This is my first winter with an MGB. On a 50 mile drive with the heater on, I
discovered that every time I stopped, the engine would die. It would always
start back up, but didn't idle worth a damn. After awhile I noticed that the
temperature gauge was lower than I'm used to seeing, so I gave it a little
choke. That did the trick! The idle picked up to 1K (where it usually runs)
and ran much smoother. The engine just got a new 190F thermostat along with a
complete tune-up (and a new cylinder head, but that's another story) done by a
professional. I already had the oil cooler taped up for the winter. Is this
normal for an MGB in the winter? It's almost like the heater was sucking up
too much heat from the engine. Should I try blocking the radiator with some
cardboard? Is it common practice to drive around with continuous choke in the
winter?
BTW, it was only 32F that day and it's gonna get a lot colder than that before
spring.
Bob Donahue (Still stuck in the '50s)
EMAIL - BOBMGT@AOL.COM
52 MGTD - under DIY restoration NEMGTR #11470
71 MGB - AMGBA #96-12029, NAMGBR #7-3336
|