My 1971 521

[Crashtd420]

With that said the one that goes in the freeze plug would be the best.... but knowing you I saw a couple magnetic ones that would work on the passenger side of the block.... that would be the easiest since its already cold and I doubt your goona drain the coolant to install one.....

 

[Crashtd420]

3 minutes ago, d.p said:

Trickle charger probably my best best then?  I can leave that plugged in 24/7.  I got the cover but it’s not that heavy to provide any warmth.  

I don't see it being much help in the cold.. but that's me... 

Most of what your thinking is for sub zero weather and long term storage... 

[d.p]

Well I guess its long term cause I don't drive it all that much?  Trickle charge is like $40 so guess I will try + some moving blankets in the engine bay to see how it behaves.  

 

[d.p]

12 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said:

With that said the one that goes in the freeze plug would be the best.... but knowing you I saw a couple magnetic ones that would work on the passenger side of the block.... that would be the easiest since its already cold and I doubt your goona drain the coolant to install one.....

 

 

Lol you do know me.  

[Crashtd420]

You could always keep the battery indoors till you need it... but that can be a small pain in the ass too... 

[datzenmike]

You're not following. A trickle charge will just keep the battery charged and keep in mind it's harder and takes longer to charge a cold battery. Two batteries both on trickle charge one cold and one at room temperature. The room temperature battery will crank longer and faster.  A trickle charger will not warm the coolant or oil or make the starting any easier.  As the battery gets colder the amount of power in it lowers also. Simply warming it up to room temperature will improve the 'cold cranking amps'. My next door neighbor had an old 6 volt 50s Bug. On cold days he would lift the back seat out and take the battery inside and put in the oven on low. An hour later put it back in and it would always fire right up.

 

I would go with a block heater first. If the battery is good then a warming blanket only if severely cold. If the battery is weak replace it, which is cheaper in the long run than buying a charger and still having a weak battery which is never going to improve anyway.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Being not driven also might make it harder as the gas needs to get pumped to the carb. This happens to me even not cold.

then a cheap battery could be another.  but it will be harder to start no matter what. If timed correctly and valve are gapped correctly it will start. but not immediatly like a new FI motor. Just the way it is

[mainer311]

He’s in an area where a block heater is absolutely not necessary for a petrol engine. It’s hard to start after being not driven for a while because of what Hainz said. The gas evaporates out of the bowl, and it takes a while for it to pump more gas in. My truck took a few seconds to fire up tonight (after sitting for 2 weeks), but it wasn’t a big deal. 

[d.p]

43 minutes ago, mainer311 said:

He’s in an area where a block heater is absolutely not necessary for a petrol engine. It’s hard to start after being not driven for a while because of what Hainz said. The gas evaporates out of the bowl, and it takes a while for it to pump more gas in. My truck took a few seconds to fire up tonight (after sitting for 2 weeks), but it wasn’t a big deal. 

 

Damn my shit takes a lot longer than a few seconds.  I got to pump the gas, turn the key on/off, pull and push the choke and pray that it finally kicks over.   So if it isn't the cold what is it?  And isn't yours in a garage (insulated)?   Mine is almost always outside in the cold.  

[datzenmike]

Next time, before starting, lift the air filter off and look at the glass on the front of the carburetor.  If gas is showing you don't need to crank the engine to fill it do you? If not starting right away it isn't for lack of gas. In the winter I doubt it's evaporating. Mine sits for 6 months and it's stays full.

 

Keep engine in tune, good points, plugs, wires, cap and rotor for good hot spark. Timing dead on. Good battery, clean terminals and posts. Check accelerator pump is squirting to richen it up with a couple of pumps before starting. Check visually that the pull choke is actually closing.

 

Try holding the gas pedal down first then pull the choke out to set it. Then pump twice and start cranking the starter.

[wayno]

OK. my 520/L20b had a Weber carb on it, when it sat for even a couple days it took forever for the damned thing to start, long enough that I started to worry about the starter, no matter how many times I pumped the pedal it would turn over 10/20 seconds before even trying to hit, but once warmed up it would start right away, but the next day it started all over again, hard to get started.

I converted over to dual SUs and it starts normally now, I think it was the Weber carb myself.

 

Pull the choke out all the way, pump the pedal 3/4 times and it should start within 5 seconds, and 5 seconds is a long time for a starter to turn an engine over.

Had the same issue with my Datsun 320, turned over till the battery was dead without even trying sometimes, even though the carb was rebuilt, that one turned out to be the stock  320 points distributor and the stock carb(double whammy), I put a Weber on it and converted over to a MG Midget EI distributor and it starts right up without hesitation.

Edited November 30, 2018 by wayno

[d.p]

I got a Weber 32/36 and a matchbox dizzy.  

 

Ill try to start it the ways you guys describe and see how it goes. 

[thisismatt]

With mine, I pull the choke only about half way and only give one or two stabs of the pedal, and it starts right up.  If it's sat longer than a few weeks, I do full choke and multiple stabs of the pedal until it kicks, then half choke and no more pedal.

