That was probably real gasoline too. Todays moonshine for gas might not get a carbureted to start without a choke.
Too cold to start car
- Thread starter phaelax
- Start date
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None of my cars have chokes. They'll start on a 25* day without batting an eye using the same method as quoted by Bad Sport. After 30 seconds of "feathering" it, they will usually idle on their own and I can walk away.
When my daily’s was my Dart and Charger, it didn’t matter if it was raining, snowing, sunny, hot, freezing cold. I drove them year round. Agree strongly with Cope - you drove what you had and could afford!
Johnny Dart
Well-Known Member
As mentioned...Fully charged battery. Keep a trickle charger on that bad boy. Also mentioned, today's gas evaporates if the car sits.
Take the lid off the air cleaner, and shoot some starting fluid in the primary side. This should fire the motor up. This should only be necessary, if you don't drive the car a lot. Shouldn't be an issue if you are driving it daily.
Take the lid off the air cleaner, and shoot some starting fluid in the primary side. This should fire the motor up. This should only be necessary, if you don't drive the car a lot. Shouldn't be an issue if you are driving it daily.
Its not a big headache with no choke, its just a minor PIA. Sure its better to have a properly working choke-and fast idle setup, but you don't need it to create the conditions neccessary to fire it up.
The thicker oil will make it harder on the starter. Since it managed to spin for 20 minutes worth of attempts, it seems pretty safe to say that's not the issue in failing to start in this case.
Fuel: If the tank has summer fuel in it, it will be harder to start in cold weather. Winter fuel has a higher RVP. Again, not a dominating factor, just a minor one that makes it a little harder.
Reread carefully. That was my first impression too. That he had an MSD 6.
Fixed.
Automatic Chokes are harder to set up to work properly on cams with a lot of overlap. That's one reason a lot of us don't have them or dont use them on our hot rods. Its on project list...
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
YOU NEED A CHOKE
I used to start mine routinely with no choke. 25 is NOT "cold." Below 20? Getting there
BUT YOU NEED A CHOKE
First question, "does it crank?" I don't mean, "does it sort of turn over" I mean does it really spin? Start by getting a meter. Hook the meter to the starter if possible, if not hook to the big terminal on the starter relay. Crank it and read the meter. Should have minimum of 10.5 OR MORE when cranking.
WHERE is the MSD wired up to? Is IT getting good voltage "when cranking?"
YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE A CHOKE
Look over (by that I mean UNDER) the cap, rotor, plugs and wires, for tracking, dirt/ grease/ moisture, metallic tracking in the cap, etc
Start by BEFORE you EVER touch the starter, remove air filter, take a light if needed, and give the throttle a pump. You should IMMEDIATELY see a strong shot from the accelerator pump nozzles
If that happens, get in, give the throttle about 3 full strokes, give the throttle a tiny "crack" and crank it up. IT SHOULD AT LEAST FIRE (might die) almost immediately. Within 3 seconds, anyhow.
YES!!! YOU NEED A CHOKE
I used to start mine routinely with no choke. 25 is NOT "cold." Below 20? Getting there
BUT YOU NEED A CHOKE
First question, "does it crank?" I don't mean, "does it sort of turn over" I mean does it really spin? Start by getting a meter. Hook the meter to the starter if possible, if not hook to the big terminal on the starter relay. Crank it and read the meter. Should have minimum of 10.5 OR MORE when cranking.
WHERE is the MSD wired up to? Is IT getting good voltage "when cranking?"
YOU REALLY SHOULD HAVE A CHOKE
Look over (by that I mean UNDER) the cap, rotor, plugs and wires, for tracking, dirt/ grease/ moisture, metallic tracking in the cap, etc
Start by BEFORE you EVER touch the starter, remove air filter, take a light if needed, and give the throttle a pump. You should IMMEDIATELY see a strong shot from the accelerator pump nozzles
If that happens, get in, give the throttle about 3 full strokes, give the throttle a tiny "crack" and crank it up. IT SHOULD AT LEAST FIRE (might die) almost immediately. Within 3 seconds, anyhow.
YES!!! YOU NEED A CHOKE
1) Choke or spend the cash and go fuel injection.
2) engine block heater the kind that goes in the coolant freeze plug- you drain the coolant, knock out a freeze plug, and install a 120 vac little block heater in the open hole per directions and refill coolant and plug in to outlet for at least 2 hours before starting.
3) for colder temps change the oil to 10w30 or 10w40
SN: did you check to even SEE if you had spark? Cold weather and weak ignitions do not like to play together.
I realize I am jumping on this train a bit late, but its lunchtime on a Monday... what else could I do?
2) engine block heater the kind that goes in the coolant freeze plug- you drain the coolant, knock out a freeze plug, and install a 120 vac little block heater in the open hole per directions and refill coolant and plug in to outlet for at least 2 hours before starting.
3) for colder temps change the oil to 10w30 or 10w40
SN: did you check to even SEE if you had spark? Cold weather and weak ignitions do not like to play together.
I realize I am jumping on this train a bit late, but its lunchtime on a Monday... what else could I do?
chokes help. But I just started my '85 Ramcharger with a 3310 holley without a choke. In the 20's, 3 pumps and started first lick. 20 seconds of "feathering" it and it idled fine on it's own and I walked away. Idling as I type and warming up. Chokes are important and help, especially when the temp becomes single digits or below.
