Engine Help

[Car'n'Guitars]

Okay so here is my situation, my truck will not start when it is below 40 degrees. Once in a while I can get it turn over and idle for a minute at most and die. When it idles it idles rough and is hard to keep running. The engine is a 305 and I need help with this any help is useful thanks.

[irishman999]

Sounds like a choke problem, what carburetor do you have?

[Car'n'Guitars]

Originally Posted by irishman999

Sounds like a choke problem, what carburetor do you have?

Quadrajet, that's what I was starting to think too, but I didn't know because it was adjusting the choke on its own.

[Car'n'Guitars]

If it was a choke problem and I manually closed the choke to start it, theoretically it should start and run right?

[str8axle55]

If you have a helper, have them start the truck when it is cold, so you can watch the choke to see what it does. It should be open a little to let some air in to start it, then as it warms up the choke thermostat will open it the rest of the way. Is the choke working at all, any tension on it when cold? The choke pull off, also needs to be (A)hooked up and (B) hold vacuum. If you pull the vac line off of th choke pull off, and compress the rod, it should stay compressed with your finger over the hole.

[Car'n'Guitars]

Originally Posted by str8axle55

If you have a helper, have them start the truck when it is cold, so you can watch the choke to see what it does. It should be open a little to let some air in to start it, then as it warms up the choke thermostat will open it the rest of the way. Is the choke working at all, any tension on it when cold? The choke pull off, also needs to be (A)hooked up and (B) hold vacuum. If you pull the vac line off of th choke pull off, and compress the rod, it should stay compressed with your finger over the hole.

I just did part of that we tried to start it and the choke did open a little bit like you said it should. It sounded as if it was on the verge of firing but then nothing.