85 2.8 difficult to start after sitting

[cajun66]

If I let my 85 sit for a couple days it gets very difficult to start first time. Lots of pumping the gas pedal and several seconds on the starter before it starts. I'm hoping it's a choke issue as it is very cold natured for the first minute or so once it does crank. I still have the original Motorcraft carb. I'll buy a manual cable conversion for the choke first and see what happens.

P.S. New fuel pump and lines already.

[tonymasone]

Not sure if it's related but my 89b2 had a leaky fuel line back at the tank and would drain empty after it sat for a day or so and when I would go to start it, it would take forever to refill the line, once running it would be fine

[RakerBill60]

Sounds to me like you are losing the fuel from the bowl of the carb. It has happened to me in the past, but on a rochester carb on a GM vehicle.
Heat can have a difference on the fuel percolating out after you shut it off.
There are plugs on the bottom of the bowl from the manufacturing process on the rochester carbs, but I'm not sure on the fords..
After it sets, before you start it, have someone pump the gas pedal, and see if gas is squirting into the manifold. If it is, then as you said, you can check the choke and fix it, if there is no gas, then your bowl is empty and your gas is going somewhere.