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This is perplexing...

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sparkydave

sparkydave

Jedi Knight
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It seems I have developed a new quirk (the car, not me :cz) . I crank the car, it sputters to life, runs for a second or two, then dies. I crank it again, it fires right up, and runs normally. Seems to be getting worse; it started out as just slowing down briefly after starting it, but now it won't stay running no matter how much I massage the gas pedal. Only when it's cold, although when the wife and I went for ice cream last night it didn't feel much like staying alive after starting it hot, so it took lots of blipping the gas in between trying to maneuver out of the parking place. Runs okay on the road, although it stumbles (always has, even with a carb rebuild).

Thoughts? I'm thinking it might be time to check the fine Zenith carb again, or maybe start thinking about adapting the SU carb I bought. Too cheap to pony up the cost of a DGV conversion.
 
Well, *SU* IF it were my car *SU* I'd be inclined *SU* to give a lot *SU* of thought *SU* to converting *SU* it over to an SU setup... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

...just my <subliminal> contribution to the cause. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
 
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif Dual SUs!!!
 
What have you checked? Could be just about anything... distributor wear, points, cap, wires, plugs, timing, fuel supply, carb, choke, air leak at manifold / head.... bad karma... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Does your Zenith have the 'auto' (water) choke? Once you've done a tune-up (including timing, and setting the carb) if the problem still exists I'd take a very close look at the choke. I've got lots of links to various pages, but if you haven't already found a write-up titled "Those Damned Zenith Stromberg Water Chokes" or something similar, I would suggest hunting it down. Let me know if you have trouble finding it.

(If the cost of a DGV is out, twin SUs and a euro manifold would be way, way out, so I'll resist adding my "me too"! You were thinking of adapting a single SU to your ZS manifold? Sounds promising...)

Best,
Duncan
 
I really wanted to do the dual SU conversion, but I wasn't keen on modifying the fender to fit it. Somebody here had done a single SU conversion and had good results. Since the HS4 will bolt right up to the stock manifold I figured I'd try that. Even Joe Curto seemed to think that might be a good option, though I'm not sure what needle it would take.

So far, I can say the plugs are new, the wires are new, the cap is new, the rotor is new, and it has a Pertronix installed. Stock coil, but seems to be fine. Don't know if changing to a Flame Thrower coil would do anything. Timing is spot on, the vacuum advance and centrifugal advance are working, and the valve lash is fine. The carb was rebuilt a few years ago. The cat is gone, air pump belt is off, but EGR is still active (and working). Oh, and the dashpot is full.

I've seen the "Those Damned Zenith-Strombergs" article, and I've got a copy of it. I might peruse that again and just see if I can adjust the water choke first, but considering how rich it runs I'm starting to think anything could make it run a little cleaner. The wife teases me about how she can always tell when I've been near the Midget just from the smell. Thank goodness it doesn't have to pass emissions.
 
Hello Dave,

"but I wasn't keen on modifying the fender to fit it."

I'm not quite sure what a fender is but as UK spec Midhgets had twin S.U.'s as standard why won;'t they fit straight on?

Certainly a single or twin S.u. set up is better than the Weber route.

Alec
 
Sounds like a choke issue to me. A quick and easy way to check the water choke is to pull the water jacket and insulator. Leave everything hooked up to the jacket, just pull the 3 screws that hold it in place. First make sure all your doodads are moving around freely. There is a spring loaded plunger at the top that pulls a lever that raises the chock enrichment needle. It is very common for the choke enrichment needle to get stuck. If all that stuff is working, fire the car up and take a look at the spring loaded plunger. With the car running, vacuum should pull the spring loaded plunger out. To clarify, with the engine off, the spring pulls the plunger to the passenger side of the car. Engine on, vacuum pulls the plunger to the driver's side of the car. If that is not working correctly, remove the choke body and clean the tiny vacuum circuit holes with a thin wire.

Once you have it running well again, enjoy driving while you prepare to replace the POS ZS with an SU.
 
I didn't see mention of fuel filter being checked....something so simple yet so easily overlooked....

My 2 cents.... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
I don't think that'd make it run rich, tho.
 
Sounds like you may have a tiny leak in the line. A little fuel evaporates while it's sat, and gets a slight air pocket. You start the car, the fuel at the front goes in and runs the car. It hits the air pocket, and starves the engine. Restart the car, the air pocket has passed through and you are back to fuel. As the fuel is running through the lines, it doesn't have time to form a new air pocket, until the next time you stop the engine...
Get a bit of hose, stick one end up your nose, and run the other along the fuel line. Get a good whiff, enjoy the buzz, then fix the leak!
 
Speedy_Pete said:
Sounds like you may have a tiny leak in the line. A little fuel evaporates while it's sat, and gets a slight air pocket. You start the car, the fuel at the front goes in and runs the car. It hits the air pocket, and starves the engine. Restart the car, the air pocket has passed through and you are back to fuel. As the fuel is running through the lines, it doesn't have time to form a new air pocket, until the next time you stop the engine...
Get a bit of hose, stick one end up your nose, and run the other along the fuel line. Get a good whiff, enjoy the buzz, then fix the leak!
Click to expand...

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif happened to me before!
 
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