The Ford Capri Laser Page

New to the site, I have a 1600 laser with a twin choke weber. Trying to start it when cold is a bit of a bugger,it will start but will not revised up I need to keep pedal flat to the floor for a while b4 it will pick up. Once warm it runs great plugs are nice colour but bit of a flat spot on pulling away. Any ideas would be a great help.
Cheers

Get your ignition side right before touching the carb. try new points, properly gapped and preferably set with a dwell meter for accuracy, then your ignition timing accurately set and a fresh set of plugs, again properly gapped to the specification. You will be amazed at the difference this usually makes.

New plugs, points, condenser,dizzy capri and leads fitted. Points set with feelers, timming set at 8 degrees with strobe.runs great apart from cold start and sluggish at low speeds.

After your new ignition parts and timing, have you set the mixture and idle on the carb? With poor starting and poor running at slow speed it sounds like the mixture might be too lean. Just a thought.

And don't forget the valve clearances , if these ain't right nothing else will get it to run right

Mc Tool wrote: ↑Thu May 09, 2019 6:47 am And don't forget the valve clearances , if these ain't right nothing else will get it to run right

Has it only recently started being a problem to start ?

If yes, what have you changed or adjusted on the engine recently (even if this wouldnt seem related)

Does it have an auto or a manual choke ?

Idle mix is probably too lean. Properly set up, especially on a 1600, a 32/36 weber can have the choke flaps completely removed and still start ok from cold. Check the accelerator pump jet diaphragm is ok - when you open the throttle quickly there should be a visible and audible squirt of petrol. As well as adding extra fuel for snap acceleration when driving, this should allow you to easily rev up when cold so I suspect it's not working.

Does have auto choke, flaps totally closed when cold but not sticking as I can move them easily.

In my own experience this could be due to the autochoke coming off too quickly before the engine has warmed up sufficiently.

The quick fix always used to be to wait til the engine was cold and then remove the water hoses and rotate the domed assembly (that the hoses fit onto) by half a turn. Its located by 3 long, small headed bolts round its circumference so if it is difficult to turn, just loosen these screws slightly and you can rotate it. Refit the hoses pouring in a bit of water to minimise the chances of getting an air lock. Start the engine, let it warm up, assess if it is better or worse.

it is a bit better but coud still do with a bit more then take the hoses off again and give it another half turn.

However if it is worse than before then give it a full 360 degree turn in the opposite direction. Try it again.

Its worked for me.

If in doubt fit a manual choke conversion. I couldn't get any joy out of the autochoke on my last pinto engined car but a manual choke made all the difference and was quite easy to fit.

Removed the flaps as suggested, is there a different way that I need to start it when cold.

Allan mcl wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2019 6:16 pm Removed the flaps as suggested, is there a different way that I need to start it when cold.

You have actually taken off the choke flaps? Goodness me, bit drastic. Did you look at the carb mixture to see if it was too lean? Just curious to know.

Not_Anumber wrote: ↑Fri May 10, 2019 3:45 pm

However if it is worse than before then give it a full 360 degree turn in the opposite direction.

There are marks on the housing which indicate lining the choke up to either stay on longer on go off quicker, but these changes are only a couple of mm. Not sure what you mean by a full turn?

Yes took the flaps off, car started no problem.

Well I'm pleased that's worked for you Will be interesting to know if you are happily running like this all the time, in the depths of winter, etc.

That will be the test, but won't be using it in the winter hopefully.

After a week of having no flaps I have decided to replace them. I believe that I may have found the problem, the flaps will not open unless they are given a helping hand. Any ideas what would cause this.
Cheers.

You do know that you need to depress then release the gas pedal slightly before a c old start? (This lifts the fast idle screw off the cold start cam, allowing that to turn and close the flaps. It`s spring loaded.)
As Paul says, the housing usually only has a few degrees of movement either way to fine-tune the way the choke `tracks` the engine`s warming up needs, fast idle et cetera.

Thanks Steve, I have tried that but they still stay open.

All I can suggest is that you , with a cold engine, loosen the 3 bolts securing thermal housing, and holding the throttle open with one hand (just to lift the screw off the fast idle cam so that can turn freely), turn the housing whichever way necessary until the flaps are just closed, then retighten. If slight turning doesn`t cause visible movement of the flaps, there must be a fault in the linkage/bi-metallic coil etc.