Cold start help

sconnors

sconnors

Well-known member
My 1930 coupe doesn’t like to star when it’s cold. Was headed out to a car show Sunday, and went to start her at 9:00 with the temperature of 28 degrees. I start her using the correct starting method. She cranks and fires up once then stalls. Try her again same thing. Try her again and she just cranks. Finally I wear the battery down, put a battery charger on and go to the show in my other car.

Come home this afternoon temperature is 58 degrees, cranks and starts right up. This has happened several times so it’s not isolated.

Before purchasing the car, the previous owner had the engine rebuilt (see attached notes and receipts he provided me). Not sure if that has anything to do with it or they might help you shed some light on why she doesn’t like to start in the cold and if there’s anything I should try aside from the normal starting procedure which I follow religiously.
As always any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Scott
 

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Open the GAV (Gas Adjusting Valve) on the bottom of the gas tank at least 1/4 turn counter-clockwise to enrichen the fuel mixture on cold days. Maybe even try 1/2 turn. The weather has turned cold recently, so if you have been driving your new toy in warm weather since you bought it, you might not be aware that it is necessary to enrichen the carburetor in cold weather. Once the engine starts and is warming up, it will begin to lope because the mixture is now too rich. Turn the GAV clockwise to lean out the mixture. You'll hear and feel the sweet spot where your engine likes the carb to be adjusted.
By the way, I see this all the time: Owners hold the choke rod up for a couple seconds when cranking over the engine. You only need a flick of the wrist as the engine is turning over. It may take two or three tries, but the engine will catch. If you hold the choke rod up too long, the carb will flood, complicating the starting procedure. Remember: Press the starter rod and pull up on the choke rod, releasing it as soon as it reaches the top of its travel. I have course-corrected several Model A owners around here, who had complained about hard starting. Watching them go through the routine proved that they were holding the choke rod up too long when cranking the engine. They were amazed at how easily their engines started with just a flick of the wrist choke pull, even in cold weather - after opening up the GAV 1/4 to 1/2 turn.
Marshall
 
Marshall V. Daut said:
Open the GAV (Gas Adjusting Valve) on the bottom of the gas tank at least 1/4 turn counter-clockwise to enrichen the fuel mixture on cold days. Maybe even try 1/2 turn. The weather has turned cold recently, so if you have been driving your new toy in warm weather since you bought it, you might not be aware that it is necessary to enrichen the carburetor in cold weather. Once the engine starts and is warming up, it will begin to lope because the mixture is now too rich. Turn the GAV clockwise to lean out the mixture. You'll hear and feel the sweet spot where your engine likes the carb to be adjusted.
By the way, I see this all the time: Owners hold the choke rod up for a couple seconds when cranking over the engine. You only need a flick of the wrist as the engine is turning over. It may take two or three tries, but the engine will catch. If you hold the choke rod up too long, the carb will flood, complicating the starting procedure. Remember: Press the starter rod and pull up on the choke rod, releasing it as soon as it reaches the top of its travel. I have course-corrected several Model A owners around here, who had complained about hard starting. Watching them go through the routine proved that they were holding the choke rod up too long when cranking the engine. They were amazed at how easily their engines started with just a flick of the wrist choke pull, even in cold weather - after opening up the GAV 1/4 to 1/2 turn.
Marshall
Click to expand...

Good information. I normally turn my GAV to the 2 o'clock position when starting and then back it off once the engine starts and is warming up.
I will definitely try the quicker choke method you mention! Thanks for the advice and it's always great to get information from more experienced owners/drivers.
 
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Also, summer gasoline is different than winter gasoline. Winter gasoline has more volatile components that evaporate easier in cold temperatures for easier starting.

Added: This pertains to all gasoline whether it contains ethanol or not. Gasoline is a blend of different components, some are long molecules that don't evaporate easily and some are shorter molecules that do evaporate easier. The tar that is left after gasoline sits are the long molecules after the other components have evaporated.
 
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sconnors said:
Good information. I normally turn my GAV to the 11 o'clock position when starting and then back it off once the engine starts and is warming up.
I will definitely try the quicker choke method you mention! Thanks for the advice and it's always great to get information from more experienced owners/drivers.
Click to expand...
That doesn't tell us how much you open it as we don't
know what position it was at when it is closed, they
are not all the same.
 
Bob C said:
That doesn't tell us how much you open it as we don't
know what position it was at when it is closed, they
are not all the same.
Click to expand...

My apologies, I mistyped. 12 o'clock being closed, I turn it counterclockwise to the 2 o'clock position and then clockwise as the engine warms up.
 
