Hard cold starting

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I have just recently purchased a 1928 model 81. It is hard to start when cold. Starts fine when it is warm. It does have an electric fuel pump back near the fuel tank and the vacuum tank has been bypassed. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Roger Westra

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Roger,

Check to make sure your choke and primer are working as designed. My experience has been that it is easier to start cold than hot but you need to use the primer. Once mine catches I can usually push the choke most of the way in right away and it warms up quickly. Depending on the outside temp you may also need to adjust the amount of exhaust heat directed to the intake manifold.

By the way, you should verify that your electric pump is regulated down to only put out about 2 psi if you have the original Stromberg O-3 or you could have a dangerous problem. Best solution is to fix the vacuum pump and go back to original. Don’t let George TeeBay find out you have an electric pump! Good luck, Don Rundgren

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Roger,

I was having a devil of a time starting my 1912 in the morning on

tours with this evil stuff they’re peddling as gas.I switched to

premium grade,and what a positive change.I can start it on a reasonable

number of cranks.

I realize that the car took about 50 octane(same as Coleman camping

gas),a rapidly burning gas,to fire the 3 to 1 compression,cavernous,

firing chamber.The act of putting a slow burning fuel(premium),should

be going the wrong way.But it works!I throw in Marvel Mystery oil,

also.

I would welcome other peoples experiences along these lines.I know

newer Pierces would be in the 5 to 1 or 6 to 1,range.

Tony Costa

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When I bought my 1931 Pierce model 42 in 1984,I had a terrible time starting cold. The fellow I bought it from said that’s the way it is, leave it alone. I really was afraid I was going to ruin the starter. I mean quite often I had to grind for two minutes. One day I took the air cleaner (silencer) whatever, off. With a mirror I noticed the little relief hole in the choke circle was left open! The spring had broken, such that the carburetor was taking in way too much air, defeating the choking action. A repair of this component resulted in a car that starts properly when cold.

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