I am trying to get my 66 started today after 6 months of storage. It is ready to go and has a new battery - but it just will not fire.

What is the correct way for using starter fluid? I removed the air filter housing on to of the carb and sprayed it there - started a small fire and gave up. I think it backfired a bit and caught the unspent fluid ablaze.

Is it ok to spray it into the carb itself - past the butterfly mech?

Any other tips would be great as I want to keep the BBQ to a minimum

Thanks!

-Peter

 

I suggest you put an enclosed air filter canister on and spray into the canister's inlet. This will help contain any resulting explosion. The original oil-bath won't work; perhaps you can borrow something suitable, like the one used on later Fords. Also, if you're getting a puddle of ether you're using too much.
Eric

 

yes, it is an oil bath unit. If i cannot find a sutible air filter with inlet, can I just remove the oil bath canister and spray into the carb?

 

You can also try this, which I find useful for starting long-sitting engines:
1. Remove the spark plugs, making sure to keep the wires in the correct order.
2. Disconnect the center cap wire, and ground it.
3. Spin the engine with the starter.
With the plugs removed, it will spin quite quickly with out drawing the batttery down.
This will accomplish two things:
1. Pump fuel up to the carb;
2. Pump oil into the engine recesses, which have probably drained out while sitting.

When you use the ether, it works best to crank the engine while spraying. Yes, you can spray directly into the carb, but it works better if you stand off about 6 inches from the carb instead of sticking it down inside.

Be sure to re-connect the center cap wire after re-installing the plugs, though!

 

Peter, IMHO There is no correct way to use starter fluid. That truck needs two things to run fire and fuel. If it aint starting, find out which of those two is missing and go from there.

Put the starting fluid away.

John

 

IMHO starting fluid is the worst thing that anybody can spray into an engine which has been sitting for any extended period of time. For starters ether kills lubricants so cylinders run dry while you crank your engine, and even more then when it fires, if it fires, 'til it gets oil pressure throughout itself. It's running dry until then.

If it doesn't fire people add more ether making the whole vicious circle all that much worse! I think this is one of the fastest ways to kill an engine.

BP66 & John both gave you good advice. Although John, being the gentlemen he is, was not quite as blunt as I am. . . . .He is telling you the same thing. . . .Avoid Using Ether Based Starting Fluids!

I do exactly what Banjo advises, and if the engine has been sitting years, I even add a little (several drops) of Marvel Mystery Oil to the cylinders right after I pull plugs,I also pull distribuitor & turn oil pump with an electric drill to prime engine before I crank it over. Then I spin it until I see oil pressure on guage. By then MM Oil will have saturated rings & walls,most excess will have blown out spark plug hole & exhaust port.

Install fresh plugs gapped right. Using an oil can with gasoline in it, carefully "prime" your carb. Squirt gasoline down vent tube for float bowl. When accelerator is able to pump fuel, float bowl is nearly full. Quit priming, set oil can of gas well away from vehicle, and fire it up.

Or you can keep cutting your lubricants with starting fluid and risk damaging your engine further in the process. As John said Fuel + Spark ( I'd include air/ oxygen too) are what's needed. If all are present the engine will run. . . .


PS: If you're bound & determined to use some sort of starting fluid, at least use WD40 as it is less damaging than ether is.

FBp

 

It is true that the truck should start right up after 6 months no problem but that's if it's in good tune, compression OK &c. Charge up the battery overnight. Sometimes a tablespoon of fuel down the throat of the carb helps. WD40 works fine as an ether sub too, I guess I would be more inclined to use that than ether?

When your engine backfired - do you mean back through the carburetor? The power valve in your carburetor should probably be checked out (replaced) unless you know the modded type is installed. Hard starting is hell on the battery and the starter, so ether has limited use in those situations where a quick start is a good idea -below zero, you're stuck in the arctic or something like that.