Why is my car hard too start when cold?

Sweet Seventy9 wrote:It might be a good idea to check for more vacuum leaks.  You were under the assumption there weren't any, but there was at least one.
There might be more you're unaware of.
I use a can of WD40 and spray it anywhere there can be a leak.  If the engine briefly speeds up, there's a leak in the area that was just tested.  Any flameable spray works.

Awesome iv never heard of that i will definitly give it a try!

these are the two i connected

After connecting the two the thing started with half a crank all day.
Ran a lot better too, more power, better sound.
I kept an eye on my temp gauge all day too to make sure the EFE is working properly, quickly rose too 180-190 and sat there all day, so i am thinking at this time it is working properly.

The real test will be tomorrow morning at 5:30am and 15 degrees out. But i am hopeful!

And Heavychevy77 i am at about 2500 ft altitude i was looking at the vacuum diagram you posted and everyting else seems too match, it is a aftermarket carb and a 91 camaro 305 but everything looks right accordingly

`77Box wrote:Awesome iv never heard of that i will definitly give it a try!

It's best to do it when the engine has warmed up to operating temperature.
Just be careful spraying flameable liquids on a running engine, especially any over-spray near the exhaust.

Sweet Seventy9 wrote:

`77Box wrote:Awesome iv never heard of that i will definitly give it a try!

It's best to do it when the engine has warmed up to operating temperature.
Just be careful spraying flameable liquids on a running engine, especially any over-spray near the exhaust.

Ok, sounds good.
I try too keep all my facial hair so ill definitly be careful

`77Box wrote:After connecting the two the thing started with half a crank all day.
Ran a lot better too, more power, better sound.
I kept an eye on my temp gauge all day too to make sure the EFE is working properly, quickly rose too 180-190 and sat there all day, so i am thinking at this time it is working properly.

The real test will be tomorrow morning at 5:30am and 15 degrees out. But i am hopeful!

And Heavychevy77 i am at about 2500 ft altitude i was looking at the vacuum diagram you posted and everyting else seems too match, it is a aftermarket carb and a 91 camaro 305 but everything looks right accordingly

Good to hear it's crazy how much a disconnected unplugged hose will make it run bad .
Got my hot air choke vacuum line backwards one time last week and ran like a turd after wasting gas for a week i swapped em and it ran good 
Didn't see the ported switch on the intake between the water neck outlet and the water outlet behind the altenator
I think edelbrocks overrated you should get a Qjet only uses as much gas as the motor can pull
Got a speedmaster intake holeshot series w egr polished for 150$ I'll post pics of the intake tomorrow

https://i.servimg.com/u/f59/18/98/28/33/image14.jpg
https://i.servimg.com/u/f59/18/98/28/33/image16.jpg
https://i.servimg.com/u/f59/18/98/28/33/image17.jpg
https://i.servimg.com/u/f59/18/98/28/33/image18.jpg
 
The white ported vacuum switch is for the  egr and is on the manifold 
(Probably why u don't have it I'm in Cali)
The green one is the EFE on the water outlet
The vacuum lines I use are from summit racing  the manuf. is vibrant performance $40 high temp silicone and will last  years 
Manifold is speedmaster hole shot series $150 ebay
*my buddy and I had to grind on the distributor shaft a little for clearance but after that it all fit nicely.

Hell yea that's a nice looking set up, I like all the blue. Is it a 350?
Yea we don't have smog regulations here

`77Box wrote:Hell yea that's a nice looking set up, I like all the blue. Is it a 350?
Yea we don't have smog regulations here

Thanks man.. Yea it's a 350 with the qjet 
Since I put the intake thing runs like a beast, smoke tires up like nothing.. but still gotta make a complete new exhaust system since I only have from the cat to the back with new pipe and I gotta get the carb tuned.
I tried to keep a blue and chrome theme since the interior is black w/blue piping and hopefully a satin black paint job around tax time
The blue hoses are $40 and cap and rotor $30 pretty good prices from summit racing.

Yo '77Box how did the car start in the morning I'm eager to know if that fixed it

I tried too fire it up normally and it almost caught, so I put a dash of starter fluid in and it fired up no problem. 100% improvement from struggling for 10-15 min too get it too start

`77Box wrote:I tried too fire it up normally and it almost caught, so I put a dash of starter fluid in and it fired up no problem. 100% improvement from struggling for 10-15 min too get it too start

That's great man mine I just pump the gas pedal twice and barley put my foot on the pedal on the pedal to open the throttle a little and fires right up ..only do is on cold days or if I haven't driven it in a minute 
Tho it helps start when it's warm to barley step on the pedal for the throttle.
By the way do you have the stock air cleaner on it
I noticed you didn't have the hot air duct coming from the heat stove pick up on the middle of the pass. Exhaust manifold
The EFE lets the hot air build up thru the duct to the manifold .
The stock air cleaner has a flap that opens as it warms up thru vacuum

HeavyChevy77 wrote:

`77Box wrote:I tried too fire it up normally and it almost caught, so I put a dash of starter fluid in and it fired up no problem. 100% improvement from struggling for 10-15 min too get it too start

That's great man mine I just pump the gas pedal twice and barley put my foot on the pedal on the pedal to open the throttle a little and fires right up ..only do is on cold days or if I haven't driven it in a minute 
Tho it helps start when it's warm to barley step on the pedal for the throttle.
By the way do you have the stock air cleaner on it

ill try that here in a min when I leave work.
I do have an aftermarket Air filter. its an Edelbrock Pro-Flo low profile

Yeah that defeats the purpose of the choke cuz your getting cold air all the time ..solution ? ... Electric choke and done !
Since you won't need it a few blows with a hammer should pop that heat stove off only a few spot welds hold it , mine fell of with time got a new one now.

