Starting carburettor on cold mornings

[Station]

Anyone have any tips? I have the shittest carb in existance (Solex Mikuni) in the entire universe (fuel cuts off going round corners, cack float chamber, shitty needles, stupid fuel feed position, etc). This morning couldn't start the car and ended up draining the battery. Tried hair drier etc, but is there any other methods I need to know about?

[Cheggers]

 

Is your friend...

[Station]

Ah yeah, 'Easi Start'.I've never used that stuff, my mate had some as I remember the 'start ya bastard' thing.

[Tayne]

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[seth]

Fit a carb that works?

[FredTransit]

^^TBH that's what I thought, but then again I do have a fair few spares.....

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Ha ha, yeah my old whizzkid used to cough and splutter on long sweeping bends, rubbish carbs those.Why not get one off a late bedford rascal or Suzuki SJ, surely they will have made a few improvements to those carbs since the days of the whizzkid, and they should be jetted for the same 970cc engine.Alternatively I have heard of someone adapting a HIF44 off a metro onto a whizzer, that could be a good alternative, I love SU's.

[Rusty Pelican]

SUs are the way to go if at all possible , ive got twin 1 1/4 ones on both Imps from a Spitfire , ALWAYS start first time even in this cold snap

[Guest]

I want to swap the Aisan carb off my Charmant one day - it's not a bad drive, but it's really rough and spluttery on tickover. Something to do with the design of the carb - they don't give you accurate enough adjustment to make it run smoothly. I don't know anything about carbs, sounds like a rather lousy excuse to me though. Makes it sound like a right old nail!

[pogweasel]

WD40 is your friend (don't stand too close though!)

[Station]

Memories are coming flooding back now. Standing in the cold trying to get a hopeless engine started without flooding the fucking thing. Thank fuck I wasn't in work this morning, I'm still trying to get it started, and have gone through two batteries. I had some cans of Easi-start in the cupboard - possibly a few years old. Don't think I've ever started a car with it tbh - good for checking for air leaks though. Think WD40 will clog the crappy thing up!Will need to change to a decent carb ASAP.

[Andrew353w]

The following method of carburettor refurbishment is NOT for the faint-hearted...but it DOES work-I've used it! You will need: some washing powder, an old (never to be used again!) pressure cooker and considerable nerve....Proceed as follows:1/ Take the carb off the car, clean up the mating surface on the inlet manifold and obtain a new gasket to fit onto the manifold, if needed.2/ Remove all the jets from the carb, noting what goes where.3/ (And this is the bit Health and Safety would panic with..) Place the carb and jets in a pressure cooker, add some water and some washing powder.4/Proceed to "pressure cook" everything, BUT DON'T use an extractor fan above the cooker! Open the kitchen windows & doors while carrying out this bit of the process!5/Give it half an hour of this, turn off the power, remove the carb and jets from the pressure cooker. Tip the remaining "sludge" from the pressure cooker down an outside drain/street drain etc. and soak the carb & jets in water, to remove any traces of washing powder.6/Dry the carb and jets using a hair dryer.7/Replace jets as per original positions.8/Place carb back on the car, and change the fuel filter.9/Start the car and tune the engine as per Haynes book.This method DOES work; my 2 stroke Wartburg benefitted from this trick, I assure you!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

sounds good, chuck in a stock cube, some thyme and a chopped onion while its cooking for a tasty carburettor stock which can then be frozen and used in soups etc later on.JAMIE OLIVERS MOTORING TIPS

[Station]

^ It'd be more use in a tasty carburettor casserole than on my car!Sorry to sound dim, but what is a pressure cooker? I've heard of one, but never used one. And also, can this cause injuries?

[FredTransit]

A pressure cooker is a saucepan that's almost sealed, so the contents cook under pressure, and it it's food, cooks quicker. You lock the lid down by twisting it into place.

[Guest Kyle]

sounds good, chuck in a stock cube, some thyme and a chopped onion while its cooking for a tasty carburettor stock which can then be frozen and used in soups etc later on.JAMIE OLIVERS MOTORING TIPS

But is that ok if you are on a low carb diet?What starter did he recommend?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Nippon Denso

[scooters]

carb cleanser works just as well as easy start take off the air filter - get somone to turn over the engine and whilst they are doing it give it a good scooshyou can give the carb a good cleanse as well!I would recommend replacing the solex with an SU if you can - nice simple easy to maintain carb

[FredTransit]

Deodorant works well too, and causes less bore wash when the engine is cold.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

WD-40 does not work at all for this, its just not volatile enough.

[scruff]

If it was me I would try whipping the plugs out and warming them up in front of the fire/in the oven/away from kidz and naked flames, they are probably proper soaked now and it does help fire a reluctant lump into life.

[Station]

I never countered the fact that this car might not be suitable during winter when I bought it. This morning was the same, and it's FREEZING inside, and in icy conditions it's rather scary! I covered the engine in a big old army blanket as well! I'm going to have to sort some electronic injectioned transport ASAP.

[FredTransit]

Get yourself a nice cheap volvo mate, toys and a toasty heater for less than £300.

[Richard]

I had this problem once. Somebody suggested shit in the carburettor so I did, but it didn't help.

 

http://instantrimshot.com/

[Wolseley1660man]

Ah yeah, 'Easi Start'.I've never used that stuff, my mate had some as I remember the 'start ya bastard' thing.

Easy start/ether is not meant to be sprayed in without cranking the engine. I saw a tard in a garage do that to a bike of mine. I shouted at him loudly. Never use ether, I think. It might possible be bearable on a diesel in an emergency, but don't if you love your car or van. My Wolseley started okay, second turn of the key, choke open a bit longer.

[hennabm]

easi start should be used when cranking. Can cause severe knock on start up and engines do become "addicted" to it. So you may find even after a bit of use, even in summer, it may require a snort.Ford used to fit happy gas as standard to the 3.6 diesel A series because it wouldn't start and once used, that was it. The engine needed happy gas every time.

[Pete-M]

Persuade a set of bike carbs onto it, if you can nick some from a GSX-R or summat you'll even be keeping it Suzuki.Points haven't closed over again have they?

[Station]

No mate, I actually bought a new set and it had ran 'beautifully' and still does (honest)! I kind've know what the problem is - it has a carburettor. I could do bike carbs, I just need less of the messing about every day.Every morning I have to put cables from the battery to the missus' car. It takes about 1/2 minute of constant cranking to start it.

[dollywobbler]

Oi! Carbs aren't all bad! :PThe Mini and the 2CV start fine. Well, ok, the 2CV has developed a bit of a misfire, but that's either plug or HT lead related, not carb.If it's taking that long to crank into life, it makes me wonder if the fuel is draining away overnight or something.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Has your whizzer got an electric or mech fuel pump? I seem to recall mine had an electric one, it knackered up and I got a replacement off some generic old 80's japanese shite in a breakers yard.It yours has a mech one maybe an electric one would help with this problem.