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Frozen (!?) carb pistons

To: british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: Frozen (!?) carb pistons
From: Ray James <rwj4123@sigma.tamu.edu>
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 94 12:49:55 PST
Vern K writes:
>By that I mean that, overnight, the
>piston is freezing in the dashpot and will not move. This makes startup a
>messy affair of mutiple pots of hot water over the carbs to free up the
>works. Anyone has any suggestions for a more permanent cure? 

I am not familiar with this carb problem (don't have those carbs and don't have 
weather cold 
enough to freeze 'em); however I'm interested.  Surely you are not saying that 
the gasoline 
is frozen?  As I understand that carb the piston is in a oil reservoir filled 
with some sort 
of oil to damp the motion of the piston (and the temperature-dependent 
viscosity is the 
problem, right?).  First thought is to find some other sort of oil; one which 
will not 
suffer such a change in viscosity--may not be practical.  Second thought is to 
install an 
electric heating element around the carb which can be energized by the battery 
by means of 
an appropriate dash-mounted switch (one which must be held closed for a few 
seconds to warm 
the carb bodies.)  I don't know of any heating tape designed for 12 VDC, but 
I'm sure some 
is available somewhere.

Or, just move south.  It's 65 F and sunny with light breeze today in central 
Texas!

Good luck,
Ray


-------------------------------------
Name: Ray W. James
Texas Transportation Institute
Civil Engineering Department, Texas A&M University
E-mail: Ray James <rwj4123@sigma.tamu.edu>
Date: 11/29/94
Time: 12:49:55
-------------------------------------




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