Hello Gang,
I have a nice, fully charged Optima 6V battery. Unfortunately, when my car has been sitting for awhile, it still cranks quite a bit before it starts. Could it be I need replacement starter brushes? I don't know.
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance for you suggestions.
Jersey Jim

If it CRANKS OK it is NOT your starter brushes. When they fail it won't crank at all.
Maybe your carbs are draining and it takes the fuel pump a while to fill them enough to start.
Do you have any staining at the bottoms of your carbs?
If you give it a shot of starting fluid on the air cleaners will it start right up?
If so it is indeed your fuel system.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Thanks George. It cranks just fine. I'll try the starting fluid trick. Thanks!
Jersey Jim

It is a direct cause of the fuel pump. I have the same exact problem. Try manually pumping first, until the gas level is up, and then try starting. When I drive the car and then let it sit for two days, I can start the car within two seconds. When the car sits longer, it requires two or more cranks to start. If only there was an anti-siphon for the fuel pump.
--
1959 Volvo Amazon 121

Thanks Lukeball.
I'll try pumping the pedal a few extra times & see if that helps.
Regards,
Jersey Jim

There is an actual lever on the pump that is used to prime it. Just push it up an few times. Don't push it down! I broke one side of the lever doing this and it is hard to fix. The camshaft runs the pump, so if you keep cranking, it should start also. I wouldn't pump the actual gas pedal when starting, because you could flood the motor.

I hate the gas of today; almost all of it contains about 10% ethanol. By law, they don't have to list it on the pump either. Ethanol absorbs water, so after a while the mixture become diluted and it is still hard to start.
--
1959 Volvo Amazon 121

Thanks again!
Jersey Jim

Assuming that you are in good tune, the previous advice on fuel leakage or evaporation is what I would follow. The SU's on the B16 engine are prone to float bowl leakage when the seals age or hardware becomes loose.

If you have SU carbs, pumping the gas pedal before you start the engine will do nothing, good or bad for starting the engine although it is good to push the pedal down once to help set (or un-set)the idle cam for your choke.

I do have twin SU carbs...

Jim;

A little late, but I'd like to add my two cents:

As George has already stated: If Starter cranks engine, it is fine and doesn't need brushes (and I wonder why you would suspect it???)

(Early) SU carbs are vented to atmosphere, so as soon as you shut the engine off and the FP stops replenishing bowls, fuel in them starts evaporating...and faster right after shutdown when engine compartment heatsoak encourages the process. As fuel evaporates, level in bowl and therefore also jet drops making it more difficult to suck out by the venturi vacuum. Fuel level on bowl (and jet) needs to be returned to normal operating level before it becomes available for carburation and you can hope to start engine next time...this takes the FP a little time because at cranking speeds it is not moving a lot of volume...I frankly don't think this is a bad thing...actually I think it's a good thing...while you're cranking and waiting for the bowls to refill and startup, the oilpump is preoiling everything!

I question the siphon explanation! A siphon only works when a CONTINUOUS column of liquid allows the "upper reservoir" to be sucked out by the weight of the column falling to a lower level...and since the SU's are fed from the top as the fuel falls past the open bowlvalve into the the bowl below, there NEVER exists a continuous column which might allow siphoning to occur. What may certainly be happening is the weight of the column of fuel above the FP may be overcoming the output checkvalve of FP and emptying the significant volume contained in the hose leading to the carbs...during next stating attempt, this volume has to also be replenished by those minuscule little squirts before it even starts to refill the bowls...but there is no siphon action draining the bowl, only evaporation as explained above...

Bottom Line: Prime your fuel system and bowls after long park times, with a manual lever if you have one, or by cranking, and if you don't have a manual priming lever and long cranking times really bother you, consider checking and repairing your FP output checkvalve.

Cheers

Agree with you totally, Ron.

Except: I am not too sure about the "miniscule little squirts" you mention. Try to forget reconnecting the fuel line after having worked on the carbs, and then crank the engine. You’ll be amazed at the amount of fuel that comes pulsing out of that little pump when there is no back-pressure. Don’t ask me how I know.

Simplesimon

...makes the point of not smoking while working on ones fuel system...nice to hear you survived it!

Thanks Ron, Your 2 cents is always welcome.
I do see in the glass fuel pump bowl that there is fuel in the fuel pump.I guess from sitting it just takes time to get to the carbs.
So the bottom line is I shouldn't worry about needing to crank the car more when it sits for awhile. That's good news.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jim