[mainer311]

4 hours ago, d.p said:

 

Damn my shit takes a lot longer than a few seconds.  I got to pump the gas, turn the key on/off, pull and push the choke and pray that it finally kicks over.   So if it isn't the cold what is it?  And isn't yours in a garage (insulated)?   Mine is almost always outside in the cold.  

 

Unheated, detached garage. 

[wayno]

I guess I should have told you my whole routine which Matt described, full choke, pump the pedal maybe 3 times(Weber or stock carb), hit the key for maybe 3 seconds and if it doesn't try stop and pump maybe 3 more times, once it starts I push the choke in a little to keep it from loading up(too rich), I normally warm up my 521 work truck for a minute or two and then head for the gas station(5 blocks away) to fill up my gas cans for work(pressure washer fuel), when I leave the gas station I normally push the choke all the way in keeping in mind I have dual SUs.

 

[mainer311]

3 hours ago, wayno said:

 

I converted over to dual SUs and it starts normally now, I think it was the Weber carb myself.

See, my experience is opposite of this. The problem with SU’s is that the choke isn’t really a choke.

[mainer311]

1 hour ago, thisismatt said:

With mine, I pull the choke only about half way and only give one or two stabs of the pedal, and it starts right up.  If it's sat longer than a few weeks, I do full choke and multiple stabs of the pedal until it kicks, then half choke and no more pedal.

 

This.

[wayno]

1 minute ago, mainer311 said:

See, my experience is opposite of this. The problem with SU’s is that the choke isn’t really a choke.

 

This is true, SUs do not have an accelerator pump and they do not cut off the air like a Weber/stock carb does when the choke is pulled, they suck more fuel in when one turns the engine over because the needle and seat are opened up to allow more fuel thru, this is why the engine loads up on me as it is too rich to run on that much fuel, but it starts when cold that way.

This is why I described the way to start the engine when one has a down draft, pump the pedal 3 times to prime the engine, I feather mine to give it a little more air.

My 520 was a bitch to start with that POS Weber, I gave that Weber away as a parts carb just to never have to deal with it again.

 

[banzai510(hainz)]

Choke and pump the gas. Pump the gas only works if the bowl is full and the accell pump works

I do about a 2 /3 sec hit of the starter and pump gas you can feel most likel the carb fill up as the pedas resisitance changes. and should start.

Motors that are rich usually has a ezer time starting. But even my Mikuni sidedrafts after a month or really about 2 months I have to pump the gas/starter for a while. Once started on . I just go 1 pump and its fine after that. but need to be everyday or so.  Cold or Not it starts right up

[d.p]

Been pumping the gas and stabbing the choke and it’s been starting fairly well.  Still takes a couple tries but it does get going relatively quick.  

[datzenmike]

There is a knack to a manual choke. You have to see what works for your truck and how cold it is out. I had a '71 back in '77.

 

Have only had electric chokes since and can't say I miss it. Generally the cold heater coil inside, sets the amount of choke needed pretty close once you get it dialed in.

[DanielC]

To start an engine you need the fuel to air ratio in the cylinder to be acceptable, and liquid gas in the cylinder does not help, the fuel to air ratio has to be all fuel vapor.  Liquid gasoline does not burn, it has to be a vapor first.

A modern fuel injected engine checks many different parameters, and then calculates exactly how much fuel to squirt on top for the intake valve, to give a close to perfect air to fuel mixture in the cylinder to start easily.  Additionally, the fuel injection system is sealed, and none of the volatile parts of the gasoline are allowed to evaporate when the engine is not running.

An engine with a carburetor and a manifold does not check any engine parameters.  It does not know if it is hot, cold, the air pressure, or anything else.  Also a puddle of liquid fuel in the manifold really does not do a lot of good in the cylinder, and can make the starting mixture too lean, and then as soon as the engine starts, the liquid fuel is sucked into the cylinder, and the cylinder is then too rich.

When gas sits in the float bowl for a few days, the volatile parts of the gasoline evaporate, and are not available to start the engine.  The float bowl may be empty. 

Run a carbed engine every day, it starts easily.  Let it sit for a week, it is harder to start.  Let it sit for a month, and it is really hard to start.

[d.p]

Fired the old girl up yesterday and she purred like a kitten after a couple stabs of the throttle.  Good to know too because its been sitting for a couple weeks in frigid temps. 

 

Warm today and this week so going to try wash the the fucker and tuck it back away.  

[d.p]

Been driving this mfer around a lot lately as I work on the new house.  Lots of wood, cement, flowers and other shit.  Had a ton of boards, quick set, dirt and flowers in it today and the left rear tire looked flat with all the weight.  I had a line on Carlos's old ka24de for $2400 but it sold before I had chance to buy it.  He is also selling his SR20DE w/trans and everything else for $5500 but thats too much for my truck.  Other than that haven't done much to the truck just driving it around.  

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by d.p

[BrothersGarage]

It's good that it's mobile now and that you have the weather to enjoy driving it.  

Swap time will come soon enough.

Edited April 8, 2019 by BrothersGarage