No big deal.

 

Now that you mention it that makes sense. When I turn on the ignition the pump does not come on like my newer cars. As one of the poster said the pump is motor driven. I will look for it as the poster located it for me.

Great hearing from you

Lee

 

Not sure how to do that with the side draft carbs. As you point out older cars have a way to "tickle" the carbs or inject a little gas. Maybe the chrome covers pop off easy. I'll try thank you for the suggestion.



Lee

 

this is the problem perfectly stated. I called two of the corvette parts places. They do not have a kit for a fuel pump. I talked to one guy who had one of these cars (1954 vette) a few years ago he told me a starting thechnique that should help. It did not

He said if it did not work well the fuel pump you posted may need repair. Hard to find them but he gave me an phone number. I called them today and they do these pumps. He said the engine was used untill the mid 70's and a auto parts dealer may have those if they see the pump in person . If not he would be glad to send me one but said it would be better to keep the pump orignal with the car.

He also bracketed the times to crank the car for start up and mine is 4-5 times what is accepted.

Fuel pump is my focus now and thanks to you all for your suggestions. this is why the forum is so helpful

Best regards

Lee

 

Guys, the fuel pump is just a stove bolt Chevy 6 cylinder fuel pump! There can be nothing special about getting a brand new, remanufactured or rebuilt pump for these cars. Forget the "Blue Flame 6" crap; it is the same engine in millions of Chevy sedans, etc from the forties up until Chevy stopped making that crap engine, in maybe the seventies or eighties. The only difference is the three carb setup and maybe, I say maybe, a hotter cam LOL.
I apologize, but I had a number of Chevys with that POS 6 cylinder engine, whose passageways to the head invariably clogged up, starving the lifters and rockers.
And I say Thank You Jesus for Zora Arkus Dontov, who woke up those idiots at Chevy with a V-8 in 1955. Sorry boys and girls, age 68 here, and I owned a lot of that early Chevy crap with the "stovebolt 6", Blue Flame or otherwise.
BTW, I still own a Chevy, a 2003 Corvette LS-1, 6 speed convertible and truly a work of art and engineering compared to all that came before it, be it called Chevy or Corvette.
First thing I would do with that fifty-four is an Art Morrison chassis, C5 suspension and brakes, an LS-7 with a 6 speed to wake that bad boy up. Love the style of the 53-55 Vettes, I must admit.

 

I took my Z06 to Bob Guldstrand in CA

He's a corvette guru so he may be able to help you

 

http://www.guldstrand.com/

 

If the car starts and runs fine with regular use there is nothing wrong with your fuel pump.

Sitting for that period of time however the fuel can evaporate from the float bolws.

Just hte other day I pulled one of my 1966 corvettes out of its yearly 6 month storage and it always takes a fair amount of time for that first start up after sitting.

Using fuel stabilizer will slow the evaporation rate.

One other thing to consider is if the car is running rich. As such on its last shut down there will be excess fuel that may create varnish (over the longish storage period) which will take a little time to wash off come the next starting attempt. Stabilizer will halp here also.

The small block chevy fuel pump is a pretty bullet proof little piece. It may leak when its seals are cracked or dry rotted, but as mentioned before its mechanically driven directly off the cam shaft via a rod and there is not a lot that can break.

 

My 65 vette a 327/365 hp starts easily after months of sitting, a few cranks and she runs. The 1954 on the other hand take 3-5 minutes of cranking to get her lit. I do not do this all at once but it is too long in my view.

I think the gas seeps back down. I think I will replace or look at the fuel pump. maybe because of age the suction head of the pump is less than spec. It may be running rich had not thought of that untill you mentioned it. It has some of the characteristics of a rich engine.

Thank you for your post

Regards

Lee

 

I have found "corvetteforum.com" to be great for Vette questions of all eras. Go to the C1&2 section and pose your starting/fuel delivery etc question. You will be inundated with questions/answers from people who deal with these issues all the time-just like if I had a Ferrari question, I would come here to the appropriate model area-answers from people or experts who deal with Ferrari specific issues all the time.

 

I called two companies who sell parts for the C1 car. Daniel who owns a 1953 gave me a better way to start the car. It was better

He said if I still was not happy I dhould have the fuel pump checked. He can sell me one but suggested I have mine rebuilt to keep the car totally orginal. He gave me a name in CA who does this.

I think I will do that next.

As a side note, I agree the 1954 vette is not very powerful and I would add, nor does not handle well. I enjoy driving something different. I do not think it is a "piece of crap" only a 60 year old car. I enjoy driving it as a automotive peice of history. Besides with 150 hp I cannot get in much trouble

I have not seen another C1 Vette on the road for many decades.

lee

 

I Know a guy that restores 53's Ill ask him if he has a trick or option for this issue.