David Jenkins
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 01:52 PM |
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Starting a hot crossflow!
Just out of interest - how do x-flow owners start their engine when it's hot, or warm at least?
Mine starts a treat when it's cold, using the following procedure:
choke out, amount according to how cold or warm the weather is;
2 or 3 pumps on the loud pedal;
Turn the ignition key.
Near enough 100% success rate with this process, and no undue smoke.
However, when it's hot, at the moment I find it best to gently lower the pedal about half-way, then turn the ignition key. It will start after
a couple of seconds, but does briefly spit out a fair bit of smoke. Once it's running then it runs clean as a whistle again.
The engine is fit and in good condition, and uses very little oil (not bad for an old x-flow, anyway). It drips more oil than it burns! 
My current theory is that when I stop the engine the heat evaporates any fuel in the carb, and it has to crank a bit to get enough fresh stuff in.
This may be a load of old cobblers! 
Anyway, what do others do?
David
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britishtrident
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 02:18 PM |
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Thing about kent engines with downdraught carbs is the they flood very easily -- pumping the throttle is just making things worse. When warm just
apply a little throttle and turn the key.
If it dosen't go before third or fourth attempt slowly move the throttle to the deck and keep it there for the 3rd, 4th and 5 tries.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 02:25 PM |
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I have been doing the "slowly lower the pedal" bit - maybe I need to try the "hardly touch the pedal when you start the hot
engine" method!
[Edited on 4/6/07 by David Jenkins]
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Fatgadget
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 02:39 PM |
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Stick a pair of forties on it mate.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 02:43 PM |
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I was thinking about a set of bike carbs!
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flak monkey
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 02:47 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Fatgadget
Stick a pair of forties on it mate.
I'll have a pair going cheap soon if you want to do that. Will give you a bit more power if you have a hot cam than the std downdraft, but fuel
consumption would be a bit higher... 
Will it not go if you dont touch anything? My pinto, once warm, starts as soon as you touch the button, no throttle or anything needed - but thats on
40's at the mo.
Your theory about the fuel evaporating is probably correct though, so maybe a single pump would be enough once warm?
David
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 02:53 PM |
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I don't need my fuel consumption to get any worse, thank you! Currently it's around 25mpg, but that is probably due to my inability to
keep my foot off the loud pedal.
It's not a huge issue for me - just interested to see how others do it.
I have this vague memory of years ago when I drove Mk1 & Mk2 Escorts - I recall that they could be difficult to start when hot - perhaps
it's a design 'feature'.
DJ
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DavidM
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 03:15 PM |
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Hi David,
My cold start procedure is the same as yours. When it is hot I turn the key using no throttle and no choke, and then give it about half throttle if it
hasn't started after first turn of the engine. Usually works ok.
David
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 05:03 PM |
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Can't say I had any problems with hot starting when my car had a carb although it did have an electric pump . Do you have a heat insulator block
between carb and manifold?.
PS David , carbs are so twentieth century
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02GF74
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 05:19 PM |
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What do you mena start it when hot? You mean engein is up to temp, you turn it off and immediately start it up - or do you mean start it up after a
longer period say 5 minutes or so?
The latter case can be vapour lock - fuel evaporating in carbs of fuel lines.
And in this case, does truning the engine over for a bit to refill pipes/carb make the problem go away?
------------------- answers ---------------------
hot: trun the key and nothing else - fires up every time,
cold: like yours but still refining it have foudn that flooring the accelerator then truning the key helps - obviously you back off the accelerator
once it fires.
when not used for some time, I need to crank the engine over - it is mechanical fuel pump.
(BTW it is 1300 with twin 40s)
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spw1970
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 05:23 PM |
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twin 40's
Put twin 40's on it???
The best thing I ever did with my twin 40's was to put them on ebay and give someone else the problem! The car (xflow based Sylva Striker)
started and went 100% better on a twin choke weber.
In fact when I said to my wife I wanted to build another kit car she said that was fine as long as I never put weber 40's on it as she
couldn't stand the bad language again!
EFi is the way to go though not so easy on a xflow I know
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 4/6/07 at 06:10 PM |
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02GF74 - I mean the occasions when I've gone somewhere, stopped the car for quite a while, then attempted a restart. Usually the engine would
have been worked hard on the way to the venue, and would have been sitting around pretty hot for a time. I reckon fuel evaporation plays a large part
in this minor difficulty.
As for twin 40s - a lot of money for a lot of problems, it seems to me! (said with tongue firmly in cheek!). Bike carbs seem a good idea, but
I'm sure they have problems of their own. Throttle bodies would be the obvious choice, but there's a fair bit of money and a lot of time
to be invested before they work well.
My down-draught Weber isn't the highest of high-tech, but it does suit the state of engine tune I've got so I'm not going to upgrade
unless I do a fair bit more to the engine - and if I decide to spend more money in that department, it'll probably be in a new engine anyway
(4-AGE, Zetec, or similar). Either of those would give as much power straight out of the box as I'd get if I threw money at the crossflow.
No - I like my x-flow just as it is - I just want to make what I've got work as well as it is able. I'm pretty close, too.
cheers,
David
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