Won’t start, ruined my day, not urgent but would love some help

[Wes Harden]

If the engine cranks better when the air temp is warmish than colder, I suspect the heavy battery cable may be loose at the starter solenoid. Disconnect the negative cable at battery, when the engine is cold, get under there and wiggle the big cable, watch solenoid teemiter post, nut and cable end. If any of those move it is loose and will cuase cold cranking issues.
I have seen this more than a few times. Some folks when changing a Chevy starter have a tough time getting the nut tight, especially if it is the 5/8" nut. While your there wiggle the smaller wire connected to the small terminal closest to the block.
Choke cable would probably benifbe from some light machine oil.
You have a manual choke, this could be responsible for the engine run on(diesling). If the throttle is open a little when you shut off the ignition, fuel will continue to be drawn from the carb. Sticky carb linkage, or choke, or throttle cable, all suspect.
Also tune adjustments can cuase run on. Good luck keep us in the loop

 

[charliew018]

you should know you are in for a no-start again until you make sure the start circuit is good. everyone has given good advice on the loose connections that can happen. you can jump the starter at the terminals on the solenoid with a 5/8 boxend wrench across the small ignition terminal and the battery terminal as others have said but only when the failure happens again to see if there is a circuit problem. It is obvious you are in the learning stage so pay attention to the details in the circuit. Only when the problem shows can it be trouble shot but you can check the connections, a clunk usually means some current got through but not enough. the starter solenoid is sorta like a big relay on the end inside, it must push a large copper washer up against the two terminals when the switch is in start position from the motion of the solenoid. the small wire is what carries that current to energize it. that small terminal can become loose in the housing and the small wire on the inside break loose from wriggling or from someone putting too much torque on it when they put the wire on and turning the terminal when they over tighten the little 5/6 or 11/32 nut. That big washer on the inside can be rotated to a new unworn spot and the terminals on the inside turned 180 to save buying a new solenoid. You can take it apart if only to learn how stuff works and better understand things. I have found that the stuff you get nowdays is for the carlots and not usually as good as parts were 20 years ago. Most of the electrical parts I bought at auto zone went out after only about a year, two consecutive tbi distributors started getting moisture in them, one alt crapped out and two injectors for my tbi 91 burb wouldn't work out of the box. All lifetime stuff, big deal if you have to keep replacing them. It is still running on some old used injectors from a parts truck. I think the ethanol ruined the injectors from setting up to long. I now use o'rielly's after a garage said that's where they started going. I think napa might be a good place also but don't have recent personal experience with them except I just found some nice heavy wire terminals and #6 wire there to upgrade the alt circuit.