Not that it matters but I haven’t primed a carb since about 1969. That’s when my Pontiac back fired and caught my engine on fire. Lost a rain coat and extinguisher putting it out. On the positive side though it started after that. So prime carbs with caution and not in the garage is my advice FWIW.
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I understand the “turning the engine over with the starter allows oil to circulate before the engine starts” theory…but, fuel injected cars that have been sitting generally start pretty much immediately without a lot of turning over and it doesn’t appear to cause excess wear.
RT, have you considered buying a can of the canned fuel that they sell? I know you don’t want to keep gasoline in the cab, but these steel cans don’t allow fumes out. I sometimes use them on my chainsaws, have a can in my shop now. Apparently they make these cans for 4 stroke engines too. The link is for a case of 6. I buy single cans locally for the saw. You could save the can and refill it yourself with gasoline and a little Sta-bil. Just a thought.
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Since this tread is still drawing input, what is wrong with Tester’s suggestion for using CRC Jump Start? It comes in an aerosol can, it can be stored for years, it will never go bad, and even if you spray it into a carburetor while the engine is cranking over and the engine backfires, the person spraying the “juice” will not be injured (perhaps startled, but not burned…).
I’ve had a can that is over 5-years old and when I get the lawn mowers, lawn vacs, etc…, out from storage it makes starting a cinch… FYI, Pre-Storage Procedure includes a warm up run, an oil change, short run to circulate the new oil, cool down, drain the gas, and a spritz of Mystery Oil in the cylinders and a few cranks of the unit… Post-Storage, pull the plug since it wasn’t tightened previously, crank the cold engine over a few time to circulate (splash…) the oil, fuel it, a “Whiff” of Jump Start, reinstall plug, and it starts first time…
If the vehicle’s been sitting long enough to evaporate all that gas, I’d want to turn it over a few times and get the oil circulating before it started.
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Don’t be so sensitive.
I start it every time I want to drive it.
I’ve had bad luck with spray cans recently.
I hadn’t thought about the relative violence of using the starter versus using the engine. If that’s the case, that’s a good point.
I used to drive my truck mostly to go to remote places way up dirt roads. I’ve been caught in a blizzard at 11,000 feet on the summer solstice. There was no way to push it, no one else around. I don’t want to run my battery down. It feels good to start right up.
That usually means you sprayed yourself in the face.
Tester
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I used up the propellant before the fluid.
I have had at least a dozen cans of brake cleaner, throttle body cleaner and penetrating oil loose pressure in 3 to 5 years.
I use gasoline to prime the engine, the mechanical fuel pump does not pump air well while cranking @ 300 RPMs after the fuel line has dried, it can take a minute and a half to get fuel to the carburetor. I have owned some of these cars for thirty years, “dry bearings” are not a concern.
RandomTroll:
I too would not be worried about “dry bearings” with the “quick starts” you are after.
Here’s what happens: your truck sits for a long spell. You try to start it and it starts right up. OK, good.
Or it doesn’t start right up. You try a couple short sessions on the starter motor. Oil gets pumped, but not enough gas. So, bring out the small can of gas, take off the air cleaner cover, and dribble a teaspoon or so into the carb. Try the starter motor again. It starts and runs, with no oil starvation. This is what worked on 1979 Toyota 4X4 truck.
Almost any starting fluid spray will work. The trick is to avoid the need for starting fluid. I put fuel shutoff valves on my stuff that has a carburetor, and run the engine until it quits if I am not going to use it for a long time. Turn the valve on, wait 15 or 30 seconds, and it starts right away. One of the engines has a plastic bowl with a drain screw, even better. If its a car that has an electric fuel pump, turning the key starts the pump. When you can hear the pump stop, the carb is ready to go. There are adjustable pressure electric fuel pumps made by Walbro that can be used to replace automotive mechanical fuel pumps. I used to use them on boat engines.