Author Topic: Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?  (Read 2944 times)

breezer

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Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?
« on: April 11, 2009, 03:43:14 AM »
Hi guys, I'm having all sorts of problems starting my Pilot! I live in the UK, around sea level and the temperature is mostly between 2-15 degress celcius (35-53F). My Pilot is stock.

I've got a good spark, but the only way I can make it start is to (you'll love this!) put a massive (industrial scale) gas-burning blow heater behind the rear end for 5 minutes. After 5 mins of this, the engine catches immediately!

I'm assuming this is incorrect carb setup, but if not please could someone enlighten me?  If it is carb setup, what should I be running the high and low jets at in the above environment?

Thanks!

hoodlum

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Re: Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2009, 08:38:21 AM »
Quote from: "breezer"
Hi guys, I'm having all sorts of problems starting my Pilot! I live in the UK, around sea level and the temperature is mostly between 2-15 degress celcius (35-53F). My Pilot is stock.

I've got a good spark, but the only way I can make it start is to (you'll love this!) put a massive (industrial scale) gas-burning blow heater behind the rear end for 5 minutes. After 5 mins of this, the engine catches immediately!

I'm assuming this is incorrect carb setup, but if not please could someone enlighten me?  If it is carb setup, what should I be running the high and low jets at in the above environment?

Thanks!



My suggestion would be to move somewhere warmer.....lol.....Top would probably be around a 145 and screw should be out about 1 1/2 turns...Checked the compression?
Hoodlum

PilotHawK

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Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2009, 10:25:40 AM »
What is the compression in PSI or whatever metric equivalent. The only time I had a hard time starting my pilot is when the compression was low, or It has been sitting for a while (several weeks). Stock compression on a piot engine is 138 PSI.

breezer

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Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2009, 07:13:42 AM »
I'll have to wait a while until I can borrow a compresion tester.

In any case, I took off the carb today and checked it over, cleaned it through.  It all looked fine, but I will test it at some point.

It's running fine at low revs, but once you get to about 20% throttle it sounds like either fuel starvation or running too rich (fuel-air, not fuel-oil).  It's odd, because it was working fine and I haven't changed any carb settings.

I've checked the fuel pump and line, it's all getting through to the carb, I've checked the carb and it's all getting through there, it's new fuel and oil.

I'm just at a loss as to what else it could be!

hoodlum

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pilot
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2009, 08:24:05 AM »
Quote from: "breezer"
I'll have to wait a while until I can borrow a compresion tester.

In any case, I took off the carb today and checked it over, cleaned it through.  It all looked fine, but I will test it at some point.

It's running fine at low revs, but once you get to about 20% throttle it sounds like either fuel starvation or running too rich (fuel-air, not fuel-oil).  It's odd, because it was working fine and I haven't changed any carb settings.

I've checked the fuel pump and line, it's all getting through to the carb, I've checked the carb and it's all getting through there, it's new fuel and oil.


Running poorly above 20% throttle screams reeds to me.....Check them out...Bet you lost a pedal....
Hoodlum

I'm just at a loss as to what else it could be!

hoodlum

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Re: pilot
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2009, 08:25:11 AM »
Quote from: "Hoodlum"
Quote from: "breezer"
I'll have to wait a while until I can borrow a compresion tester.

In any case, I took off the carb today and checked it over, cleaned it through.  It all looked fine, but I will test it at some point.

It's running fine at low revs, but once you get to about 20% throttle it sounds like either fuel starvation or running too rich (fuel-air, not fuel-oil).  It's odd, because it was working fine and I haven't changed any carb settings.

I've checked the fuel pump and line, it's all getting through to the carb, I've checked the carb and it's all getting through there, it's new fuel

I'm just at a loss as to what else it could be!


Sounds like the reeds...Bet you lost a pedal...
Hoodlum

breezer

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Re: pilot
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2009, 10:36:17 AM »
Quote from: "Hoodlum"

Sounds like the reeds...Bet you lost a pedal...
Hoodlum


Sorry to be thick, what do you mean by lost a pedal?

Thanks for the quick response! Might be able to get it running properly before I have to go back to London this eve at this rate! :)

hoodlum

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Re: pilot
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2009, 06:41:36 PM »
Quote from: "breezer"
Quote from: "Hoodlum"

Sounds like the reeds...Bet you lost a pedal...
Hoodlum


Sorry to be thick, what do you mean by lost a pedal?

Thanks for the quick response! Might be able to get it running properly before I have to go back to London this eve at this rate! :)


A reed pedal....The reeds are those flappers between the carb and cylinder....

Adnoh

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Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2009, 08:20:02 PM »
borrowed from power plays post

breezer

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Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2009, 11:29:52 AM »
Thanks for the pic Adnoh.  I took the reed out and it's fine; there had been a tiny leak in the gasket (evidenced by slight oily and dirty deposits on one part of the reed assembly), but I've replaced that so it's fixed.  

The problem is exactly the same.  It sounds like fuelling, but the fuel is new and mixed at correct ratios, and is pumping through and the carb is clean and set up correctly.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a UK (preferably Cambridgeshire) based expert who would fix this on a commercial basis?  I just want it working and cannot for the life of me find the problem. :(

Thanks!

PilotHawK

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Stock carb settings for moderate-cold weather?
« Reply #10 on: May 16, 2009, 04:03:12 PM »
What was the compression? Contact  lee1969gb through the member contact form. If anyone can help you it would be him. Try this link.
http://www.p-o-ps.com/pops1/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=811

hoodlum

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bogging
« Reply #11 on: May 16, 2009, 05:05:51 PM »
Make sure something doesn't have the exhaust plugged up....
Hoodlum