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Tim!
While I think you should have a primer, the accerator pump in your
carb does serve a similar
purpose. When I prime any plane, I usually prime a couple of times, then
let it sit for a bit
to allow the gas to evapourate filling the intake with vapour. Then when
you crank it over,
it is pulling vapour in instead of raw (liquid) fuel, chancing a flooded
engine. Flooding washes the oil
off
the cylinder walls & you loose compression making it hard to start.
In colder weather I let it sit longer after priming as the gas evapourates
slower.
Also, any time I start up cold in temps below freezing, I put the cowl
cover on &
put an "in car warmer" inside the cowl. Makes it easier to start & is much
easier on the
engine.
It's -23C here today!
Hope this helps!
Darwin
CFNTU
Lloydminster Alberta, Canada
Tim and Martha Briggs wrote:
> ----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following
any advice in this forum.]----
>
> Ercoupers:
>
> My Coupe has the O-200 engine with a Marvel Schebler Carburetor. The
plane
> has no primer. Yesterday, I tried to go flying and really had a hard
time
> starting the engine. My normal start procedure has me "prime" with 2-4
pumps
> on the throttle before cranking. It always started right up on the
first
> pull in temps down to 45 degrees F. Yesterday, it was about 15-20
degrees
> outside. I turned it over by hand for a while before cranking to loosen
> things up. We tried for over an hour, quickly needing needing a jump
from a
> start cart. I eventually got her going by pumping the throttle
vigorously
> as I cranked and then taking it back to idle position. It sounded like
a
> radial starting with a pop here then one or two more. Eventually it lit
off
> and ran OK from then on although the transition from idle to full power
had
> to be done slowly or it stumbled. I never did get airborne, by the time
I
> got her running, I was too cold and it was getting late. Warm restarts
were
> instantaneous.
>
> Known conditions:
>
> 1. I just had it annualed, the plugs were cleaned and a few replaced.
>
> 2. It had one flight since the annual. It started right up on that one
> flight, being pulled from a warm hangar.
>
> 3. My current hangar is unheated. The plane sat for 2 weeks in temps
down
> to -5F
>
> Questions:
>
> 1. Pumping the throttle causes the accelerator pump to shoot gas into
the
> carb throat. After shutting down, there was a puddle of gas on the
ground.
> I fear that I'm risking a fire with all that pumping but that was the
only
> way she would light off. Is there anything else I can do to "prime"
without
> a primer??
>
> 2. In reading up on the Marvel Schebler carb, I see there is an idle
> mixture screw. Would any adjustments to this help the transition from
idle
> to high power in cold temps? Unless you advance very slowly, the engine
> stumbles.
>
> 3. The engine's behavior reminds me of trying to start my old Buick in
the
> cold when the choke didn't work. Is there any way to "choke" the carb
or
> install a manual choke on a Marvel Schebler carb?
>
> Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
>
> Tim Briggs
> 1950 Erco 415G
> N94413
>
>
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