How do YOU start your engine?

Coming from a generation that drives almost exclusively fuel-injected cars, I have very little experience with carbureted engines. I know everybody has their own tricks and tips for starting older engines, e.g. pumping the gas, how much choke, etc. So I'm curious, what techniques have you found work for starting old jeep engines? Differences for cold/hot weather, wet/dry weather, driving everyday vs. occasional driving, etc.?

 

Gas pedal to the floor, pull out the choke, let off the pedal, and start. If everything is adjusted properly should start and idle fine. As it warms up you push the choke in as necessay. Warm engine you shouldn't need the choke. With older vehicles they each have their idiosyncrasies. As you drive it you will learn those and adjust your starting procedures to the vehicle.

 

Cold engine: use the choke just enough to get it it onto the high speed idle cam, pump the pedal 1 time to give the engine a squirt. The engine will start for me every time.
Warm engine: just turn the key, it'll start.

 

Yes each engine will have its own quirks. My Dauntless motor requires you to pull the choke out about 2/3rds of the way, pump twice on the gas pedal turn key she will fire on the 1st turn and run for about 3 seconds and then die, turn key again and she will fire and run fine. In the summer heat she will fire without the choke except in the mornings when it is damp from humidity.

 

My F134, choke all the way out and NO gas or she'll flood. Most carb'd cars I've run across liked two quick stabs and they'd light.

 

Mine is like McRuff's...choke out, pump twice, fires right up...except mine doesn't die

 

My 225 is the same as above. My 134 is also the same as above. Choke only, no pump or it's black smoke time.

 

Depends on the weather, a lot. Six-volt F-head COLD start, set choke to full on, pump pedal once, crank with gas pedal held down 2/3. After three seconds cranking, push in choke, or it will flood.

Should fire then. If not crank with no choke and pedal to the floor.

Once it lights up, immediately use partial choke as needed.

 

Mine is a bit stubborn when cold cuz he's usually been sitting for quite some time. F Head, choke all the way out turn turn turn turn gas gas gas fires up and stalls. Keep choke out, turn turn turn gas gas gas...fires up then get the choke released evenly but ASAP and he's ready to go.

Once warm I agree with everyone else, he fires right up at the first hint of ignition being turned.

 

mine takes two pumps if you drive it daily, otherwise the fuel pump needs a few cranks to get some pressure built up when its warm I just bump the ignition it fires on the first revolution.

 

My F head......choke out and turn the key. once she fires up push the choke back in little more than half until she warms up some. warm days just turn the key.

 

totally depends on the vehicle. My 67 iv got to full choke pushing the gas doesnt really matter because theres no gas to pump. youve got to crank it for 10 seconds maby more to get the fuel up to the carb and it starts right up. If you leve the choke on a bit itll idle high but run good with good power. On my 46 you just have to choke it pump the gas a little if it asks you to and starts but youve got to rev it a little while or itll stall then release the choke or itll stall and go. But some carbs are super finniky liek my old benelli motorcycle. I have to turn the gas on for a second and crank it over a few times with full choke then when it fires turn off the gas or itll flood and not start again. run it for a bit with the gas off keeping the revs high then turn the gas on and drive a little while putting the choke on and off when it needs it. then shortly after when it gets an ounce of heat in it itll run and idle fine haha

 

Mine usually sits for many weeks at a time. Crank, crank, crank, crank, crank, crank while pumping gas pedal.
Once it is warmed up or I have been driving it for multiple days starts right up and runs fine.

 

Excellent question! My 225 needed the choke all the way out, and gas pedal to the floor...started everytime (cold). For warm starts, repeat everything with the choke off. I'm interested to see how the rebuild affects my starting procedure.

 

Press on the foot pedal to the floor, to relieve all the pressure on the choke cable and connections, then pull the choke all the way out, and release the pedal. key to accessory for three seconds (count them, three)for the electric pump to pressurize the system, then turn the key through run to start. When it starts, push the knob in a quarter inch untill warmed up a little, before putting the tranny into gear. Push the knob all the way in after a mile or so.

 

fresh rebuild on my 225 carb, and its pump the gas three times, choke all the way out, and she will fire right up. just need to make sure i let her run for a couple of minutes, or she will give me temper tantrums while driving. Its a love hate relationship

 

With the Dauntless in the Yellow Barn Find Jeep, I pull the choke out 1/2 way, kick the gas twice, crank it and it usually catches within the 2nd full revolution. Gas it to rev about 2000 RPM for 10-15 seconds, then it will fast idle. Drive off easy, choke off after a mile or so.

Don

 

with the F-head I cheated and plugged her in to the barn,
but 1/2 choke and let the electric pump prime before 2 pumps while cranking.
the Chevy 200ci was a champ at starting, turn key electric pump prime, crank and it will fire.

 

on my 66 225 dauntless choke all the way out if been sitting pump gas few times would fire after few revolutions 1/2 choke till warmed mabey 1/4 while on first mile ....if you flood it out NO CHOKE AND FLOOR THE GAS AND TURN KEY it should fire after a couple seconds

 

I don't have any old Jeeps currently running, but I agree with what several have said that each and every engine is different, and will be affected differently by different conditions. For cold starts below 50-55 degrees my '85 GMC likes full choke and full throttle set (a pump or two on the gas pedal doesn't hurt but isn't crucial) and cranks for anywhere from less than a second to 4-5 secs. before it fires, and needs to stay at full set for a while (proportionate to the ambient temp.) before kicking it down. If it's above that temp., most of the time it'll start and stay running on the intermediate choke set. (Oh, and you can pump as much gas as you want into that 454 and it'll still burn it when it fires. ) Tap the key when it's warm.

The '84 4 cyl. Cherokee, when I manually set the choke (haven't rigged up a cable yet) starts in 1-3 revolutions with 1-2 pumps and choke at full set, and will almost immediately run on the intermediate choke set. Starting it with your foot: pump to your heart's content and crank, repeat until it fires once, repeat as many times as it takes until it'll stay running, then rev it up and keep squirting gas into it with the accelerator pump until it runs smooth. When it's warm, it'll crank for a bit but eventually start without any help from the gas pedal.

The '69 Postal Jeep doesn't need any pumping, just pull the choke all the way out, then it'll fire after a couple revolutions and you have to find the right spot in the choke to keep it running but not run it too rich. Starts in the first few revolutions - with no gas pedal - when warm, if it floods floor it and crank 'til it starts.

It just takes doing it quite a few times and getting a feel for what it wants under different conditions.

Carburetors FTW!