Ether, sold as starting fluid, can be helpful in bitter weather for some
engines. One must be careful with the stuff and get it into the cylinders
where the spark plug can fire it and help to ignite the fuel/air mix already
present. If ether is in the air cleaner it can ignite there, which is not a
pleasant experience for air cleaner or the hand of the person spraying it.
Where and what was the MG that was said to have needed it? My '75, used as
daily driver in Maine during the 1980s, would start reliably down to about
-20F. Below that temp a quick shot of ether was helpful, but R&R of the air
cleaner is not a pleasant task when ones fingers stick to the metal, so I
rarely used it. Sometime in the late 1960s I had my TD in Stowe VT on a ski
weekend. At -30 it wasn't really interested in starting, but by using both
electric starter and the starting handle it did sputter then run. Starting
fluid is most useful these days as something to spray on stuck nuts & bolts.
The cold from its evaporation helps to free the bonds of "frozen" steel.Bob
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Bert P <palte@gmx.net>
To: mgs@autox.team.net
Subject: [Mgs] Ether - when required?
Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:58:18 +0100
"The car has one deficit: It needs a shot of ether after a cold night".
This quote is from the "The Worst MGB ever" thread's original ad.
Q:
Can someone explain this? Under what conditions do you need ether to
start a car?
Sounds somewhat exotic to me....
Bert
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