Mechanical Fuel Pump for a Chevy 350

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easy peasy fix...just add a cheap electric fuel pump inline. I had the same problem on one of my boats...twin 350's. I would come back and have to crank and crank and crank to get them to start. Add one of these babies to each engine, key on, count to five, and they would fire right up like they were fuel injected.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Holley-12-427-32-GPH-Mighty-Mite-Electric-Fuel-Pump-4-7-PSI,141310.html?sku=42512427&utm_medium=CSEGoogle&utm_source=CSE&utm_campaign=CSEGOOGLE&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoInnBRDDARIsANBVyAS1an5XPRyyxDR-sFsRzYFkzKzbCHlYRZ5V8ue-UCl5C91kFXThz1EaAkohEALw_wcB
 
In my old 57 with the 283 it was pretty normal for the first crank after sitting a week to require about 20-25 seconds, with a new TRW mechanical fuel pump. That was in the '80s with a freshened 2BBL rochester carb, nothing fancy. Manual choke was such a good thing.
 
Both my cars are carbureted (stock Rochester quadrajets). The one in my Caprice if it sits more than a week or so will crank for about 5-7 seconds before starting. Same if it sits all summer (used to take insurance off for summer as it was just my winter beater). The Cutlass sits every winter parked outside and some how even after 5+ months sitting it will start within about 2-3 seconds of cranking. A couple times it fired immediately which boggled my mind. I don't know how the gas doesn't evaporate from the carb. Both have mechanical fuel pumps.
 
Just thought I'd post back in case this would help someone else. We replaced the fuel pump with a new one from NAPA and that fixed the problem.

I did pull the old one apart and it seems like one of the check valves was improperly installed. I pushed on it and it popped right out. I don't think that should have happened, but I really didn't know what I was looking at when I first pulled it apart.

Once we put the new pump in, it cranked for ~20 seconds and popped right off without any sort of a prime. My dad left it sit 3 weeks and it started up as it normally would.
 
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