A Cold Starting System

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Insert your copper tube into the opposite end of the elbow and attach the entire assembly to the air filter cap.
Insert your copper tube into the opposite end of the elbow and attach the entire assembly to the air filter cap.
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Drill a 7/16
Drill a 7/16" hole in the air cleaner cover at the spot you've chosen.
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A cold starting system overcomes the challenge sub-45° poses for alcohol fueled vehicles like this one.
A cold starting system overcomes the challenge sub-45° poses for alcohol fueled vehicles like this one.
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Solder a brass metering jet to the tip of the
Solder a brass metering jet to the tip of the "nozzle holder" once you have it in place.

In “Fuel Conversion: An Experimental Dual Fuel Truck,” we described the process of converting a gasoline-burning automotive engine to operate on home-brewed ethyl alcohol. We also specified the particulars of rigging up a dual-fuel system that would allow the vehicle to run on either alcohol or gasoline with only a minimum of “switchover” tinkering.

Now with winter upon us, it’s time to go one step further with that conversion and describe how to construct a fool proof and inexpensive cold starting system.

Back to Basics

As you know, alcohol fuel is desirable from a safety standpoint, since it is not dangerously volatile as is gasoline. This advantage, however, can become a minor problem during the winter season (when the temperature is below 45°F) because the carbureted ethanol fuel has a tendency to remain in liquid form as it passes through the engine’s intake manifold rather than turn into a mist-like vapor as it should.

So, faced with this knotty problem, MOTHER EARTH NEWS’ researchers came up with a low-cost, easy answer: they merely inject a fine stream of gasoline—taken from the auxiliary fuel supply—directly down the carburetor throat. The minute spray is adequate to start the engine and keep it running till it’s warm enough to utilize pure alcohol fuel.

  • Published on Nov 1, 1979
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