[Mg-t] trouble starting

[BOB GRUNAU]

Hi Lawrie, how thick are the 1 1/4" bore plastic spacers and can they be
fitted onto a TC with the original air cleaner?
Thanks, Bob Grunau, Canada

Roger,
A check for $35, payable to Brian Sonner, mailed to 2700 Sleepy Hollow
Court, Placerville, CA 95667-4222 will cover the cost of a pair of spacers,
4 gaskets and postage. You will need to buy 4 metric studs, 10mm x 1.5 pitch
x 1-1/2" long and 4 nuts for the studs from your local auto parts store,
then you are good to go.

We had actually tried a heat shield and wrapping the float bowls with
insulating material but found no relief from the hot-start problem till we
used the spacers. Apparently, it's the heat being transmitted directly from
the hot engine into the carb bodies via the contact between the manifold and
the carb flanges that causes the excessive heating of the fuel.
Thanks!  Lawrie

Hi Lawrie,
How does one go about getting a set of spacers?  They are a terrific
idea.  That along with the B&G heat shield should pretty much do the
job.  Roger
Oliver,

The new fuels which have ethanol in them vaporize more easily than gas
used to. The heat of the engine is transmitted via the manifold studs
directly into the carburetors so you end up trying to re-start the
engine with fuel that's not mixing with the air the way it should. This
problem has affected lots of folks in recent years.

The cure I've found is to insulate the carbs from the manifold with
spacers like the TF, MGA, MGB, etc. used. If you have 1-12" carbs you
can use TF spacers and studs to replace the TD bolts (and new gaskets,
of course). If you have 1-1/4" carbs, I have a local supplier of the
correct size spacers which we had made up to solve this very problem on
TCs and TDs. They're not cheap ($30 a pair, as they were custom-made in
a small run) and you still need to buy 4 gaskets and studs and nuts, but
they really do eliminate the problem.

Lawrie
 greetings from Dallas, where on a good evening the temperature drops
to almost 80. we were out in the car, about twilight.  almost an hour later
weather.com says the ambient temperature is 90 we drove the car for about
10 - 15 minutes, then parked for about 10 -
15 minutes.  it would not start, although it seemed to catch for maybe one
cycle or less.
 fortunately, we were parked on a hill, and I was able to push start it.  it
was very jerky for about 20 seconds, then ran just fine for the 15
minute drive home. vapor lock?