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73 GTSS Starting Problem |
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hamilton7711 
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Joined: 16-June-2023 Location: Humble, TX Status: Offline Points: 59 |
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 Topic: 73 GTSS Starting ProblemPosted: 02-October-2025 at 10:09AM |
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Have a 351-4v. When it sits it just will not crank right up. It takes about 4-6 trys. Then all of sudden here she goes. Turn off the engine and she fires right up. It's just when the car sits for several days it is not very responsive
 . Any ideas on this, thanks.Joe Hamilton
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Rockatansky
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Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6398 |
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Posted: 02-October-2025 at 11:30AM |
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what carb? open element air cleaner?
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72 GT Ute
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hamilton7711
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Joined: 16-June-2023 Location: Humble, TX Status: Offline Points: 59 |
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Posted: 03-October-2025 at 12:31AM |
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Motorcraft 4300 closed
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Booyah45828
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Joined: 28-February-2022 Location: Ohio Status: Offline Points: 163 |
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Posted: 03-October-2025 at 2:00AM |
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Won't crank or won't fire? Won't crank is a battery, solenoid/switch, or starter problem.
Not firing would be fuel or ignition related. |
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hamilton7711
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Posted: 03-October-2025 at 2:46AM |
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Not firing correctly. Thinking the fuel bowl is not filling fast enough?
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peter.jenerette
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Joined: 08-February-2023 Location: Nevada, TX Status: Offline Points: 1054 |
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Posted: 03-October-2025 at 9:10AM |
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So, you are saying cold after some time (days), its a long crank to start. Is this correct?
If so, you should be looking at: 1. What is your cold start procedure? For instance, my car after a couple of days requires at least a half pump prior to crank to a. Prime (accelerator pump squirt) and b. set the choke. 2. Is the choke not setting? 3. If you are not giving it a shot at cold start it will take longer to fire over. (Unlike modern cars with fuel injection which handles the choke and prime via the computer). From an ignition perspective... Since it runs and starts fine after its been run, I would think the above. Timing may influence it a little, but I don't think much. Maybe a bad coil taking a little longer or alt voltage to charge up properly?
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Pete Jenerette
1972 Gran Torino (H-Code - 4R70W) 2022 F250 XLT 7.3 2003 Thunderbird |
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78FordLtd2
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Joined: 19-April-2021 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 184 |
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Posted: 03-October-2025 at 11:25AM |
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Your hard starting issue sounds to me that the float bowl somehow empties, either by evaporation or draining out of the carb either back towards the tank or dripping into the intake.
Try this. Let the car sit for a couple of days, fill the bowl through the vent stacks (a clean squirtable ketchup bottle works great) and then see how it starts. If it starts normally, then you know to look at the carburetor. It might need a rebuild. Those 4300 carbs were not the greatest carbs, unfortunately.
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bdaugette
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Joined: 02-December-2013 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 261 |
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Posted: 04-October-2025 at 12:09AM |
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I have the same issue with my Edelbrock carb on my Cleveland. Very frustrating, I hadn’t thought about checking the spark from the cold start, I can do that this weekend. If not, possibly a check valve on the fuel line?
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Bill Daugette
72 GTS 351C 4V |
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Rockatansky
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Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6398 |
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Posted: 04-October-2025 at 2:55AM |
the Edelbrock carbs are notorious for evaporating the float bowls especially with an open element air cleaner, i'll be surprised if you find anything amiss with your cranking spark but it's a good check to cross off the list. i doubt a fuel line check valve will have any effect
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72 GT Ute
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bdaugette wrote: