Pinto Running Problems

[Guest elliot tanner]

Hi everyone,

 

Well the 2b is now back off the stands and rebuilt and looking rather better than she did 4 months ago! Now although I have rebuilt the majority of the car, I have left the engine and auxillaries relatively untouched as it was running when i bought it and engines aren't really my fortay.

 

It went through MOT at the weekend. When she came off the stands she started ok after fuel came back through the system and was driven to the test centre. When she was there I mentioned to the mechanic that I didnt think that the mixture was quite right (2.1 pinto, single choke webber), running a bit rough at low RPM with a bit of popping and banging but getting smoother above 2,000 rpm. So he adjusted the carb (made it leaner) and then she purrrrred just great. So all fine and dandy drove her home and tucked her up in the garage ready for next weekend when I get some tax.

 

Now today I go to start her and she just wont start. Everything turns over and it will have a go at starting with the odd ignition but nothing serious. She has never been the best starter in the world, especially when cold but could anybody offer some advice one where to go from here? What do I test for first? Sorry for the newbie dum questions.

 

By the way im based in Mid-Wales if any body is near by?

 

Thanks

 

Elliot

[Guest musker 04]

Hi everyone,

 

Well the 2b is now back off the stands and rebuilt and looking rather better than she did 4 months ago! Now although I have rebuilt the majority of the car, I have left the engine and auxillaries relatively untouched as it was running when i bought it and engines aren't really my fortay.

 

It went through MOT at the weekend. When she came off the stands she started ok after fuel came back through the system and was driven to the test centre. When she was there I mentioned to the mechanic that I didnt think that the mixture was quite right (2.1 pinto, single choke webber), running a bit rough at low RPM with a bit of popping and banging but getting smoother above 2,000 rpm. So he adjusted the carb (made it leaner) and then she purrrrred just great. So all fine and dandy drove her home and tucked her up in the garage ready for next weekend when I get some tax.

 

Now today I go to start her and she just wont start. Everything turns over and it will have a go at starting with the odd ignition but nothing serious. She has never been the best starter in the world, especially when cold but could anybody offer some advice one where to go from here? What do I test for first? Sorry for the newbie dum questions.

 

By the way im based in Mid-Wales if any body is near by?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

Hi mate try richening the mixture up again as this may be the problem to not starting as weakened off when warm may not be right for cold starting have you checked the timing and all that jazz etc etc

 

Elliot

[Longboarder]

Most weber carbs havesome sort of choke and a pumped accelerator jet to help with the richer mixture needed when starting from cold. If your choke is not working/adjusted right/disconnected then you can help starting by pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor three or four times. Then start with the pedal pushed down an inch or so. All very odd for someone used to fuel injection where the computer takes care of all this and you always start the car with your foot off the pedal.

 

Nigel

[Guest elliot tanner]

Most weber carbs havesome sort of choke and a pumped accelerator jet to help with the richer mixture needed when starting from cold. If your choke is not working/adjusted right/disconnected then you can help starting by pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor three or four times. Then start with the pedal pushed down an inch or so. All very odd for someone used to fuel injection where the computer takes care of all this and you always start the car with your foot off the pedal.

 

Nigel

 

I was going to ask what the process is for engaging the choke? Should the choke wheb engaged close off the butterflY flaps on the top of the carb air input?

 

When I took the air filter off yesterday there was some black reisidue/powder/soot underneath it, I'm guessing this isn't normal either?

[Guest Techmage]

I was going to ask what the process is for engaging the choke? Should the choke wheb engaged close off the butterflY flaps on the top of the carb air input?

 

 

Yep flaps at the top of the carb are the choke. On the twin webber they should be horizontal (nearly) when choke is on and vertical when off.

[Guest elliot tanner]

Yep flaps at the top of the carb are the choke. On the twin webber they should be horizontal (nearly) when choke is on and vertical when off.

 

Thanks for the reply. I think this might be the problem as they don't seem to go verticall after starting so stay horizontal making it seem like its running rich.

[Grizzly]

Hi Elliot,

What carb have you got?

If it's a DGAV like mine, the butterflies won't lift to vertical (choke off) untill the engine is warm.

