ok i got a 83 f150 with a carb 302 and it is hard starting it the cold mornings. iknow i cant stop this but is there somthing i can do to make it crank a little easyer. and is there a proper way to start it (example should i crank it then keep giving it gas till it warms up or keep crankin it till it stays cranked???) thanx

 

You could plug in the block heater for a bit... run thiner oil. Get a better battery. My starting procedure, asuming your choke is set right(make sure your choke/high idle setup is working corectly) I get in the truck... pump the pedal 2 or 3 times, taking your foot off the gas... and turn it over... and it starts up instantly most times(300 six engine).

Sadly once I left it unpluged, -35 C, and it still started But man thats not good for anything.

 

If you ever have a problem getting her to start. A cap full of laqor thinner will work. you think Im kidding. It does better then ether.

 

This is true! Carb cleaner works as a starting fluid as well!

How cold is 'cold'? If your engine is cranking slow (cranking is when the starter is engaged and turning the engine), check your battery first. A good battery should be at 12.5 volts. If that's o.k. check your battery voltage while you are trying to start it. It should not drop below 10.6 volts.

If the battery checks out then, I would start looking at the condition of the battery terminals, cables and especially the grounds.

 

it starts fine it just it shuts off right after i take my foot off the gas (until it warms up but it takes a long time to warm up) i think its around 45 degrees here (south GA)

 

my bad not 45 maybe about 50-60 degrees

 

A lot of times you just need to go back to the basics. Is your engine in a good state of tune? A good cleaning might do wonders for that carb. Then adjust the idle jets using a vacuum gauge. You shouldn't even need a choke at 45*....thats similar to our weather here in MS and I rarely use a choke on a carbed 302. But, nevertheless, if your carb has an automatic choke make sure its working correctly.

 

Well you could be having carb icing? Do you have the stock filter housing, and vacume lines, with the hose that goes to the hot air pickup on the exaust manifold?... And yes you do not nesasarly need a choke.. but you need the high idle part of the choke system working... or it will die like its doing. If you have an adjustable electrick choke, just adjust it so the choke stays on a bit longer. But I have only ever worked on the 300 six... maby the carbs have differnt setups for chokes than yours. Although, i opted for the manual choke on my edelbrock 500cfm for one of my sixes... and its a pain to fiddle with, but it can be set to suit any weather conditions right in the cab.

 

yea i do have the stock filter housing, and it has the hose going from my valve cover to the filter housing

 

What 0270 is talking about is a tube that is roughly 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter and connects to the bottom of your air cleaner snorkel and the other end connects to a sheet metal shroud that is on your exhaust manifold. The hose that connects the air filter housing to the valve cover is a breather for the PCV.

From what you've described so far, it sounds like a choke problem.

Check your choke when the engine is cold. At 50 or 60 degrees it should still snap closed. If it does, have someone start the engine for you. Watch the choke blade. It should open slightly after it starts. If it doesn't, you need to adjust or replace your choke pull-off.

If the choke doesn't snap closed (you have to depress the throttle to make it close) then the choke spring is bad or needs adjustment.