Pierburg problem

[Niall]

I'm going to upgrade to a weber as soon as I have the money, (I'm working for £4.71 an hour so it'll be a while)

I had a pierburg 2e2 and the autochoke died and the engine started racing to about 3 / 4000 rpm. So rather than invest in a weber I foolishly bought another pierburg off .My father fitted the parts we needed and it seemed to solve the problem for about 10 minutes. Afterwhich the opposite happened, no when I turn the car over the choke seems to be getting a bit over zealous and chokes the engine until it stalls.

From my understanding the problem is that the carb is interpretting the engine temperature incorrectly and therefore reacting in the wrong way.

We are replacing the rad fan switch today anyway (radiator works but wont kick in). I was just wondering, is there a thermostat somewhere which controls the carb or does it run off the rad fan switch?

Or have I completly overlooked the problem?


tl:dr How does the carb know the engine temperature?

Cheers

Niall

[hyperdrinky]

On the pierburg 2E2 there is a water feed from the cooling system. Theres a little circular housing on the side of the carburettor which contains a bi-metal strip. The two metals expand at a different rate and coil round inside the housing. This opens a butterfly flap inside the carb, allowing more air into it once the carb gets warm. In addition to this there is a small heater element on the housing of the carb to prevent icing.

I know this because I have had the same issue with the spawn of satan that is the 2E2.

The Bi-metal strip could be your issue. Alternatively there may be crud jammed in the jets. I had this also. I took the carb off and stripped it down VERY gently so as not to rip any of the delecate gaskets.I then cleaned every part with carb cleaner and put it back together. Worked pretty well. Sorted the problems for me.

Mine still has issues now and again. I'm in the process of purchasing a webber to solve the problem once and for all.

James

[MrD]

(I'm working for £4.71 an hour so it'll be a while)

Ouch ! I get peeved if i am not earning over £60 p/hr.
Good luck saving

[Niall]

(I'm working for £4.71 an hour so it'll be a while)

Ouch ! I get peeved if i am not earning over £60 p/hr.
Good luck saving

Actually had a pay rise this month! now on £4.78 an hour

On a lighter note... carb appears to be working now

all it took was a new rad fan switch.... aaaaaaaaaaand oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, radiator flush, oil flush, oil change, autochoke and spark plugs

now I find out it needs new brake pads


having looked at it though, I dont think the rad fan switch ever worked... the connections are all wrong... The one that was in there (and has been in there for at least 7 years) had the wrong connections. Not to mention all the sediment at the bottom of the radiator.


Maybe I'll get on the road one day soon....

[Nate]

one tip for those wishing to cure their deaded pierburg autochokes - the smaller engined mk2 astra and cavaliers were fitted with a pieburg 2E3 carb, which uses basically the same autochoke unit. there is (or at least used to be) a readily available manual choke conversion for them. this retains the (when it's working right) vastly superior carb, but gives you manual choke.

or do what i did - wedge the choke permenantly open and just give it a whole load of gas pedal to start it