Engine cutting out

[suffolkhare]

I have recently had a new battery fitted. I thought all would be ok as I have had the car serviced and it is kept in good order. However, I do have to keep it outside in the cold weather. I have noticed that the engine tends to cut out when I slow down at junctions. What could be the cause of this?

[autolycus]

It may be something as simple as the way you use the choke, if it only happens when the engine is cold. The first movement of the choke control shouldn't, if the carburettor is set up correctly, affect the mixture at all - it should just increase the tickover speed, and this is intended to help with the period when the engine is warming up but doesn't need choke as such to help it to run properly under load.

If it happens when the engine is properly warmed up, it may just be that someone has set the tickover too slow, or it may be a symptom that something else in the engine setup isn't quite spot on. Try increasing the tickover speed first, since it's easily done, easily reversed, and only takes a few seconds.

Kevin

[bmcecosse]

Just lift the idle speed -as above. But could be extra drag from clutch if it's going down too far.

[suffolkhare]

Thanks for your advice - I think it may be the way I use the choke. I always worry about leaving it out for too long! Please excuse my ignorance, but how do I adjust the 'tickover speed'? Is this something a novice can do? On a cold, damp morning, how long should I leave choke out? I tend to put a clothes peg in it to stop it going back in automatically, then leave it for about 5 mins.

[bmcecosse]

Should be able to push it in to half way almost immediately - and then in the last bit within a couple of minutes at worst. But does depend how cold !! The idle speed is adjsuted with screwdriver on the carb throttle plate stops! Diagram BBB5 on page BBB5 of the workshop manual.

[mike.perry]

I use the clothes peg method myself. If you give the end of the choke cable a half turn twist when you clamp it to the choke lever on the carb the knob should stay out by itself. The earlier design choke lever had a ratchet.
There are two small screws with springs wound around them on the side of the carb. One screws down onto a small plate, screw this one down a fraction and it will speed the tickover up. Run the engine up to operating temperature with the choke in before you adjust it. The other screw sits on a cam and adjusts the choke idle speed. This screw should be just touching the cam. When you pull the choke lever out the first part of the movement turns the cam and lifts the screw to increase the revs, further movement pulls the jet down to enrich the mixture for cold starting.

[suffolkhare]

Thanks for that - I shall try it later.

[xpress]

I fail to see how the cable doesn't spring back if you twist it up after the pinch bolt?