SLOW START<LONG CRANKING TIMES

[Rabbit TD]

Is there one of the screws on the 1.6 T/D pumps that have anything to do with how much fuel is injected that could cause long cranking times to start the engine, even when warm?  Timing is 1.0 m/m and pump is not leaking and compression is great. The engine runs great, almost no smoke, starts smooth on all 4 cyls. when it fires and idles fine even when it's cold.  When it finaly decides to start there is no big cloud of smoke to indicate a lot of extra fuel was in the combustion chambers from the long cranking. The pump even does this after sitting 10 min. and is always full.  I haven't touched anything on the pump as far as adjustments or had it apart or anything like that.  Just long cranking times with 2 different sets of injectors and Giles injectors on the way.  First thing I checked was is the pump full and is the timing right and have enough compression and I switched injectors but the problem does not change :cry:

[Rabbit TD]

Oh yes it cranks fine and has plenty of compression, it just seems to me to be pump related as I even switched injectors and it still is the same.  It just doesn't seem like it would run as good as it does if the pump was shot but I realy don't know anyting about it because it was on an old engine when I ebuilt everything else.  Like I said when it does finaly catch it goes off on all 4 as smooth as can be and no excess smoke from the long crankng making me think it's just taking too long to build pressure or something out of adjustment on it.  I haven't messed with the pump as I don't know much about them yet.  But I'm also interested in switching the LDA to my N/A pump as in the other thread about this if it turns out this pump is too weak or something.

[subsonic]

WHat was the compression? Any air leaks in the fuel lines or fuel filter?  Are the glow plugs getting power?  Even if the glow plug light comes on they could still be cold if a relay is down.

[arb]

sure souonds like slow cranking to me... Can you make a short video of this and post it to photobucket for us?

[jtanguay]

sounds like it could be a combination of things... bad glow plugs, air in the lines, and a bad starter?  it amazed me at how my car started with a rebuilt starter.  it was so bad that i thought my battery was going...

[arb]

sounds like it could be a combination of things... bad glow plugs, air in the lines, and a bad starter?  it amazed me at how my car started with a rebuilt starter.  it was so bad that i thought my battery was going...

Same here - one of my 1.6NA gradually started getting harder and harder to start. I thought the starter was fine... but when I replaced it, it sounded like a turbine engine starting it spun so much faster and started right away.

[Rabbit TD]

No the cranking speed is as fast as you would want, the starter came off the N/A engine which had 475 on all cyls and it started with just a bump with the cold start lever out after the first start of the day.  When I did the compression check on this engine I also verified the plugs were actualy glowing and they were all cherry red.  Compression showed anywhere from 450 to 480 on this new engine, about 1 hour on it at the time.  The timing is still 1.0 m/m, the cold start lever works like it sould and was carefuly adjusted for full travel each way and timming set in the warm position.  I can't swear about the lines sucking air but the lines are all new with new clamps, new fuel filter and the pump has been checked numerous times to make sure it is full before the cranking test, when you take out the inlet banjo bolt fuel leaks out around the threads as soon as you loosen it and the pump is full up to the top when you fully remove the fitting. It just acts like one of the stories you read when the main shaft seal leaks  and the pump leaks down and takes a while to get fuel but visualy it is full at the inlet fitting.  I thought about putting one of those check valves on the inlet line between the pump and filter and maby one on the tank to filter line as well but if the pump is full of fuel I really don't see the need and again this doesn't matter if the motor is cold or warm.  To me this motor doesn't have enough black smoke but I'm used to N/A's but this thing runs as good as I'd expect in all respects.  I've seen no more thn 10 lbs. of boost yet though but I still have the wastegate actuator hooked up like from the factory to start with.  I think I might try the residual fuel screw first if I start screwing with the pump, would that be the first one to start with and which one is it for sure.  1983 1.6  T/D CY engine. If I can't get this straightened out I'm gonna try the N/A pump from the other engine and put the LDA on it reading upon that  conversion first.  If all else fails then I guess it's off to Giles for a rebuild. As a last note the original inectors were all dry on the ends when I took them out thinking they might have been leaking down but weren't evidently.

[arb]

Sure takes you back to the pump....

[Rabbit on Roids]

start it up, get it warm, then take the injector lines off the pump, and see if you get fuel out of the delivery valves immediately after you start cranking on it (with the key on of course) its just my hair brained thought, but have you checked the stop solenoid? it almost sounds like its sticking, but that would be too easy of a fix! its never that easy w/ a vw..