I've searched a bunch on the forum and have been playing around with the car for a couple weeks now trying to get my EA81 running, but with not much luck. Since I've gotten my car, it's been gradually harder and harder to start when cold. One morning, it finally wouldn't start at all. It has plenty of fuel, new fuel filter, spark at plugs, turns over easily, etc. I've been able to get it started a couple times, and once it's warmed up, it runs perfectly, so I'm pretty sure the problem is with the choke.

 

The only way I've been able to get it started is to crank the car a ton of times, taking several minute breaks between attempts to play around with propping the choke open with a screwdriver. Perhaps my A/F is too rich when cold? I don't think it's just the choke, though, since the car doesn't really want to start no matter which angle I prop the choke plate at. Possibly related: my car doesn't do the high-idle warm up when you start it up. Instead it just stumbles a bit at ordinary idle RPM unless you manually hold the idle high a bit to get it warmed up.

 

Which element of the carb should I be looking at? The float bowl? Are there any guides to playing around with it?

It sounds like the choke isnt working properly. What year is the car? Or do you know what carb is on it? Have you changed the fuel filter?

have you tried starting fluid or any thing flammable like that? i mean shooting it down the carb or maybe a little gas.

if this makes no sense sorry i'm really tired

It's a 1983 EA81. The fuel filter is fresh, you can see plenty of fuel in the bernoulli tubes, smell fuel on the plugs after lots of starting attempts, etc. Fuel being there isn't the problem, but maybe there's too much? I've sprayed down the choke bits with carb cleaner and tried starting with it completely shut and propped completely open. I'm not sure what else to try at this point.

 

Yes, I've tried using starter fluid and it didn't really have any effect, which seemed a bit odd. There's plenty of fuel getting into the cylinders though, judging by the plugs.

Mixture is not adjustable on any of the stock carbs. Try pumping the gas while cranking to start it and then hold it at 2k rpms or so till it warms enough to run on it's own.

 

Rebuild the carb - the choke and high idle cam aren't working. Spring could be broken, etc. Till you do, adjust the choke housing so it's just open all the time and follow the procedure I outlined above to start it.

 

Or replace it with a Weber - much better all around. I have tossed all my Hitachi's in a dumpster. The Weber is awesome.

 

GD

have you examined the spark for qaulity and whatnot?? just an idea to throw out there.. i have no clue what might make it change when warm, but electricity does weird things at weird temperatures...

That was going to be my next recommendation. Has it had a recent tune up? Check the coil wire and see if theres any corrosion on the disty cap, check inside the cap also.