QuestionI have a 1947 Hudson, std. 6 manual trans, and (I think) non-overdrive. It has always been hard to start (had it 6 mo.). Otherwise it runs nice and smooth. I bought an electric fuel pump, only to notice that it already had one. So what could be making it so hard to start? I have to pump the accellerator like mad for a long time. My only guess is that the fuel pump could be 12-volt, but I'm thinking that it wouldn't work at all on my 6-volt system. Could it be that the pump does work, but needs more juice? Is it something else? Note: there is NO SPEC on the pump or its paperwork that states its voltage. Thank you.
AnswerThese are very high quality cars, and when they were new, they started reliably without the band-aid of a booster fuel pump. Now modern gasoline has a different content, and is somewhat more likely to drain back to the tank or evaporate out the top of the carburetor when the car is turned off after getting warmed up.
This process takes a few hours or overnight, but if you are leaving the car to sit for days at a time, you can expect a certain amount of this problem. I've added an electric fuel pump to my 47 Packard for this reason, as it often sits for weeks between drives.
The 6 volt electric fuel pumps are the old fashioned solenoid operated "clickers", and they have contact points that get dirty fairly soon, and stop working. So unless your electric pump is very new, I'd start by replacing it with a new one.
While you are at it, be sure to replace all the rubber fuel tubing with new stuff, with a code on the rubber of SAE30-R-9. The older stuff cannot stand up to the new gasolines, and could be part of your problem by allowing gas to evaporate through it or allowing the fuel pump to ingest air through cracks. Any car parts store should have the correct fuel tubing, but some are using up the stocks of the older SAE30-R-8 or even 7, and that is NO GOOD for modern oxygenated gasoline!
Pumping the accelerator pedal won't help the car start if there is no gas in the carburetor - so save your ankle and wear and tear on the linkage. When you turn on the electric pump, let it click until it stops - then you know there is gas in the carburetor, and then you can start the engine just like regular folks - pump it three times and hit the button!
I doubt anyone would have put a 12 volt pump on your car, it wouldn't have ever worked. But if you look at the old pump carefully, you'll see 12V stamped on it somewhere if it is a 12 volt pump. If there is no mark, it is a 6 volt pump. If you don't hear the clicking when you turn it on, it isn't working, but even if you do hear the old one clicking, it isn't neccesarily working properly.
If you want to make sure about this, check at the fuel line into the carburetor by taking the fitting loose a turn or two while the pump (but not the engine!) is running, If fuel squirts all over the place, turn it off quick and tighten the fitting. This is somewhat dangerous, so back the car out of the garage before you do it, and have a fire extinguisher handy.
If the old pump IS working OK, you might get by with just updating the rubber fuel tubing, and simply waiting until the carburetor is full (that's what stops the clicking) before you try to start the car.
Good Luck - I still drive a 6 volt Hudson too. Mine starts pretty well, but I always carry a can of starting fluid just in case I have a problem - which on this car always occurs in very hot weather, after a brief stop with a hot engine.
I don't have an electric pump on this car. To start the car after storage, I manually put a few ounces of gas into the carburetor by removing the air cleaner and pouring the gas down the air vent tube right into the float chamber (not direct into the intake manifold, that can flood the engine.) Then I put the air cleaner back on, to suppress any flame-back when I crank it. It always starts immediately this way.
Dick.