If you need a choke to start at 20*, and after 20 minutes of grinding, you have another problem. And putting a choke on it is probably going to mask it.
My opinion, of course.
If you need a choke to start at 20*, and after 20 minutes of grinding, you have another problem. And putting a choke on it is probably going to mask it.
My opinion, of course.
lilfontleroy
annoyinglilLeroy
It cranks fine. Starter, battery, plugs, wires are all about 1 year old. Engine was put in last fall. It'll make a puff or two but not enough to keep it going. Usually in the past, I'd just pump it twice then turn over while feathering it. I've been meaning to bring the battery inside and put on the trickle charger, I have another battery I keep on it at the moment.
So the main consensus here is I need a choke.
That might be the same kit I bought before, but after replacing the main body with what I thought was a 4150, the side is just slightly different enough that while the parts bolt on correctly, the little metal squiggly piece connecting the choke to the linkage won't fit properly.
So the main consensus here is I need a choke.
That might be the same kit I bought before, but after replacing the main body with what I thought was a 4150, the side is just slightly different enough that while the parts bolt on correctly, the little metal squiggly piece connecting the choke to the linkage won't fit properly.
That's like putting a 60 watt light bulb is a chicken coop. LOL!
It's only max 200watts. Most block heaters are in the 500-1100 watt rage for a cast iron V-8.
Yes it will work but if left over night - from the day before.
so you have a choke, but its not connected? That's probably your problem. If it is designed to run with a choke, manual or otherwise, its probably compounding the issue. Get your choke linkage fixed and try again.
lilfontleroy
annoyinglilLeroy
the post is about what to do, you got to be smarter than the average magnetic heater and yea you leave it there warming the oil
Like putting lipstick on a pig. If the orig poster cranked on the engine for a half hour before the battery went dead he doesn't have a battery issue. If the friggen choke worked it would have lit on the third crank and we wouldn't be beating ourselves up over it. Heavy oil and all. Hell the plugs are probably dripping with fuel and the crankcase is a quart over full with gas. Clean the plugs, change the oil and filter, fix the choke and check for spark. Then go from there.
No issues here, I just know some people take these post very literal. If you show a picture they will find that exact model and try it.
Just making sure the guy gets the facts... from there they can decide what method to use.
lilfontleroy
annoyinglilLeroy
yea battery is fine and I agree with everything you said but if the engine was warmed before he tried to start it we wouldnt be having this conversation either
maybe there is frozen moisture someplace in the wiring causing no spark. I've seen this … you can grind the life out of the starter and it won't start. If you put a little bit of gas in the carb (less than a 1/8 cup) and it won't run for a couple of seconds, I challenge the spark.
** unless, of course, you already have it flooded
** unless, of course, you already have it flooded
You can get a manual choke cable at Lowes for $10 packaged as a lawn mower throttle cable.
Even in FL, my carbureted cars use the automatic choke (if so equipped) or start MUCH easier with the manual.
When I was a kid, my mom had a '59 bonneville 389 with no operable choke.
In the winter, she used to stick a spoon or a 9v battery ('cause that's what fit) in the linkage to hold the butterfly closed.
After a few blocks, she'd stop and pull it out.
Sometimes without wedging it, it would start but idle real low (duh) and not want to stay running.
Then she'd get out and wedge it while running.
One day, this happened and when she got out to put the spoon in, she forgot to put it in park.
The idle was so low, it couldn't overcome the torque converter.
When she got the spoon wedged in, it lurched forward and ran over her foot.
She used to tell the story about the time she ran over her own foot.
Even in FL, my carbureted cars use the automatic choke (if so equipped) or start MUCH easier with the manual.
When I was a kid, my mom had a '59 bonneville 389 with no operable choke.
In the winter, she used to stick a spoon or a 9v battery ('cause that's what fit) in the linkage to hold the butterfly closed.
After a few blocks, she'd stop and pull it out.
Sometimes without wedging it, it would start but idle real low (duh) and not want to stay running.
Then she'd get out and wedge it while running.
One day, this happened and when she got out to put the spoon in, she forgot to put it in park.
The idle was so low, it couldn't overcome the torque converter.
When she got the spoon wedged in, it lurched forward and ran over her foot.
She used to tell the story about the time she ran over her own foot.
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leblanc
member 2883
When temps drop below 32 F do not even bother of thinking to start a car without a choke...unless you can figure how to use your gas pedal to compensate. Electric choke works great when set up properly.
pishta
I know I'm right....
my buddy had a 1600SSS Nissan motor in a 510 that had dual mikuni side drafts. No chokes and northwest Washington state winters sucked on starting that motor. He had to park it on top a hill and push start it to get the velocity through the 4 IR carbs to start it. Normal starter 200 RPM would not cut it.
350 to 450 watts. Average block heater.
Magnetic oil pan heaters work very well. Even at 200 watts in 20 degree weather it will make a difference. Should try starting a forklift in 0f degree weather. That 60 year old propane job fought me all the way.
Sorry I work on big stuff with diesels. Just used to big power getting going in cold weather. Ether systems built in.
I own a few forklifts- all diesels. sorry but if a propane fork wont start in the cold there is more issue than just the cold. Propane is the EASIEST of all units to get running- no fouled plugs from wet fuel.
Even my 35hp diesel tractor has a lower radiator hose heater made by Katz- 800 watts. I just checked your location - that is cold territory for sure. I guess you win. LOL!
Just covering up having no choke. Could just wait till June.
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