Starting a 1920s Pierce Arrow car.

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My method to start any updraft carburetor equipped Pierce:

Run the electric fuel pump until I can hear it slow down, which signals that the float bowl is full, and the needle has sealed against the seat.

Retard the spark about 1/2-way. [ the 1929 owners manual states ‘use full advance’, but I don’t like this ]

Pull the choke FULLY out.

Crank the engine 3-4 compression strokes with at least 1/2 throttle, all the way to fully open throttle.

Stop cranking, open choke to 3/4 to 1/2 closed, set throttle to slightly open, equivalent to a fast idle or ~1000-1200 rpm.

Turn on the ignition, start the engine.

The above procedure causes the carburetor main jets to let a lot of raw fuel to be drawn up into the intake manifold, in effect priming the intake with fuel and air. If the choke is not fully closed for the 3-4 compression strokes, inadequate fuel will be drawn into the intake manifold, and the engine will either fire on a few cylinders then stall, or not fire at all. These are big displacement engines, they need a lot of fuel to start when cold.

But a fully closed choke will also cause the engine to flood with too much fuel once the engine fires. So a 1/4 to 1/2 open choke is best when initially starting a cold engine.

Greg Long

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I think Greg’s description of choke management is very helpful and can very much save over exercising your battery charger!

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