If they're lying flat the choke is on. Don't worry about them looking a bit sooty.

You could have a blocked jet somewhere. Service kits are available (try ebay). This sorted mine and it's sweet.

Adjusting the carb will only sort the tickover. Normal running is when the main jets kick in. These need to be the correct sizes.

If you've got a Foam Air filter on, the chances are the mains will be too lean.

Check out my website this page

Also if you trawl the 'tinternet there's a very handy document (Suzuki I think, but that doesn't matter) which explains very nicely what you need to do, step by step, to set these carbs up.

Again, have you got your timing right etc? It should be about 11 degrees.

[ibrooks]

Unless it's been changed yes it's a DGAV - I'd suspect a blocked jet or similar too as it's been sat for a very long time so quite possibly something solidified from the fuel that was in there. A service kit would probably be a very good idea.

 

Elliot - it's an autochoke that's controlled by the coolant temperature so the flaps should move towards vertical as the coolant warms up. They are known to be a bit tricksy and it was certainly common in the '80s for people to convert them back to a manual choke. I'd hunt around for a 38DGAS though as that engine should be able to make more power than the DGAV can feed. I did buy a Lynx manifold with a single sidedraught 40 for it but the mouth of the carb ended up within a centimetre or so of the top chassis rail so it wasn't to be.

 

Iain

[Grizzly]

The guy at Bogg Bros (Dave) informed me that the Weber Twinchoke is capable of fuelling up to 170bhp.

Not sure though whether he was refering to Weber twinchokes in general, or the DGAV in my setup.

He did seem to know his stuff and I doubt very much that the Pinto could deliver very much more than 170bhp anyway.

[ibrooks]

I'd imagine he was talking about a 38DGAS rather than the 32/36DGAV.

 

You'd have to be running a fairly extreme spec to make 170 in a Pinto and it wouldn't be a nice engine. When I had that one on the rollers with the fuel injection setup in the original car the operator reckoned there was in excess of 150bhp at the flywheel. It could certainly make the Sierra hustle.

 

Iain

[Guest elliot tanner]

I'd imagine he was talking about a 38DGAS rather than the 32/36DGAV.

 

You'd have to be running a fairly extreme spec to make 170 in a Pinto and it wouldn't be a nice engine. When I had that one on the rollers with the fuel injection setup in the original car the operator reckoned there was in excess of 150bhp at the flywheel. It could certainly make the Sierra hustle.

 

Iain

 

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the reply, I will have to send you over some photos of what she looks like now. Im guessing the timing was done when you had her? Do you remember what it was set at?

I will clean out the carb this weekend and see if it makes any difference. Once it was started before it ran fine its just the starting that is an issue now, especially in colder weather.

[Guest elliot tanner]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the reply, I will have to send you over some photos of what she looks like now. Im guessing the timing was done when you had her? Do you remember what it was set at?

I will clean out the carb this weekend and see if it makes any difference. Once it was started before it ran fine its just the starting that is an issue now, especially in colder weather.

 

And Ian, was it jetted correctly when you set it up? Or will these need changing?

[ibrooks]

Would be nice to see some piccies. By the way - PM me your address because I found the spare keys last night.

 

I don't know what the ignition timing was set to. That carb was never re-jetted so it's still got the jets for whatever it came off. I can't even remember what that was so there's even a danger that it was a 1.6 although I've a feeling it came from the 2.1 that I sold to Mitch.

 

Iain

[Guest Bob Green]

The guy at Bogg Bros (Dave) informed me that the Weber Twinchoke is capable of fuelling up to 170bhp.

Not sure though whether he was refering to Weber twinchokes in general, or the DGAV in my setup.

He did seem to know his stuff and I doubt very much that the Pinto could deliver very much more than 170bhp anyway.

 

Yes they can!

Edited April 27, 2009 by Bob Green

[Guest combatsapph]

I doubt very much that the Pinto could deliver very much more than 170bhp anyway.

 

Don't doubt the old Pinto - mine does 182bhp on throttle bodies. 2.4 Pinto's can get 220bhp+.

Edited April 27, 2009 by combatsapph