Hey Scotty, I'm 16 and I got an automatic tranny '69 el camino for my daily driver. When I first got it, the only real problem was that the carburetor burned rich, but now I need to feather the gas to cold start it. I already tried putting some carburetor cleaner in the tank but it didnt fix anything. What should I do?
Hey it's a dinosaur those carburetors only last so long me I would throw the carburetor away and put on a brand new Edelbrock carburetor
You need to properly adjust the choke plate so that when you open the throttle plate on a cold engine, the choke plate just closes fully. It will open a little when the car starts and provides vacuum to the choke pull off.
What is the position of the choke when you start it? Even in warm weather, it should be almost closed when the engine is cold. I believe GM engines used Rochester carburators in that period. If it hasn't been done in a long time, or you don't know when it's been done, your carb could probably use a kit which means to buy a gasket set and soak the unit in cleaner then assemble it with new gaskets and seals.
If I remember correctly, before you start a cold engine of that vintage, you press the gas pedal once and it snaps the choke closed. As the engine warms up, a thermal spring starts opening it up and should be fully open when engine is at operating temperature. You might see a vacuum lever pull the choke to slightly open position to allow more air in once it's running but not fully warmed up.
Last I looked, it seems to be half open when it is cold.
Pull on the throttle without trying to start the car and watch the choke plate. It should snap to the closed position. If it doesn't, there's a problem with the choke. If the choke plate can be moved without forcing it, try to start it while manipulating the angle of the plate. Don't forget to pump some gas. Restrict the airflow, which is what it's supposed to do. If you can get it to start, look at the choke linkages and choke spring.
Go to the Edelbrock website and read the instructions for proper adjustment of the choke on your particular carburetor.
https://www.edelbrock.com/shop/carburetors.html
Or call their Tech Line @ 800-416-8628
Sorry I should have been more specific, it does have an Edelbrock that was put on about 4-5 years ago. Not sure how many miles are on it. Last I looked, it seems to be half open when it is cold.