[carnoob]

We have air. We have spark. We have no fuel. It comes to life on starter fluid but then dies without even trying to stay alive. This car went from driving just fine (passed emissions) to not starting overnight. Not even trying to catch. Nothing.

There is new fuel in the tank. It's not leaking fuel (or anything else) anywhere, other than the requisite drop or two of residual oil. We don't smell fuel while trying to start it.

Where do you start troubleshooting for this?

 

[DIHLON]

What kind of carburetor? I know on my Holley 750 DP, you could give it throttle and watch it squirt out of the annular boosters. This would at least tell me I had fuel at the carb. I’m assuming you have a carb and mechanical fuel pump?

 

[jasonwthompson]

Fuel pump gone, fuel line or filter clogged? If you disconnect the fuel line from the carb and crank, will it spit fuel?

 

[carnoob]

Maybe this is a MIF. We took in in for a lot of work I just didn't want to do. Part of it was dropping the tank, cleaning it, and installing a new FLS. The pump at the engine looks shiny and new, too. It's buried under the AC compressor, of course, so it'll be a pain to R&R.

I'll check for squirting fuel at the carb and have a look at the filter.

 

[carnoob]

I gave the starter solenoid a whack (3rd unit in a year) and the carb a tiny squirt of starter fluid while cranking. I can't explain it, but now it starts right up.

What is the most reliable starter solenoid available? The units we've received are terrible.

 

[Still workin' on my 66]

I would get the best solenoid from Napa. But check and clean all the battery cables and grounds first.

 

[Dave R.]

If it was starting on starting fluid then the problem is fuel related not electrical. Clogged filter in the tank, bad fuel pump, clogged filter in the fuel line, carb float stuck in up position. Dave R.