Hot starting Weber

[macplaxton]

I'm sat here having started the engine driven 100m and left the engine running whilst closing a gate. Engine died. Not restarting. Skipping all the basic checks, my hunch from past experience is that it's a vapour lock. Prior to the first sentence just done 17 miles of m/way & dual.

There's a bit of residual pressure in the fuel line. When I pull the line at the float chamber top it sprays a good dose of petrol under release of pressure. Always struck me as a little odd, but then it might just be me. Letting it sit for a bit as I may have flooded it.

Running 95 U/L and have rerouted the fuel line in the past .

Are these always bad starters when hot?

[macplaxton]

Got it started after finishing the message. However it's done it a couple of more times waiting in traffic within spitting distance of home. Grrrr!

[citronut]

quite offten its the dersh/2CV syndrome, float levels tooooo high,

or maybe the points if it has them closing up

[macplaxton]

I think a bit of both as it sometimes catches coming off the starter rather than during it.

Even when the points were spot on, it was a PITA stuck hot in traffic.

Long term I want to ditch the old dizzy. It has cause me too much grief over the years, resulting in three breakdowns that needed assistance to get somewhere sensible to sort it out. Those three times were on a SEV - including one time where a new points cassette manage about 1700 miles before jamming up.

I did get a quote ages ago for a 123ignition guts custom fitted to a SEV or Ducellier GS shell, but it was either 400 (STD) / 450 (USB) yoyos at the time but my inner Scotsman won the day. I could probably go distributorless for half that.

I've never messed with the carburettor on this car (but I do know carbs), so I'll investigate the float. I'll check the manual, but what is the float made of? (Holey brass or super sponge?)

[Stonehopper]

My GS is Marchal SEV, and after fitting a new cassette went 12miles and the engine died (on the drive handily), and that was after setting the dwell to 55°. No spark at all at the plugs. Turned out the heel of the breaker set must have been at a different angle to the cam profile and wore down fast. The points were not opening at all. Reset them again, and the dwell has not changed in the last 1,000 miles.

Floats on the Weber are plastic IIRC. Might just need a clear out and the jets given a blast of air.

[citronut]

i fitted a new set of cassette points to what is now a Yellow Cmatic GSA ( Elsie ), but whilst in Mr Salters ownership, they lasted all of 5 minuets,

purchased from a Citroen Specialist in Staines i believe, very odd as i have never had a problem with parts from this company,

the wires between the plug connector and points had melted,

prior to fitting i had noticed the wires were very stiff ( oooh la la missus ) compared to the original that were very supple,

obviously i did attempt to mind the wires were not touching out, although this was very difficult with them being so stiff, it seems they might have been produced in a corrugated tin shed the likes of China maybe ,

cant remember which carb has what float but i think Webers have a copper float and solex have twin plastic floats,

the other thing comes to mind regarding hot starting is, if the flap in the air intake is set to draw hot air from the exhaust manifold, this can cause hot running/starting issues,
again cant remember if any GS had the GSA type wax stat type flap control, but if the wax stat failed it could cause the flap to stay in the wrong position

[citronut]

My GS is Marchal SEV, and after fitting a new cassette went 12miles and the engine died (on the drive handily), and that was after setting the dwell to 55°. No spark at all at the plugs. Turned out the heel of the breaker set must have been at a different angle to the cam profile and wore down fast.

you are aware on fitting these orible points to the dizzy, you must make sure non of the cam lobes of the dizzy are in line to the points heel, if a lobe is it can shave the heel down a tad as it pass' through the cassette

[Stonehopper]

Thanks Malcolm - noted, but with the dizzy in the hands it's easy to get it in without damage.

My cassette was also from a Citroen specialist in Staines! I did query the happening, and they said they'd never heard of that before.
You may well be right with brass floats. Had my eyes on a 2cv Solex more recently. An age thing.

[macplaxton]

As mentioned, the wires were fine, the point had jammed up. It in the boot. I had a Ducellier with the same mech/vac advance specs so put that on instead.

I'll pop it apart and seen what the float is like and check the weight. If it's got a hole(s) then I'll have to wait for Mrs MacP to go out and I can stick it on the cooker and boil the petrol out and then go around soldering it up.

[citronut]

Max the usual dersh hot start syndrome is the floats are set way to high, so they will be floating