Help Me On Choking And/Or Throttling My Car

[QuickSilver]

I am back to drink a the fountain of MG knowledge. Again.

Okay here's the short version.

Do I need to hook up the choke cable on my Weber carb to run?

Long version.

I prefer not to have the choke cable in my car and willing to surfer the poor running until engine is warm condition.

PO cobbled together some cable in the carb that merely hold the choke flap semi closed. When I goose the carb the vacuum from the engine pulls the choke somewhat open. I prefer for the choke flap to be fully open at all times.

So should I be able to run when fully warmed up without the choke flap partly closed? I hate smelling like gasoline when I arrive at work and I think this is the cause.

Oh when I removed the cable from the choke I get a slight hesitation from a full stop, just very slight but enough to annoy me.

PS: I have never have a choke on my Minis.

 

[bob67bgt]

You may be ok in Texas without a choke but if it spits back or coughs thru the carb when cold it could start a carb-engine fire. Its not very likely but just be aware it could happen and keep a charged fire extinguisher handy. If the carb is set up properly the choke/flap should be all the way open when warm. Its probably set up like that to mask a carb problem. Good luck which ever way you go. I would do a proper choke cable and see what happens. Bob

 

[QuickSilver]

I have no use for a choke and all my cars have a fire extinguisher, even my Wifes 07 Honda.

Do you have a suggestion on what the carb issue that it might have been set up to correct? When engine is fully warmed up, the choke flap fully open, it hesitates from a standstill.

 

[bob67bgt]

I do not mess with Webers. But if having the choke flap part way closed helps get you going i would think its a bit lean?????(Guessing here..does it spit back or popp thru the carb?) Providing its not a different tuning issue. I would be sure everything else is correct like the timing and confirm the mechanical weights are also working in the distributor and not frozen. Bob

 

[mk2sprite]

If it's the weber downdraft 32/36 DGV it's a VERY common problem. I see it mentioned by most owners who run it. If it's only for a split second on acelleration and is fine otherwise I would not mess with it.
Mike

 

[QuickSilver]

If it's the weber downdraft 32/36 DGV it's a VERY common problem. I see it mentioned by most owners who run it. If it's only for a split second on acelleration and is fine otherwise I would not mess with it.
Mike

You hit it right on the spot, it's only for a split second on acceleration.

I picked up a new Craftsman adjustable timing light today on Craigs for $20, so what figure should I shoot for with timing?

Thanks all.

 

[bob67bgt]

As a starting point i would do 32 degrees before top dead center at 3500 rpm and then see what it is at idle. I would GUESS that at idle it will somewhere between 10 and 15 degrees depending on the distributor you have in the car. Its a starting point anyway. Someone with more experience on late rubber bumper cars will probably have a better idea but thats where i would start not knowing much about your car. Bob

 

[QuickSilver]

I was afraid to rev up to 3500 rpm so I follow the manual and went to 1500 and did 10 degrees based on my engine stats. I set my timing gun to 10 adn rotated the dizzy until the line lined up under flash.

I have five prongs on the timing tab, looking at the engine dead on, I marked against the leftmost one.

On the commute this morning, except for the expected warm up condition, it seems to pull well and even the stumble from idle was gone.

Did I do right with the timing?

 

[bob67bgt]

If you are standing in the front of the car and looking at the timing marks over the radiator...the one nearest the top of the engine is Top Dead Center/TDC. That is the one you use with a dial back timing light. going counter clockwise the prongs are at 5 degree before TDC marks.IE 5,10,15 and 20. The way i am reading your post you may have used the wrong timing mark but you can hopefully tell by my discription above. Even if you do not want to run the engine up to 3500 at least set you timing and then rev the engine a bit and see that the timing mark is advancing. Just keep the light pointed at the timing marks and watch it move. If you set your dial back light to say 25 and rev the engine the timing mark on the pulley will start to come into view from the top side of the engine. You just need to be sure the mechanical weights in the distributor are working. I hope this makes sence and helps. Bob

 

[QuickSilver]

Thanks Bob, I will check the timing again, reading your post I know I did it wrong. Maybe that is why the car now sputters bad but goes like a scalded cat when I press the go fast pedal. Oh how I miss the simplicity of my HIF6 on my Moke. This Weber is killing me. Or is it the other way around? - lol.

 

[DrEntropy]

To my way of thinkin' a choke on a Weber is kinda unnecessary in Texas in the summer. A couple squirts of th' loud pedal and hit th' starter. Should light off in anything but sub-freezing temps.

I've a pal here with a Moke, BTW. Great li'l island transporter! :thumbsup:

 

[QuickSilver]

Yah, I have weber on my Mazda no choke, and Edelbrock on my V8 powered Mazda B2200 no choke.

Okay more update.

So we drove to work this morning with nary any issue except at idle I have to have the choke almost closed, the adjusted gap is about the thickness of three flat quarters.

So it seems that on this car with this carb I have to have the choke and it is literally killing me.

This is Sir Lancelot and me in Mini magazine of UK.

 

[QuickSilver]

Okay so now I remember that I have a 25D?? dizzy on a 77 using a Pertronix, so the timing data in the book won't be correct - sigh.

 

[DrEntropy]

Still should be at about 10~12 degrees BTDC at a low idle. The TDC pointer should be the largest one of the "prongs". The others are five degrees each, as Bob "pointed out". :wink:

 

[Nunyas]

well... you're gonna need to get a slip chain or a rope as the position to get your hands wrapped around the base of the filter is a bit awkward...

wassat? oh!

Sorry, not too familiar with them Webbers. If I had those symptoms on a ZS, I would triple check all the rubber bits to make sure no air is leaking by, and possibly rebuild it.

If I had those symptoms with an SU, I would check the mixture is right. Plugs too light, make it richer. Plugs too dark, make it leaner.

Said you're smelling like fuel when you get to work. Sounds like potentially too rich (possibly due to the choke setting). Check them plugs, make sure none of them are fowled and letting unburnt fuel into the exhaust.

As mentioned before, if the choke was cocked partially on, that's a potential sign that something may be askew, like the PO was unable to get the mixture right. If there are leaks in the intake system (cab-manifold, manifold-head), that can make things bothersome when trying to get the mix right.