I have an electric choke for that carb but i cant stand the damn thing, it takes too long too kick down and out of respect for neigbors and roomates (i leave at 5:20 every morning and my car is LOUD above 1000rpm) i wont put it back on. I think the next thing is just a smaller carb 500cfm im thinking.

What does that heat stove do?? Iv noticed it but is it any good with my air filter?

But hooking that EFE up it starts a hell of alot easier now the difference is amazing

The heat stove is just like the EFE, just to get the engine up to temp asap. It uses a vacuum operated temp switch on the air cleaner that opens a valve in the air cleaner to suck in hot air from around the exhaust manifold.
EFE just forces the exhaust on the left side to crossover in the intake manifold to the right side to heat the manifold up. You ll notice that middle port on the intake manifold on both sides. The hot air choke also runs off of that if your car had that option.

Im really liking those blue silicon vac hoses, ill have to check that out and see what other colors they have.

`77Box wrote:I have an electric choke for that carb but i cant stand the damn thing, it takes too long too kick down and out of respect for neigbors and roomates (i leave at 5:20 every morning and my car is LOUD above 1000rpm) i wont put it back on. I think the next thing is just a smaller carb 500cfm im thinking.

What does that heat stove do?? Iv noticed it but is it any good with my air filter?

But hooking that EFE up it starts a hell of alot easier now the difference is amazing

 The EFE closes the flap in the exhaust so the hot exhaust can flow back up from the heat stove THRU the hot air duct(you are missing $10 @ autozone) and in the Stock Air cleaner
At the stock air cleaner under the snorkel the duct plugs up 
Directly above where the hot air duct connects there is the thermostatic switch that is closed at default but as it warms the vacuum pulls the flap open to pull in cooler air.
If you have the stock air cleaner you can probably still use your filter but make sure the line on the air cleaner air correctly placed or it'll run roughy,hard to start ..happened to me before ..u need the vacuum routes for that let me know

Im really liking those blue silicon vac hoses, ill have to check that out and see what other colors they have.

 Thanks man they come in black blue red and yellow I think 
I only bought cause the slicone hose that connected the hot air choke tube to the carb split down the middle so I figured if that 
Asked 20+years in heat then it should last the life of the car

Once again thank you everyone for your help! My car is starting and running like a champ!

`77Box wrote:Once again thank you everyone for your help! My car is starting and running like a champ!

Awesome   These cars last forever my 37 year old sbc 350 still does burn outs and runs smooth as hell ..by the way are you using your stock air cleaner?

I can't complain about Edelbrocks as I am using the 500cfm elec that came with my 79' and it starts every time

instantly. it could be 70 degrees or 20 it still starts on the first pump no matter.All this despite the fact the 305

has 145k ticks and smokes likes it ready for to become a set of Olympic Weights. The choke on mine kicks down

after about 30-40 seconds every time. I'm just saying my experience with Edelbrocks and the AFBs they are

based on they worked pretty well for me in real world starting and driving.

HeavyChevy77 wrote:

`77Box wrote:Once again thank you everyone for your help! My car is starting and running like a champ!

Awesome   These cars last forever my 37 year old sbc 350 still does burn outs and runs smooth as hell ..by the way are you using your stock air cleaner?

I am still using the Low profile edelbrock one, I no longer have the stock one..

Myloth wrote:I can't complain about Edelbrocks as I am using the 500cfm elec that came with my 79' and it starts every time

instantly. it could be 70 degrees or 20 it still starts on the first pump no matter.All this despite the fact the 305

has 145k ticks and smokes likes it ready for to become a set of Olympic Weights.  The choke on mine kicks down

after about 30-40 seconds every time. I'm just saying my experience with Edelbrocks and the AFBs they are

based on they worked pretty well for me in real world starting and driving.

I love my Edelbrock, dispite it being WAY too big for my engine it works great and is easy too tune. Once I fixed the vacuum problems its definitely starts and runs a lot better.

And I have new KYB shocks and Eibach lowering springs I am going too install this weekend if the weather agrees

`77Box wrote:

HeavyChevy77 wrote:

`77Box wrote:Once again thank you everyone for your help! My car is starting and running like a champ!

Awesome   These cars last forever my 37 year old sbc 350 still does burn outs and runs smooth as hell ..by the way are you using your stock air cleaner?

I am still using the Low profile edelbrock one, I no longer have the stock one..

Do you still gotta squirt a little fluid in the carb on cold mornings?
When u start it cold and feel for warm air coming from the heat stove on the passanger exhaust manifold.
Maybe you can fab a little box to funnel that warm air to the carb for better warm up. The hot air duct tubing is at autozone $10

HeavyChevy77 wrote:

`77Box wrote:

HeavyChevy77 wrote:

`77Box wrote:Once again thank you everyone for your help! My car is starting and running like a champ!

Awesome   These cars last forever my 37 year old sbc 350 still does burn outs and runs smooth as hell ..by the way are you using your stock air cleaner?

I am still using the Low profile edelbrock one, I no longer have the stock one..

Do you still gotta squirt a little fluid in the carb on cold mornings?
When u start it cold and feel for warm air coming from the heat stove on the passanger exhaust manifold.
Maybe you can fab a little box to funnel that warm air to the carb for better warm up. The hot air duct tubing is at autozone $10

Only when its REALLY cold out. 15 degrees or colder. but its only a tiny squirt and it fires up and idles normal I think that may be from having a 750cfm carb though. there is a spot on the bottom of the air filter where I could run some sort of tube there from the heat stove I might look into that.