Clean and check the points gap , .018 - .022 , pull the hand throttle lever down a couple of clicks for a faster idle speed when starting it cold . Follow what Marshall stated as a starting point ! Each car is different
 
Turn GAV at least 3/4-1 turn, and only choke for a second or less. Also have gas lever at least 2-3 notches or until you can feel gas pedal depress. If high compression head, set timing lever ahead 2-3 notches.
 
My mother liked to tell how she helped her dad with the Model A on 15 degree mornings. They drained the oil into a pan, heated it on the wood stove, put it back in and hand-cranked it.

I do mine just like Marshall V. Daut and Old 31 say. I put the hand throttle down a couple of notches and open the GAV more the colder it is, up to about one turn open. I have started it right away many times at 25 degrees.
 
Just be glad you aren't trying to start a Model T in cold weather, whether by hand-cranking or if you were lucky in the old days, with a starter after 1919. Back then to start a Model T, people would do as "philosofriend's" mother did by heating the oil, plus pouring warm (not hot!) water into the radiator that had been drained the night before. They also jacked up a rear wheel. Why did they do that? Because unlike a Model A with its transmission being taken out of the rotational equation in neutral, the Model T's flywheel with heavy magneto and transmission connected turned with the engine's crankshaft. That is a LOT of weight to turn when everything is ice cold. Jacking up one rear wheel allowed the engine to turn the transmission over easier, acting like a large flywheel. Heck! Even starting a Model T in warm weather can sometimes be a challenge!
When I was senior in high school in 1966-67, my only transportation to school was a 1931 Coupe. Here in SE Iowa, winters get VERY cold, often well below zero. One day a few years ago during the winter, our town was colder than it was in Siberia! Anyway, at 7:30 AM each morning I trudged across the alley to a rented unheated garage containing my Model A. I can't recall a single time it failed to start during those brutal winters, even when modern cars wouldn't. On blizzard-like days, my Model A was sometimes one of the few cars on the road because it was able to wade through the deep snow. I never would have tried that with a Model T - if I could even have gotten it to start. Model A's are good cold weather vehicles once you get the hang of the starting procedure.
Marshall
 
My cousin and his brother commuted to college in Wyoming in now-mine coupe. I'll have ask him about winter starting.
 
I do it the way Marshal wrote and my Town Sedan starts nearly perfect. For sometimes, when she does not start, I developed my trick: while the starter turns the unwilling motor, I pull the choke rod again and let loose right after pulling, without holding it for a whatsoever time. That worked most of the times.
Tried it on my 47 Chevy Fleetmaster that usually have more trouble starting and it works fine there, too.
 
sconnors said:
My apologies, I mistyped. 12 o'clock being closed, I turn it counterclockwise to the 2 o'clock position and then clockwise as the engine warms up.
Click to expand...

If the GAV is closed at 12 o'clock, you do not need to open it all the way to 2 o'clock except in subzero temperatures. That is a lot.

For most cars, opened 1/2 turn (that would be 6 o'clock by your description) is plenty for cold starting.

But you do need to pull the hand throttle down a bit. Watch for the gas pedal to move down a little.

And you do need to use the choke for a very short time. I advise new Model A owners to pull the choke out, gas on, key on, step on the starter switch and after you hear the starter motor working against two cylinders, it makes a sound "whump-whump", push the choke knob back in and it will fire right up.

If it stalls, repeat the above. Choke. Whump-whump. Push choke knob in.

Most guys over choke and make it hard to start.

If it starts and runs a bit rough, experiment with closing or opening the GAV a bit until it smooths out. Usually I close my GAV and it actually runs a bit faster and smoother, but if I close it too much, it sounds like it's not happy. At that point I open the GAV back up a little until it smooths out.

As it warms up over 10 minutes or so, you can close the GAV much of the way. Ford says open 1/4 turn, but my cars are happy with it cracked open less than that, maybe open 1/8 turn, just a little off of closed.
.
 
How cold was it back then ?? DON’T exhale on the windshield , exhale on the side glass , or you will be scraping ice off the windshield on the inside !! Leave it in low gear for about a block before trying second gear !! If you parked it in the wrong gear it took both hands to change gears as the transmission was so stiff ! Fun times 1970’
 
Bruce of MN said:
My cousin and his brother commuted to college in Wyoming in now-mine coupe. I'll have ask him about winter starting.
Click to expand...

From my cousin:

"You know, I never had any issues with getting the car to start regardless of the weather. And that’s whether the battery was up and good or if I had to hand crank the ole A. It was always reliable as all get out. And Wyoming winters were just as bad or worse than Iowa winters."
 
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