Starting a V-12

[Ty #22330]

Is there a correct method used for starting the engine?
How do you determine where to set the choke when starting. Do you leave it there? How do you use the throttle when starting, at idle, and when driving. There is no tachymeter.

[Damon Kennedy]

Contact MattV16

[JIM CLC # 15000]

08-09-05
Ty, Pull the choke all the way out, you may have to prime the carb. by pouring a little gas into the top of the carb.
When the engine starts, run at a fast idle until the engine will run on its own, then push the choke in.
Leave the throttle pushed in. Throttles in the old days were a carry-over from the buggy-whip holder. Not mush use for anything except for engine warm-up while the driver went back in-side to finish his coffee.
Ty, when the engine starts, run it at a fast-idle and slowly push in the choke, if the engine starts to die,give it a little more foot-throttle until the engine runs smoovely again.(you may have to pump the foot feed in order to keep the engine running)
If it has been a while since it has ran, you may have to primethe carb. several times before it will start and run on its own.
HTH
Good Luck, Jim

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

The carbS.

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

My experience with any vehicle with a manual choke is that unless you want to completely warm the car up at idle in your driveway, youll need to leave the choke part way out in order to have a rich enough mixture to allow drive-off.  If, shortly after starting, youve pushed the choke all the way in, it is unlikely to have a rich enough mixture to allow much, if any, throttle(and possibly even to idle). Pushing the throttle further as it begins to die will just make it do so more quickly due to the lean mixture. Pumping the gas at this time may keep it running, but pulling the choke out part way (or just leaving it there until the engine is warm)will do a better job of it.

[Rusty Shepherd CLC 6397]

Ty, One thing I forgot: Later cars with manual chokes had incorporated within the choke mechanism a fast idle cam (or similar) that boosted the idle speed while the choke was in use (like those in automatic chokes) to prevent an engine that was not fully warmed-up from dying at idle . Im almost certain that your car (with the hand throttle)does not have that feature in the choke system. You would use the handle throttle in conjunction with the manual choke to have the fast idle until the engine is warm and the choke is pushed completely in.

[Ty #22330]

Many thanks Rusty and Jim: That has helped a lot to understand the use of both. Ty