Hi, I am brand new to this club and have bought my first Vincent, a 1950 Comet.
It's in very nice condition indeed, has matching numbers, has just been registered with the VOC club etc and runs very sweetly and quietly, perhaps, due to it having been owned by a mechanic of 60 years prior to my recent uptake as its latest custodian. Anyway, to the point!
It is fitted with an Amal 289 and it loves to backfire upon trying to kick start it, seemingly laughing at me as it dribbles fuel all over the crankcase shortly after turning on the fuel taps. Actually, it loves to dribble fuel through the hole in the base screw thread of the carb, itself. This happens regardless of whether it's on the side stand or the rear stand. I have tickled it until it dribbles fuel out of the top hole in the float bowl and on separate occasions with very short tickling of only a few seconds without the characteristic dribble from the top hole. Fuel however, still dribbles out the base hole. Backfiring occurs on most occasions when kicking it over (when it does not catch to then start running).
So, how do I avoid this fuel leakage, the backfire and what damage could it do?
I only took delivery on Saturday, so am rather inexperienced with it, though it starts OK after just two or three kicks of following this procedure: open both fuel taps, switch on ignition, choke, on just about 1/4 way, tickle carb until fuel dribbles out top hole of bowl, gently turn over until TDC, pull on exhaust valve lever until past TDC, push down gently on the kick start lever, then kick the engine over whilst releasing the exhaust valve and pull on the throttle just a little. This is when it can back fire with some ferocity! It runs well when it catches, warming up nicely in conjunction with reducing the choke and pulls away in first gear cleanly and the throttle modulates nicely without any hesitation.
So, some advice would be wonderfuel
It's in very nice condition indeed, has matching numbers, has just been registered with the VOC club etc and runs very sweetly and quietly, perhaps, due to it having been owned by a mechanic of 60 years prior to my recent uptake as its latest custodian. Anyway, to the point!
It is fitted with an Amal 289 and it loves to backfire upon trying to kick start it, seemingly laughing at me as it dribbles fuel all over the crankcase shortly after turning on the fuel taps. Actually, it loves to dribble fuel through the hole in the base screw thread of the carb, itself. This happens regardless of whether it's on the side stand or the rear stand. I have tickled it until it dribbles fuel out of the top hole in the float bowl and on separate occasions with very short tickling of only a few seconds without the characteristic dribble from the top hole. Fuel however, still dribbles out the base hole. Backfiring occurs on most occasions when kicking it over (when it does not catch to then start running).
So, how do I avoid this fuel leakage, the backfire and what damage could it do?
I only took delivery on Saturday, so am rather inexperienced with it, though it starts OK after just two or three kicks of following this procedure: open both fuel taps, switch on ignition, choke, on just about 1/4 way, tickle carb until fuel dribbles out top hole of bowl, gently turn over until TDC, pull on exhaust valve lever until past TDC, push down gently on the kick start lever, then kick the engine over whilst releasing the exhaust valve and pull on the throttle just a little. This is when it can back fire with some ferocity! It runs well when it catches, warming up nicely in conjunction with reducing the choke and pulls away in first gear cleanly and the throttle modulates nicely without any hesitation.
So, some advice would be wonderfuel