Stalling, smoke on first start

[bruggz351]

Ok. 2.6 Astron, auto. Stock standard.
Starts sweet. First hit of the key, fires straight up. BUT, when it settles into an idle, it starts to lope or miss. This gets gradually worse and starts to smoke, black mostly, some times grey. If left alone it will stall. I generally keep the revs up and left foot brake to stop stalling until it warms up. Once warmed up, it runs well, but, occasionally can have a hesitation or flat spot when given the berries.
I'm pretty sure its a carby issue, but what exactly I don't know. Is it a tune thing or should I put a kit through it??

Any ideas??

cheers


p.s. I do have a Webber sitting in the shed somewhere..

[geezer101]

Whip the air filter off and start it - have a look down the throats (use a mirror as if it decides to be a biatch it won't fry your face). Is it dumping fuel? Could be a stuck fuel float (check the viewing window on the side of the bowl to confirm the fuel level) I would get another carby, put a kit through it and bolt it up anyway.

[bruggz351]

Cheers geezer, that gives me a starting point.

cheers

[bruggz351]

Alrighty then...
I checked the float level and all through the start up and rough running etc to warmed up and running nice, the fuel level stayed spot on the dot on the sight glass. Thats good I suppose.
So, I ripped the choke butterfly out.. just because, and went inside.

This morning I ventured out and it was a bitch to start, wow, who woulda thought?? but once it settled, bloody thing idled ok. No stuttering or stalling and no smoke??? Stumbled on sharp acceleration though.

I think the auto choke is spastic...

Does any parts for the auto choke come in a carby kit?? or do I have to find and fit a new choke assembly??
I've noticed in my pokin around also that, all the water hoses concerned with the choke and heater circuits are heavily corroded. Could this have a bearing on the chokes performance??

cheers

[geezer101]

I got bad news for you. The wax pellet auto choke is no longer in production and isn't available anywhere. The only replaceable part is the choke release assist diaphragm and they are $36 off the shelf (but I have seen them for $18 online). At some point I'm going to pull a pellet assembly out and have a look at what makes it tick...

[bruggz351]

Oh.
Well then. I suppose, I shall leave as is for the moment and when the time comes will convert to efi.

Thanks for ya help geezer

cheers

[geezer101]

Have a look at the wreckers for another carby. Obvious things to looks for - complete carby, minimal corrosion on the inlets. How to spot a serviceable wax pellet choke - on the actual pellet assembly (the bit where the the coolant hoses pass into and out of choke mechanism) there is a small 'rod' that protrudes from the end of it and an adjuster screw hits the end of the rod. If you can see about 1mm of the narrow section of the rod between the body and the end of it, it should still be good. If the side of the carby where the choke assembly is looks like it's covered in really heavy brownish grease - it has more than likely bypassed and the wax has leaked out...

[bruggz351]

Yeah. That sounds like my carby.
Also, I can't turn the choke off by hand. By that I mean, if I try to turn the choke off with the assembly on the side, it's too stiff and takes quite some effort for very little gain. Although I can stick my finger in the throat and manually move the butterfly easily.

I have to leave it for the next week. We're going to Warilla. My young bloke is playing State, Junior Lawn Bowls.
I'll get onto this again when the kids get back to school.

Thanks for your help geez, I'm actually getting somewhere...

cheers

[geezer101]

I can't turn the choke off by hand. By that I mean, if I try to turn the choke off with the assembly on the side, it's too stiff and takes quite some effort for very little gain. Although I can stick my finger in the throat and manually move the butterfly easily.

To get the choke to release by hand (twisting the cam thingy with the gear teeth cut into it) takes some serious effort at the risk of it biting off one of your fingers. The action of the choke butterfly itself is really light (or it should be) and is tensioned by the small spring behind the nylon gear.

[bruggz351]

Ahh, ok. So that's normal.

cheers