BX refused to start, now backfiring

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NeilGP
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Re: BX refused to start, now backfiring

Post by NeilGP »

I think I have found the cause. I moved the BX this morning (from cold) 100 yards and switched it off to load up. about 20mins later tried to start it and the BX did the same as last week.
I did the usual, no joy, then jammed open the strangler (cold choke) flap and it started!

This was a originally a manual choke weber, so I'll need to get the original weber out and take out the auto-choke from the current weber and put the manual choke in.
Neil
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Re: BX refused to start, now backfiring

Post by Tinkley »

Worth trying a bit of carb cleaner through the autochoke passageways first. That is certainly an area on the Solex that can become a little 'gummy' and stop the autochoke from working properly. I would be surprised if the weber was not too disimilar.

FWIW the emmissions on my 1.6 have been from 0.14 to 0.15 Co which is a lot leaner than you seem to have managed. On my old 1.4 the garage kept telling me the engine would blow up as it had similar values..... :lol:
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electrokid
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Re: BX refused to start, now backfiring

Post by electrokid »

I'm out of step with most peoples' thinking on auto chokes - I like them :shock:

If the auto choke is giving trouble it could be anything from just a sticky mechanism to the whole coolant system starting to clag up - and you'll need to check both to make sure it's a permanent fix. (Most auto chokes depend on coolant temperature.)

But that's a benefit: if the coolant pathways are getting blocked then other things are about to go wrong anyway so it's a good idea to fix that now rather than waiting for stuff to fail. I've probably mentioned it before :roll: but if you're going to keep a car for any length of time then only top up the rad with de-ionised water and / or antifreeze (the old fashioned blue stuff in our case). If you don't want to keep the car for any length of time or just want to screw up the auto choke then top up with tapwater.
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Re: BX refused to start, now backfiring

Post by Tinkley »

electrokid wrote:I'm out of step with most peoples' thinking on auto chokes - I like them :shock:

If the auto choke is giving trouble it could be anything from just a sticky mechanism to the whole coolant system starting to clag up - and you'll need to check both to make sure it's a permanent fix. (Most auto chokes depend on coolant temperature.)

But that's a benefit: if the coolant pathways are getting blocked then other things are about to go wrong anyway so it's a good idea to fix that now rather than waiting for stuff to fail. I've probably mentioned it before :roll: but if you're going to keep a car for any length of time then only top up the rad with de-ionised water and / or antifreeze (the old fashioned blue stuff in our case). If you don't want to keep the car for any length of time or just want to screw up the auto choke then top up with tapwater.
Well, I prefer the manual version of the Solex at least from my 1.4 (and 1.6) experience!. Dead right on the coolant, electrokid, though mine is pink in colour..... :wink:
My 1.4 suffered from the dealer using tap water, and then a core plug rusted out..... :(

One way to ensure the waxstat in the Solex is free is to remove it and work it to and fro. Be warned, though the retaining spring has significant pressure on it and it is not too easy to replace it. I assume the Weber has similar. The passageways I was initially referring to are the ones that the petrol flows through rather than the coolant. Easy to ignore on the Solex as you need to unscrew some of the end of the autochoke mechanism to access them.
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electrokid
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Re: BX refused to start, now backfiring

Post by electrokid »

Yeah - I had the same deal on my 2 litre Granny - core plug rear of the engine - the one that costs 80p to buy and £80 to fit :( I spent a whole weekend clearing the crud out of its cooling system - chemical then flush then more chemical then more flush - backflush then flush etc etc - and the driveway was a light brown colour for some time afterwards.

That and some recon to the (Weber) carb was well wothwhile though - fuel consumption went down to 'ridiculously good'.

I looked into OAT antifreeze etc and concluded it wasn't the right thing in an older engine but I can't remember why - pink's not my colour anyway :roll:
1992 BX19 TGD estate 228K Rusty - SORNed
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Re: BX refused to start, now backfiring

Post by Tinkley »

Well, you were lucky, only £80. I think my bill was over 1k, car had done about 92k but it was engine out, new liner seals, clutch, radiator furred up so that had to be changed, etc etc. The rebuild lasted well, almost doubled the mileage until the locals cooked the head gasket trying to steal her. Mind you I think LRP had done quite a bit of damage compared to 4*, she just never ran the same with it.

Pink is the colour, well one of my favourites.

Actually I've used the blue and the intermediate turquoise green stuff as well, don't panic I have not mixed systems. They all seem OK, just with the very hard winters we have had and the extra life of the pink'un it seemed to be a good choice. A no brainer if you visit the Alps (not just the Surrey Hills :wink: ) in winter, -29 or so a few times when I've been there. Opposite end is Sicily in summer, +52 in the shade.....
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Re: BX refused to start, now backfiring

Post by citsncycles »

I've got red stuff in both the XM and Timex - the XM because it's what the Westons use, and I put it in Timex after it's thorough flushing as a result of the head faliure last year. I currently have a bottle of the clear stuff that's supposed to go with anything, but I've not tried it yet.

Oh, and I bought 25ltrs of deionised water for £9 last week!
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