getting harder to start & have to prime

[xirdneh]

My commuter tercel has been getting harder and harder to start when the engine is cold. Its been coming on over the last six months. When I try to start it it kicks right off but dies immediatly. Then it takes a lot of cranking and pumping the pedal. It will usually start to catch right after holding the pedal to the floor and letting it up. Then after four or five near starts it fires up and works fine till it sits and cools way down.
A few days ago I popped the air cleaner top off and poured about three tablespoons of gas down the throat of the carb. It fired right up and ran fine. So i am doing this every morning before I go to work and when I get off work.
I,m thinking something is wrong with the accelerater pump. Like maybe the gas is draining out of it or the leather has hardened.
Or maybe the fuel pump?

[neonsport]

It definitely sounds like the accelerator pump. You can tell fairly easily if yours is working by looking down through the carb as you pump the linkage by hand. If you don't get a squirt of fuel every time you pump it, then the problem is with the accelerator pump, but it may not be bad. The tube on mine clogged, and I took the top off the carb to unstop it. If yours is clogged, you can tell when you pump the linkage at the cable, the accelerator linkage won't move.

[Petros]

The accelerator pump could cause this (which is rubber BTW, not leather which has not been used in carbs in over 50 years).

It could also be the auto choke. That is also easy to check, pull off the aircleaner and open and close the thottle, it should slam closed. After it starts it should slowly open as it warms. Opening too fast can cause this too.

It could even be both of these.

you can always get a can of starter fluid and put a short shot of it through the grill near the air cleaner inlet each time you start it. That is until you can fix it, but I would not make a habit of using the starter fluid spray.

Good luck.

[JOE]

It could also be fouled/worn spark plugs???

[splatterdog]

(which is rubber BTW, not leather which has not been used in carbs in over 50 years).

Sorry to be a nitpicker but almost all the O.E. accelerator pumps I have encountered have been leather. Even got lucky with the napa carb kit I just got for my landcruiser. Very rare to get a leather replacement.

One other thing I would check is fuel level in the bowl sight window before you cold start it. Not sure if the carb on these have any potential for draindown problems where a loose peened in plug or a casting defect can slowly drain most of the bowl.

[jetswim]

Another thing to try is to stop pumping the accelerator.
There was a post about this. It read that by pumping the gas
there is too much fuel introduced.
Try starting with the gas pedal about 1/4 to 1/2 way down without pumping.
I used to pump like mad in really cold weather and now one press, hold, and kablam, starts every time and holds idle at about 2000 rpm until warm.

[xirdneh]

Another thing to try is to stop pumping the accelerator.
There was a post about this. It read that by pumping the gas
there is too much fuel introduced.
Try starting with the gas pedal about 1/4 to 1/2 way down without pumping.
I used to pump like mad in really cold weather and now one press, hold, and kablam, starts every time and holds idle at about 2000 rpm until warm.

I had read that post and tried with no luck.

[keith]

Is your choke linkage free and the choke setting like it should?

[xirdneh]

Is your choke linkage free and the choke setting like it should?

all that seems ok.
i tried working the throttle while looking down into the throat and no gas was squirting.
i switched carborators and now it starts fine.
when i get around to dissecting the carb i will tell what i find.