gas leak / long cranking

[67rcks]

It takes a long cranking to start the v8 if it has been parked for a long time (over 1-2 weeks). The fuel falls all the way to the gas tank. Is it typical for mustangs/carbed engines? Do I have to look for a leak or another solution (e.g. pump with manual prime - do you know of any?)

 

[Realmongo]

That's pretty common. In addition to the 2 classics, I even have that problem with the 84 GT.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

It takes a long cranking to start the v8 if it has been parked for a long time (over 1-2 weeks). The fuel falls all the way to the gas tank. Is it typical for mustangs/carbed engines? Do I have to look for a leak or another solution (e.g. pump with manual prime - do you know of any?)

Gas should stay in the carb's float bowl from the last time it was ran.So unless all of the fuel is leaking from the bowl, (where it'd either be all over the engine, or down the throat of the carb) there should always be enough fuel there to get it to start like it was yesterday. The next time you let it sit for that long, take off the air cleaner and operate the throttle linkage while looking down the throat of the carb, ...you should see/smell the gas that comes out of the accelerator pump that primes the engine. You could get an electric pump, tie it into a switched circuit, add a 30 amp relay and block off the mechanical one. The pump reprimes everytime you turn the key.

 

[67rcks]

fuel leaks back to the fuel tank
(not off the engine through carb floats etc - if that happened nobody would ever asked if it is ok!)

 

[Realmongo]

It's a combination of fuel settling back into the tank and what's in the fuel bowl evaporating during the 1-2 weeks of down time.