engine and drivetrain 2 Basic newbie questions

[Guest Anonymous]

These are probably embarrassingly simple answers to these questions, but

1. Engine flooding: when I got the car a couple of months ago the car would start right up after pumping the gas twice (cold start), and run at a high idle (3K) until I tapped the accelerator. Now I don't get the high idle; the car runs too rich and stalls. After it runs for a few seconds, it idles (and drives) like it should. I did nothing in the meantime; maybe it was simply that the weather got warmer. A superficial glance at the carb didn't show anything amiss (like a disconnected vacuum hose). I'm curious about an explanation, although I'm not experienced enough to start messing with the carb., esp. since the car otherwise runs beautifully.

2. Humming sound before the engine cranks. This just happened once, afterwards everything was normal, as if nothing happened. I assume it's a sign that the solenoid and/or the starter is going, and that I should replace one or the other ASAP.

Thanks in advance!

Hugh

[Guest Anonymous]

Oh, the car is a '76 with the Weber 32/36 with auto choke.

[AustrianVespaGuy]

To your first question, my guess is that your auto-choke might just need some adjustment. Did it work well when 'cold' and now that it's warmer doesn't start as well? If I remember correctly, there are three screws that hold the choke assembly and if you loosen them, you can rotate the choke to set the tension in the spring correctly. When the car is cold, if you press the gas pedal the square 'flappers' on the top of the carb should spring closed some (more in winter, less in summer) and then open up as the car warms up. As for your second sound, do you maybe have an electric fuel pump on the car? Standard advice, if you don't have one, get a Hayne's manual! Hope this helps.

-Carl

[Guest Anonymous]

Carl, your explanation for the starting issue makes alot of sense.

As for the second item, I'm pretty certain the car has a mechanical pump, so I think it's problem with the starter/solenoid. It sounded as if the starter motor was engaged but the solenoid (momentarily was not), so the motor was spinning freely. Maybe a glitch with the switching mechanism?

Yeah, I ordered the Haynes Guide a few weeks ago from amazon. When it arrives that might put an end to the basic questions, at least the dumb ones!

H