From your description, my main two thoughts were either a fouling spark
plug or a choke problem. So as you said, you can run it a bit while its
running poorly and then stop the car and check the spark plugs to see if
one is not working. Or at least that is how I do it. On the choke, assuming
HS4s, I would pull the choke all the way out. Then look at the jets - they
should be noticeably pulled down from the jet adjusting nut by maybe 1/4 to
1/3 of an inch or so. I've had problems before where the choke linkage
needed adjusting because the jets weren't being pulled down enough but
usually the main symptom was poor starting. But then what you consider cold
in North Carolina would be quite balmy here in Montana.
David Councill
67 BGT
72 B
At 01:53 PM 12/11/2003 -0800, Paul M. wrote:
>--- Max Heim <mvheim@studiolimage.com> wrote:
> > Are you using the choke correctly? You didn't
> > mention it at all...
>
>I think so. I fire the car up with full choke, and
>then almost immediately push it back in about halfway.
> Then, after the water temperature needle comes a bit
>off the cold peg, I generally push it all the way back
>in.
>
>Another lister mentioned that he thought the car might
>be rich, and I think this makes sense.
>
>This summer, I suspected the car was running rich.
>When it was warm out, I didn't have to use the choke,
>really... ever. Even if it had been sitting for a day
>or two, it fired right up without any choke at all.
>Also, when driving at night, if there was someone
>right behind me with their lights on, I could see some
>light smoke when I'd go to full throttle. Nothing
>major, and nothing I could see during the daytime, but
>it was there, and so I figured the car was rich.
>
>But then my gulp valve went bad, and the car went VERY
>rich. So I desmogged it, and the car felt a ton
>better. I figured that must have been the problem.
>
>But after a while, I noticed the light smoke at night
>was still there, so I decided a month or so ago to
>adjust the carbs and try to correct it. I downloaded
>some list-recommended instructions from the web and
>set to it. But in short order I got them kinda
>screwed up. It would idle perfectly but run like
>crap. A half hour of tinkering got the car running
>correctly again, and I'm pretty sure I'm basically
>back to where I started, but to be honest, I don't
>know where I am in terms of mixture or anything. The
>light smoke is still there under full throttle, but I
>definitely need the choke to start the car now, that's
>for sure.
>
>And the plugs don't look fouled or anything. Then
>again, though, I haven't actually pulled them when the
>car is running poorly. I've always continued driving
>the car until it cleared up before coming back home,
>so I guess that should be step one, eh? Get it
>running like crap, then shut it off and pull the
>plugs?
>
>And should I get an SU carb video or something for
>help with tuning them? The online print directions I
>got seemed pretty clear, but when I actually got into
>it, I couldn't really tell what I was doing or how to
>set the mixture correctly.
>
>Again, I know this is remedial stuff, but I want to
>know how to do it myself, rather than take it
>somewhere...
>
>Thanks again,
>
>=====
>Paul Misencik
>1971 MGB Vintage Race Project
>Huntersville, NC USA
>www.sopwithracing.com
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