Engine misses when it's cold

[6packCuda]

Whenever I start my Cuda, it misses really bad for a while. If I run it at 1500-2000rpms for a minute or two I can hear it gradually smooth out one cylinder at a time. It seems to be missing on more than one cylinder at first. After it's good and warmed up, it runs perfectly smooth. Are some of my lifters just slow to get pumped up?

[Chryco Psycho]

how is the choke set ? are the idle mixture screws turned out evenly ? Where is the float level ?

[ntstlgl1970]

  w/CP, also, has the car always done this or did it just start doing this recently?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

I agree with the others. My car will run a little sluggish for a couple of minutes if the temp is below 50*F when I start it.


  Mike

[loco340cuda]

Whenever I start my Cuda, it misses really bad for a while. If I run it at 1500-2000rpms for a minute or two I can hear it gradually smooth out one cylinder at a time. It seems to be missing on more than one cylinder at first. After it's good and warmed up, it runs perfectly smooth. Are some of my lifters just slow to get pumped up?

My car does this same exact thing!  In talking to a few other people I have been told check how my choke is set.  I would check the items Chycro has suggested.  When I get back into town (currently out on business) this is the next item on my car for me to look into.  If you get this fixed in the next week or so, please post what you did to solve the problem, I'd be interested to see what you did to fix this. 

[6packCuda]

As far as choke setting, I don't know. I didn't know it was adjustable. It will run on fast idle until I hit the throttle to idle it down. Seems normal to me. Idle mixture screws are turned out evenly on the center carb. Don't know about the outboards. It has always done this since I've had the car, and I'm not too worried about it since it smoothes out nicely after it's warmed up. I was just curious if this was common. loco340cuda, I am also out of town on business and won't be home for a couple of weeks to mess with it.

[Chryco Psycho]

there are idle mix screws under the front of the bowls on the 6 pack outbaord carbs , they are under a steel cap sometimes & are threaded into the base plate

[6packCuda]

Thanks CP. That brings up another question I have. I thought only the center carb had an idle circuit, and the outboards acted as secondaries and only come into action under hard acceleration. Why are there idle mixtures screws on the outboard carbs?

[Chryco Psycho]

there si always some air that leaks past the throttle plates as they cannot be closed completely or they would stick closed so to prevent it running lean you need to add some fuel , generally the end carbs need 1/2 -3/4 of a turn out from closed position

[matt63]

The gas doesn't atomize and distribute very well with a cold manifold. 

[ntstlgl1970]

and gas isn't formulated for cold start driveablity on carbureted cars any more. Which doesn't help either.

[kudakidd]

The gas doesn't atomize and distribute very well with a cold manifold. 

Ding,ding, ding. These old big blocks are not cold weather (temperature) beasts.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Ding,ding, ding. These old big blocks are not cold weather (temperature) beasts.

   


Also, if you don't have the stock manifold setup, and have headers instead, then you don't have the heat riser thing to help with cold weather start-up. In other words, welcome to the club. 



  Mike