About 20f for me this morning. No choke. I had to crank it about three times before it fired at all. Then three or four more before it would stay lit with my foot lightly on the gas. That's probably not even cold for some of you where you live.

 

Your start/run issues are because of the "No choke".
Even at 80*f the choke should close but at 80*f it should open faster than it would if 20*f.


If the choke was working right & closed, a pump or 2 of the throttle it would have started faster. The fast idle would have kicked in and you would not need to hold "your foot lightly on the gas".
Let it run at fast idle for a few min. and off you go.
Dave ----

 

Understood Dave it's all good. Trust me I'm happy.

I wanted to hear from some folks how cold it was and they cranked up stone cold with a carburetor.

I want to go to Yellowknife and try it.

 

-47°F is the coldest I have been able to get a carbed vehicle started with no aids (no block heater, no starting fluid etc) But it was in my old T-bird with the 400 and that thing would always start just blip the key into crank and it would fire right up.

 

Since 86 when I got a K5 diesel every thing has been EFI.
Before that I did have a Toyota LC, 238 six with man. choke I would take to VT on weekends and it was colder than 20*f


Till I get my 81 F100 on the road nothing I have has a choke that I would start during the winter down here.
Heck even my John Deere garden tractor I use to cut the grass is EFI!
Dave ----

 

Why don't you have a choke?

With a choke and the proper starting procedure, a carbureted vehicle can start and run just as well as any modern fuel-injected vehicle. Wouldn't that be nice?

With a working choke, it would take only a single pump of the gas and your vehicle should fire up instantly and continue running without your foot on the gas and nursing it. That will also save your starter and battery unnecessary wear from all the extra starting you are doing.

Here is a great example of how well a carbureted vehicle can start in temperatures as low as 5 degrees:

 

You are correct I agree. Just became a habit removing all that stuff. Even when I ran SBC vehicles. Any carburetor brand new or old the choke was deemed unneccessary. The blade was unscrewed, shaft and linkage removed and stored somewhere never to return. So yeah dumb I suppose but where I live a healthy pump shot is generally enough to get it in one crank of the starter.

 

Just put a new carburetor and choke heater hose on my '83, and it starts as easy as ever with two pumps even in the 20's or lower out here. A good working choke is a very useful thing, not just for convenience but also to save wear on your vehicle!

 

The coldest I have started in was minus 27. That was with a stock two barrel on my '78. That kind of temps will also tell you how good your battery is as well! Now days the worse trouble I have on real cold days is making myself go out there to start it in the first place. I don't start myself as quick as I use to.

 

I found that my 351W/MC 2150 combo starts great at single digit temps. It starts so well I am almost rethinking installing my Edlbrock 600 CFM. Well almost.

 

Use a 4100 Autolite instead

 

1984 4.9L with feedback system... 8F, this week, without a problem.

 

Why on earth would you do that? All that stuff you "deemed unnecessary" was carefully developed to solve the exact problem you're having.

 

I might if I could find one for the price I paid for the Edelbrock ($100).

 

I have to agree with you on this one.



That's awesome, Chief! It is truly amazing how well a carbureted engine can start when everything is set right.

Lucille started right up with one single pump at 11 degrees. The only difference this time was that I had to let the engine run at fast idle a little longer than usual before I could get the fast idle cam to drop to the second step. Just to compare notes, what was your initial fast idle speed, and how long did your truck have to run before you could get the fast idle cam to drop to the second step?