Best Way To Cold Start

I've got a 260A w/ Rochester carb using a mechanical (manifold heat) choke. She lights right up when warm (using #1) and has no trouble idling/running without additional throttle even when cold, but I haven't found the magic method for a cold start.
1) Don't touch nothin' - just crank her with the throttle at idle
2) Pump her a couple times, then crank at idle
3) Give her just a tad of throttle, then crank her
4) Pump her a few times and give her a lot of throttle, then crank her
5) pump the crap out of her and leave the throttle open all the way, then crank her
6) pump her once and have the throttle just off idle
7) other

How do you start yours?

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

Ayuh,.... If ya don't go to Wot, at least once, the choke won't close....

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

Our 500A's with the Rochesters can be pretty picky when starting cold. Like Bond-o said, gotta open it WOT at least once to close the choke. If the boat has been sitting all winter I usually pour some fuel down the carb before trying to start. I cant stand when people crank the heck out of their engines. Usually if I do this they will fire right up and even if they die, Ive got some fresh gas in the bowl so I can pump the throttle.

If its been sitting a couple of weeks Ill pump it twice and crank it. If it doesnt start almost immediately Ill pump it again till it starts. Then I throttle it up to around 1500rpms till theyre warm.

If its been sitting a day or so Ill open them WOT once then start them with the throttle closed.

Ive personally cleaned our carbs and they still idle rough when cold. They start and run great when hot through.

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

Carbed engines can be finiky. What works for one may not work for another. Trial and error will tell you the best way for your engine.
Depening on your choke settings, carb settings, tuneup state of your engine, compression, and all sorts of other things.
It may take one pump of the throttle, not only to close the choke, but it also pumps fuel into the engine from the accelerator pump. Your engine may take one or three or ??? pumps of the throttle. To much pumping and you will flood it and make it harder to start.
Welcome to carburetors. Cars gave this stuff up for EFI many years ago.

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

Here is my cold start method that works every time. Engine; 1992 4.3 V6 2 barrel carb (Volvo Penta).

Pump the throttle twice, pull a special "cold start knob" I've made(hidden under the dashboard), and start the engine. It has never failed.

The cold start knob is actually a cable that gives the engine just a little throttle. When the knob is fully pulled out, the engine runs 1200 rpm cold and 1800 rpm warm.

And why can I not just use the regular throttle handle? Well I can, but it is very hard to find the right spot. Either too little gas and the engine dies quickly, or too much and it fires up and runs 3500 rpm. Who wants to hear that on a cold engine?

I have used the connection for the Flybridge throttle cable on the engine, for the extra cable. My boat is not a Flybridge boat, so it will never be used anyway.

I made this arrangement some years ago, since the engine can't start cold, without a little gas.

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

Thanks for all the tips/hints on cold starting. I'm sure one of them will be magic.
As for a fast idle, if one was called for, I was thinking of a small piece that would slip in to keep the throttle from closing all the way. Not a pencil of course, but something similar. But right now, once she starts she'll run solid albeit at 600 rpm till she's warm.

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

The throttle lever should stay where ever you put it. Most throttle control levers have tension adjusts on them to keep from moving.
You don't have a throttle return spring on your carb do you?
Once you get it started, set it around a thousand rpm and let it warm up.

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

The throttle does stay where I put it. The proposed little fast idle block would serve to locate the 1,000 rpm without having to mess with throttle position.

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

Pump the throttle fully twice to make sure you get fuel down the carb and start it, make sure you have the throttle advanced to a point where it will idle at around 1200rpms. Let it run for a couple of minutes before you start to head out. You are talking about a carb'd engine, they need to warm up before going. We have been driving fuel injected vehicles for a long time and have forgotten what you have do to with a carb.

Re: Best Way To Cold Start

jeffnick said:

How do you start yours?

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Jet boat has not been operational since I've bought her (stalled project), so this is a Q&A of how an elderly Volvo gets started;

1) Don't touch nothin' - just crank her with the throttle at idle

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Despite her age, this actually works most of the time..

2) Pump her a couple times, then crank at idle

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This doesn't work for her.

3) Give her just a tad of throttle, then crank her

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This doesn't work for her either.

4) Pump her a few times and give her a lot of throttle, then crank her

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Nope.

5) pump the crap out of her and leave the throttle open all the way, then crank her

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This sometimes works...

6) pump her once and have the throttle just off idle

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This occasionally works..

7) other

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The problem solver is usually pumping the hell out of the throttle at 1/2 throttle while cranking...
Of course her manners would be different if she had chokes.

Starting a carbed engine is like turning on a lover. The fundamentals are the same, but they all have their own individual needs..