Can’t get my daughters car to start

[Myrtles Man]

The Yank one with the 'bugeye'; (I fear the Northern Irish lady in t'other one is also somewhat confused about how it all works).

[Elainesminor]

Hello everyone

Just an update on the car , complete new choke cable fitted , when the knob is pulled out fully the butterfly closes properly so the mechanic says we’ll actually get full choke where as before he said we were probably only getting 3/4 when pulled out fully , he also said it was that frayed at the carb end from adjustment after adjustment he was surprised it hadn’t snapped , he asked if we could leave the car with him for 2 or 3 days so he could test it out properly after fitting the new cable , when I picked it up after work he told me from cold he’d only been using 1/2 choke and she’d been starting 1st try and taking between 2 and 4 seconds of keeping the key turned , he said it’s running “ sweet as a nut “ so I started her after she’d stood all day and 1st try and 3 seconds turning over with 1/2 choke and she was running, once on the move and into 4th gear I pushed the choke in so she was just on fast idol , came to a junction and she didn’t stall, couple of splutters as I pulled away but she was fine and after about 1/2 mile I pushed the choke fully in , Chloe used her for work the next morning and she got her started 1st try on 1/2 choke again and exactly the same after work so she’s sorted , what does you all think ?

Elaine xx

[Myrtles Man]

Sounds like game, set and match to me.

[myoldjalopy]

Fantastic! And end of this thread hopefully!

[geoberni]

Sounds like a result at last.

[SEROWMANMICHAEL]

since when has SU carb had a choke butterfly

[simmitc]

That's a very good point. Elaine, can you please post a photo of your engine bay. It is possible that the cart has a none standard carb.

[myoldjalopy]

Oh, so its not the end of this thread!

[geoberni]

since when has SU carb had a choke butterfly

Good point, I just speed read the idea of it being fixed without taking in the niceties....
Perhaps we'll find out either that ...
A) The garage was just waffling to a couple of women in some stereotypical manner from the era these cars originate from...
or
B) Its got a none standard engine, carb, gearbox etc.....

[paul 300358]

since when has SU carb had a choke butterfly
[/quote


All mine have a butterfly. (throttle disc)

[geoberni]

All mine have a butterfly. (throttle disc)

Yes, but that, as you say, is the Throttle Disc, not the Choke Butterfly as used on other carb types.

Making the ladies think that the Choke Cable is operating the Butterfly,

when the knob is pulled out fully the butterfly closes properly

is misleading them and is just giving them false knowledge for later.
Pull the Choke as much as you like, on the SU Carb it ain't gonna move the Butterfly...

It's the Throttle Cable which controls the Butterfly.
The Choke Cable moves the Jet up and down. For Elaine, and anybody else who is uncertain, see this video at the 42.20 point, which should be where the link starts.
This is what the Choke moves.
https://youtu.be/OSd4TrlBhhM?t=2527

[svenedin]

All mine have a butterfly. (throttle disc)

Yes, but that, as you say, is the Throttle Disc, not the Choke Butterfly as used on other carb types.

Making the ladies think that the Choke Cable is operating the Butterfly,

when the knob is pulled out fully the butterfly closes properly

is misleading them and is just giving them false knowledge for later.
Pull the Choke as much as you like, on the SU Carb it ain't gonna move the Butterfly...

It's the Throttle Cable which controls the Butterfly.
The Choke Cable moves the Jet up and down. For Elaine, and anybody else who is uncertain, see this video at the 42.20 point, which should be where the link starts.
This is what the Choke moves.
https://youtu.be/OSd4TrlBhhM?t=2527

Yes the choke moves the jet up and down but the choke lever cam also acts on the throttle disc via the fast running screw to raise the idle speed when the choke is out.

Stephen

[geoberni]

Yes the choke moves the jet up and down but the choke lever cam also acts on the throttle disc via the fast running screw to raise the idle speed when the choke is out.

Stephen

I didn't know that, I've never stripped one down to look that closely.
Best I read up some more.
That's today's school lesson then.
Still not convinced the garage gave the right impression to Elaine and her daughter though.

[oliver90owner]

I expect the term ’choke’ was adopted from the other types of carburettors because it effectively serves the same purpose. Often termed as the ‘strangler’ in the US.

Perhaps it should have been named as the ‘fuel enrichener’ or some other such term so as to befuddle people back when the carb was introduced. It certainly makes the engine ‘cough’ if left in use for too long. It will certainly choke the engine with soot - or should that be ‘coke’?

Another alternative was to pump the accelerator two or three times with solex or zenith carbs. Sufficient if the engine was still slightly warm and not needing much enrichment. My favourite was the Weber 28/36 - it never needed a choke cable. Or a pair of DCOE40 s.

[simmitc]

Yes, the choke does operate the fast idle cam to slightly open the butterfly, but the description:

when the knob is pulled out fully the butterfly closes properly so the mechanic says we’ll actually get full choke

does not reflect what happens. The mystery deepens.

[Myrtles Man]

"...when the knob is pulled out fully the butterfly closes properly so the mechanic says we’ll actually get full choke where as before he said we were probably only getting 3/4 when pulled out fully , he also said it was that frayed at the carb end from adjustment after adjustment he was surprised it hadn’t snapped..."

From re-reading the above and considering his use of the word 'probably' (my italics), it's my guess that the mechanic may not be overly conversant with the workings of old-technology carburettors and, having spotted the frayed/stretched choke cable, realised that a replacement was probably overdue to restore full-range operation and merely referred to the choke butterfly based on an assumption about the carb internals. Don't suppose we'll ever know for certain though.

[Elainesminor]

Hi guys

I logged into MMOC on Thursday and noticed some of your comments and was curious as to if the mechanic had been filling Chloe and I full of sh1t so called in on Saturday morning to enquire, at the time he was doing our car he was also working on a Ford fiesta and escort and totally got them confused so he was talking about the escort when he was describing the moggy , he apologised for any confusion but agrees with you on here about how the description and what actually moves and operates , he asked me if she was still starting ok, I said yes , 1st try morning and after a full day at work , during the day she might take 2 or 3 try’s depending on how long she’d stood and how much choke we try but as of today she’s always started and no more than 3 try’s so the new choke cable has worked a treat , the only thing we’ve both noticed is if she hasn’t warmed up enough she doesn’t like to stay running on the fast idol when you come to a stop and tends to stall so we find it’s better just to keep her on a bit choke till she fully warms up , apart from that she seams great

Elaine xx

[myoldjalopy]

"the only thing we’ve both noticed is if she hasn’t warmed up enough she doesn’t like to stay running on the fast idol when you come to a stop and tends to stall so we find it’s better just to keep her on a bit choke till she fully warms up"
Which is what I keep trying to tell you - that's what the choke is for! Now, perhaps, can this thread come to an end?

[les]

IMG_3265.jpeg (274.09 KiB) Viewed 477541 times

[myoldjalopy]

Let's hope so Les, let's hope so!