Re: ihc-digest V5 #214

[rhughes@domain.elided]

>After the engine is completely warmed up and the choke is fully opened, it
>idles smoothly in park or neutral.  It is set correctly, per the manual,
>but as soon as I put it in gear it chugs and does not idle.  I have to
>constantly pump the gas pedal at every stop on my way to work.  What could
>cause this?  I really want to get back to driving my Scout everyday, but
>this problem is really frustrating.

Bill, I have had (and sort of still have) problems like you describe.  Mine
only does it in the morning, though.  The choke opens fully, and it will
idle in neutral, but the load in drive is too much and it chugs and wants
to die.

I've got two theories about mine:

1) The choke is open but the block isn't really warm yet.  That is, the
choke is opening "too soon."  I have the typical divorced choke on the
2210c Holley 2bbl.  Evidence for this: a) I have the problem on city
streets on the way to the freeway in the morning, but after I get off the
freeway, it's never a problem.  b)  my heater doesn't kick in until a few
minutes after I get on the freeway.  If the air coming out of the heater is
cold, then the engine is still cold, right?  Even though it is warm enough
to open the choke, it isn't warm enough to heat coolant, or warm enough to
prevent gas from condensing.

2) The "flapper" in my air cleaner neck isn't hooked up, so the air coming
in is extra cold, and causes gas condensation.  Once the engine warms up,
or the ambient air warms up, it's not  a problem.

These are just theories, but they seem to make sense.  To help fix the
problem, I adjusted the choke linkage so that the choke would actuate the
fast idle cam longer.  Mine is set so that the fast idle cam is used until
the choke is almost all the way open.  This has mostly fixed the problem,
but sometimes on really cold mornings (like today) I still have to shift
into neutral and give it some gas as I approach a stop light.  I'll be
interested to see if the problem goes away when the weather warms up.