No electric fuel pump, factory mechanical type. I can try to hold the pedal to the floor next time I have the car out, get it up to temp, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. I’m imagining it will start easier because when it has the long crank I slowly push the pedal down farther and farther until it starts. What does that mean if it starts easier when holding the throttle open?
Pressing the pedal all the way to the floor allegedly clears a flooded carburetor. It’s been many years, but if I remember correctly I believe the owners manual for the 66 Mustang actually says to press the pedal to the floor once before starting the car. I’m not positive that’s where I read it, but I know that was my standard operation for starting my 66 289 when it was my daily driver back in the late 90s.
Edit: To be clear, the instructions I had seen were to press it to the floor and then let it up before starting the car, not hold it to the floor.
Pressing the gas to the floor before starting the car, at least the first time for the day, sets the choke.
Edit: To be clear, the instructions I had seen were to press it to the floor and then let it up before starting the car, not hold it to the floor.
[/quote] You do this on first start up to set the choke, that 's not his problem, we are talking about when the car is hot and sits for awhile.
Out of curiosity, does pressing the pedal to the floor still set the choke if you have switched to a Holley with an electric choke, or should I stop doing that?
Yes it does, I believe all of these cars even when new back in the day had electric chokes. I have always started all of my carb’d vehicles the first time for the day with one full push of the gas to the floor or if they have sat for a while I will pump the gas a few times while it is cranking.
With the Edelbrock carb on my car the only way to start it once the motor is warmed up and has sat for a few minutes is to hold the throttle wide open. A friend of mine also runs an Edelbrock carb and has the same problem.
I think what’s going on when the carb gets heatsoaked, the fuel starts to vaporize in the bowls. This forces fuel to percolate out onto the butterflies and floods the carb. So the normal procedure for clearing a flood condition (hold throttle wide open while cranking) is the only way to start the car after the heatsoak has occured.
Do you have a heat spacer on it? When I was doing some research I saw the Edelbrock carbs are bad for that. I have an Edelbrock on my 304 Jeep and it does the same thing. I might get a heat spacer for it like I got for the Cougar even though the one I put on the Cougar didn’t fix my problem, but I’m sure it doesn’t hurt anything and maybe it will fix it in my Jeep.
No heat spacer on mine yet, that was going to be my next thing to try.
You were right, setting the float height didn’t solve the long crank, but it has reduced it by about 50%. Now, after the car has sat 5 or minutes it will either key right off or it won’t start right away, but I can crank without touching the gas for about another 2 to 3 seconds and it starts. Before I adjusted the floats and I would have to push the throttle towards the floor to get it to start.
Do carb’d cars even start anymore with a light flick of the key with today’s fuels? Do you think this carb needs a rebuild or do you think I should throw it in the trash and put on my double pumper that I have had for years as a friend recommended? 
Mine starts within a couple of cranks cold( even after sitting a week or 2) after it gets up to temperature and depending on the ambient temperature it can take up to 5 seconds of cranking to get it to catch.
I think what is going on is a lot of people out there don’t remember the good old days of cars with carburetors, this was typical even when the cars were new and the new oxygenated fuel does not help
To answer your first and second Question, yes. I wouldn’t throw it in trash, it’s a Holley ,there can’t be that much wrong with it. I would try the other carb. and see what it does, but if that carb. has sit very long, the gaskets my be dried out and you may still have problems of a different kind.
If you go with a re build, you need to find something that was causing the problem to make the re build worth it. I wish I was there to help you.
I went through a very similar issue with my 67 S code 390 at the beginning of the summer. I ended up replacing the battery and cables. I used a Optima red top battery. I posted the issue I had earlier in this post. Did you check you battery for the proper voltage. It’s possible that the hot/long crank could be a result of resistance of you cables when the car is hot. Just a thought.
Steven
I wouldn’t really throw it in the trash, but I would shelf it. I bought the other carb in about '94 so it’s sat for a long time, but it’s never been on an engine or had fuel in it so not sure if it would need a rebuild or not; it’s been in a climate controlled basement for the past 15 years or so if that makes a difference.
I would say a rebuild wouldn’t hurt the current carb at all. It’s date-stamped '00 and it looks like it’s been on the engine ever since. It runs lean also. It hesitates a little sometimes when you go off idle. It had a 31 jet in it for the accelerator pump squirter nozzle and I stepped up to a 35 yesterday, but that doesn’t seem to have helped much. Also it will backfire up through the carb sometimes, especially when engine is cold, but sometime if I go off idle to 1/4 pedal or more it will hesitate or if I cram it to the floor from a stop it will stall. So I’m not sure if maybe it needs larger main jets or this could be related to it needing a rebuild.
I wish you were here also because my carb and I could use your help! 
I remember you posting that and i can check the voltage of the battery, but it cranks at the same speed when engine is cold or after it’s up to temp. I do still need to check the timing. Does anyone know what it should be? It’s 351W with stock points distributor.
You don’t have a voltage problem, you just have a carb problem.
I would set the timing at 6 deg BTC and see how that does, then check what total advance you have at 2500 RPM, a good total would be 36 to 38 deg.
I would try the double pumper, what cfm is it?
Ok I kind of figured the timing was supposed to be at 6, but thanks for confirming. I will have to check base and total timing when I get a chance. There are 2 vacuum posts on the advance for my dist, only one has a vac line going to it. are both supposed to be hooked up?
The double pumper is a 750cfm I think. I thought it might be too big, but my old school hot rod buddy said it’s fine. Do you think it would need a rebuild before installing it?
750 is a little big, but it will tell you if this cures the hard start, I’m the kinda guy that would put it on and see what happens, they are not that hard to change. The vac post in the front is the main one that advances timing, that hose should come from the side port on right side of carb to that front port on dist. , take dist. cap off and use a piece hose on that front port an apply some sort of suction to make sure that the dist. plate moves and holds vac., if it does its good, if not then get a single port vac. adv and replace it. Keep on keeping on, you’ll get it
Yeah I will probably put it on and see what happens, I guess really the only thing I would need to figure out/modify is the fuel inlet since it’s a double pumper
The vacuum advance is routed right like you described. I’ll test the distributor plate with vacuum when I get a chance to get to my brothers and use his vacuum tester.
Thanks for all the info!
Sorry to dig up an old thread but I thought this was worth mentioning. I just tried one of those thermal spacers to fix my hot start issue and it 100% works. Normally I would have to floor the pedal to get the motor to start when hot. With the spacer installed, I just tap the key no throttle and it fires immediately.
I checked the temps after a long drive with an infrared thermometer. The intake manifold below the spacer was 202F, the carb itself was only 130F. So it definitely keeps the carb and fuel cooler. Here’s the one I used: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/edl-9266