Solex Electrically Heated Starter

[pquin]

I just received a Solex Carb (E-Bay purchase) that, to my surprise, has the optional electrically heated starter valve. Does anyone know how this should be wired in? I'm guessing it should be manually operated from its own switch, or was it wired in with the choke light switch?

Anyone ever had one of these?

TIA

Paul in Victoria
1961 SII 88

[mepham55]

Don't have one, but my new auto sparks wiring harness had a thick green wire which ran roughly with the wires to the generator and was for the optional Carb heater. I think its switched live.
Have a look near your generator/alternator or follow the wire harness back from the generator/alternator it may be hanging loose.

Matt

[pquin]

Thanks Matt,

I did a bit of poking around on the Series II club website and found some info. Seems that the heater version of the carb had its own special choke control knob with a second switch detent and associated wiring to turn on this heater. I'll have to look at what I have and make a workaround.

On the subject of carbs. This new Solex has been spray painted a silver faux chrome finish (!!). It seems to work okay but I'd like to strip it down and have the pieces cleaned up and the paint removed. Is there a suggestion for a good shop in Victoria that can clean aluminium carb parts?

Paul.

[mepham55]

You can do it yourself

http://www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-t ... a_blaster/

Or try U blast. But I think they only have walnut shells as the softest medium.

Matt

[island dormy]

HI Paul

My Dormobile had this same electric heater in the original solex carb. It is there to attempt to stop carb icing which surprisingly happens at tempuratures slightly above 0 C. Damp weather is also a major contributor to carb icing.

Any way to answer your question. If you have an original choke control there will be a green wire coming from the same fuse that feeds the coil. (Power when the key is on) It goes through the choke switch and then splits up into a light green wire which goes to your carb heater and a light green wire with a red tracer which goes to the choke light and then on to the choke mini thermastat switch which when it gets up to about 60C. turns the choke light on.
The light green wire will as Matt said come out of the wiring harness that goes to the generator. It has a bullet connector and another piece of wire (light green) to take it all the way to the carb. It should have power when the choke is pulled out.
If it works I would sure use it.

By the way carb icing still causes problems on little four cylinder motors. Our 2008 Chevy Aveo with fuel injection was recalled twice to fix throttle plate icing. The second solution they tried was to wrap the throttle body with the heater hose before it went to the heater. That seemed to work.

Good luck
Victor 1962 Dormobile

[pquin]

Thanks Matt and Victor,

I will give the soda blasting setup a try. It looks like fun. Not sure that soda will be up to the task of stripping all the paint off the carb though. Mighe have to resort to walnut shells for the outside.

I'm looking forward to trying out this carb with its heater as I do have a bad icing problem, especially when the humidity is 100% on these cold mornings...

Paul.