Rich -- The Super has two controls for cold starts: a hand throttle control and an enrichment control. Together, they provide the same functions as a conventional choke.
As I mentioned in a previous post, it appears that one of the idle jets was dirty. Pulling and reinstalling the jets is really pretty easy - maybe 10 minutes now that I know the drill. Dean -----Original Message----- From: Richard C. Wagner [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 3:07 PM To: Alfa Digest Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: Idle and running problems - any idea what's going on? Dean: > Engine won't hold an idle, even when fully warmed. I can > only keep it running by blipping the throttle or pulling > out the enrichment knob. Otherwise, it just slowly dies. "Enrichment knob"--is that a choke knob? If the idle returns to normal when you pull it out, I would suspect either a vacuum leak or dirt in a carb. But first, at idle, throw your timing light on each spark plug lead and make sure you see solid, even flashes on each plug. If you see anything but, look into your ignition system. If you see nothing suspicious there, look for vacuum leaks. They almost always hide in rubber hoses, so check your brake booster hose and its attachment points, the vacuum advance lines, and any other rubber hoses on the intake side of the engine. I'm betting you'll find something after a bit of examination. Keep in mind that you can often hear a vacuum leak, so use your ears. Sometimes, using a piece of plastic tubing as a stethoscope works well. Put one end in your ear and move the other down the length of the hoses. If you can't find anything in the hoses, then begin looking at the mating surfaces on the intake side: where the carbs mount, where the intake runners attach to the head, etc. A good way to find leaks at mating surfaces is to use an unlit propane torch. Put the end of the torch near a suspected leak and slowly open the valve. If there is a leak, the engine will suddenly run better. If not, close the valve, let the gas dissipate for a few seconds and try another spot. No, this test isn't OSHA approved. If, after a thorough examination, you don't find any leaks, then I would suspect that one of your carbs has a clogged jet orifice. It happens. Fixing that would probably require tearing down and cleaning or rebuilding the carb. Rich Wagner Montrose, CO, USA '82 GTV6 -- to be removed from alfa, see http://www.digest.net/bin/digest-subs.cgi or email "unsubscribe alfa" to [email protected]
