While I'm sure it doesn't seem cold to some of you, it was right about freezing yesterday morning. My shop is insulated, but I did not have any heat on. I went to start the TT to take it to breakfast. It has 5W-30 oil and was parked with the lever full forward (High Gear). I pulled the lever to parking brake position. I opened the mixture 1/2 turn. I pulled it through 3-4 pulls just to loosen things up. I pulled it through 1 more time with the choke on to prime. Next pull, it fired right up......ON MAG.
Could conditions have been worse? Most certainly! Would it have cranked just as easily under worse conditions? Maybe, but couldn't swear to it. Am I proud it did what it did? Y'dang skippy!
Good job Hal. Most of mine don't start well on mag even when it is warm. On battery they will usually start until the oil gets too thick. -4 outdoors. In the garage when it's -25 outdoors.
I hope you had a great drive to and from breakfast.
Rich
Hal, That's impressive. Did you have to advance the spark lever a notch or two as I have often read is necessary?
What type of carburetor and timer were you using? Thanks for sharing your experience with the stock ignition operation.
A few years ago I got a free start after sitting all winter. Sure surprize me.
That is impressive Hal! Mr. T (my TT) has never started on Mag that I have tried, although he runs fine on it. I've never done the "advance the spark" though. I just give up and crank start it on battery. Did it creep forward on you? I'm in Illinois so I have to get down on all fours and jack up the rear wheel to get it going or he would run me over. Driving the T in winter is lots of fun, especially with how toasty warm that tiny cab gets.
Yes, I always advance it a few notches to start on mag. It has a Holley NH and for the time being, an Anderson packed full of grease (Well, maybe not full, but a good handful). When it goes bad, I'm gonna try the TW.
It does creep sometimes, but I managed to get the lever pulled back hard and got no sign of creeping. I park on one of those pads that goes under one tire with the two little bumps to set the parking position each time. It could have been against the front 'bump'. I didn't notice, but it didn't try to climb over the bump if that was the case.
I didn't try for the free start. I set it on mag when I set the brake and richened the mixture. I crank right handed, so I wasn't too worried about the old "Choke it right handed with the switch off, then turn the switch on and crank left handed routine." It may have given a free start had I done the same routine with the switch off and then given it a try. I just didn't do it. It will give them all day long when warmed up, especially when you don't want it to, like when you're gonna let someone try to hand crank it.