VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 starting my 28 capitol, throttle position

I have read that when starting my 28, i should place the right control in the full advance position,( forward towards the dash) and a little bit of throttle.

Choke the engine and when it starts, remove the choke and reduce the advance to full back position on the steering column and it should smooth out.

is this reasonable advice?

thanks

Paul

For a cold start you want to retard the spark by moving the right lever clockwise. Also move the left lever a little clockwise to increase the idle speed. Turn on the ignition switch, start the engine turning and pull the choke all the way out and then push it back in. The engine should start after a revolution or two. Once started rotate the right lever fully counterclockwise and you should note an increase in idle speed and a smoother idle. You may need to pull the choke partly back out to get it to keep running until the heat from the metal flexible tube gets to the carb. In hotter weather it will not need as much choke.

After it has run then it should not require retarding the spark or any choke the rest of that day.

You should retard the spark on every start hot or cold as this reduces the load on the starter motor.

I know that the "official" starting instructions call for retarded spark either hot or cold engine. It is a great practice if hand cranking! However, I have found that only when cold is it necessary to retard the spark. But when warm it is not necessary or needed. My experience is that when warm I can hit the starter pedal and pull my foot back as soon as the engine begins to turn and it will be running most of the time. I believe the reason for that is modern higher octane gas (burns slower than when manual was written) acts as a mild retardation of the timing and the gas air mixture is near the 15:1 optimum. When cold the mixture is much richer and begins to burn faster so retarding the timing is necessary to protect the starter.

Maybe I have mine advanced a bit too far but my engine wants to kick back as it turns over and almost stalls the starter if I don't retard the timing all the time when starting.

Arend, sounds like you do have the spark advanced too far for starting. Get that fixed so you don' t cause any damage to the flywheel gear.

This is how I set the timing for the 1928 engines in my two trucks:

1. Set cylinder one at top dead center (TDC) on the compression stroke
2. Set the timing lever to full retard position (pulled clockwise towards the driver)
3. Set the position of the distributor so that the points are on the verge of opening for the cylinder one wire

Then, whenever I start my engine, I always pull the timing lever to full retard so that the spark happens at or just past TDC. This prevents the engine kick back that you are describing.

A couple of moments after the engine starts, I shove the timing lever to full advance and leave it in that position while driving.

Both of my trucks usually start within the first two revolutions.

Cheers, Dean