Rough Idle - F134 w/Solex Carb

1964 with 134 and new (Installed five months ago) Solex carb. VERY - Extrememly cold natured since replacing the old carter - requires several minutes of choke to run when initially started in 90 degree weather. When warmed up idle is rough. May be lean on the setting side. I never adjusted the carb when I purchased it because initially is seemed to run OK. Please send suggestion on correcting idle/running rough and please help me identify which screw adjust the mixture on the Solex carb.

My guess - Lean mixture setting?

 

More info. It has always had a sputter which is evident when listening the the exhaust. I hear this is a timing issue? I have not adjusted the timing in three years nor have a I replaced the points in the three years I have owned the jeep. Plugs are one year old and look good.

 

Yes the idle starts to smooth out once it warms up past 120 degrees on the temp gauge. It requires the choke for a few minutes during the first start of the day.

I did not know the Solex tended to be cold blooded. I intend to check the timing and points and possibly richen the mixture a little.

Thanks for the information and quick responses.

Was your PETRONIX worth the $$$$$$$$$? I am considering buying the PETRONIX and dumping the old points.

 

My F-134 always requires a choke start first time I start it for the day. Doesn't matter what the ambient temp is, but the choke knob must be set one knucke out from the dash to start. At this point usually fast idles at 1800 for a couple of minutes and then starts to sputter if you don't push the knob back in to the dashboard. I am still running the Carter on it. And right now the out side temp here is 81ºF. Been this way since I bought it. Check your timing and point gap. Mixture is at the bottom of the carb on the left hand side as you are looking at it from the passenger side fender. Follow Adams directions here, though, I don't have the Solex, yet.R):hurrican:

 

Thanks for the advice gentlemen. Where is the best place to buy a petronix?

 

http://www.geneseeproducts.com/

You may find some a bit cheaper but IMHO you will not find any better customer sevice. Make sure you know which distro you have so you get the correct kit. I had a problem with mine and they suggested I send them my distro and they will install and test it. In the end they replaced a part and mailed it back to me free of charge.

BTW it is a simple install I just manage to screw up the simplest of tasks sometimes.R)

 

I guess I'm officially an old guy ... turned 51 this year. I like all the new stuff ... electronic ignition, etc. I bought an old Jeep to take myself back to simpler times, as when I was a kid.
Adjusting the point gap will get one NO where: adjust the dwell angle. Example: I adjusted the gap to .020 ... it ran, ok. Adjusted dwell to ~40° ... resulted in ~.035 gap (with new points). Set timing to ~8° BTDC and idle to about 600. Jeep don't care to start w/o the hand throttle set at about 1000 rpm (empherical). No choke. Choke R bad, it just needs rpm in temperate climates till op temp. Had a lean miss @ idle recently ... afforded jeep a little more juice via idle mix. Good to go now. I have a Carter YF 951. There is science and "art" to an old machine. A guy has the choice of embracing that or doing something different. Neither is better than the other. From my standpoint: just make it run so you can come home and drive it everyday, if you choose. Jeep likes daily attention

 

Gents

I adjusted the idle mixture and reducted the idle speed and the machine runs noticably better. My points look OK and will check when I get a dwell meter from the old man. I did clean up the plugs also which may have contributed to the better runningmachine. Thanks for the info because my next purchase will be a petronix.

Thanks

John

 

Just a courtesy reminder to make sure timing is, at a minimum, 5° BTDC (when points are set per dwell) ... more is usually better, as long as it doesn't ping. With a good distributor, ie, good bushings, no weak or broken advance springs, etc, points should be bullet proof for an absolute minimum of 10K miles

 

UPDATE

Installed a Pertronix electronic ignition and uppped the idle it starts and runs beautifully! I highly recomend the pertronix - worth e very penny!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I put Pertronic in a while back and noticed a great improvement. Also, I learned that if I let the electric fuel pump run for a couple of minutes to fill to float bowl, it starts right up. The guy I bought the electronics from told me not to leave the key on for extended periods of time, so I think I'll install a momentary switch on the pump in order to primp it.

 

Where did you find the electric pump? I will replace my mechaniocal with an electircal when it fails.

 

It was already installed when I bought the Jeep, but they can be found at most FLAPS or online. You don't need a big, high-volume or high-pressure pump for the F-head.