Ye 'Ol cold start thread

[8v-of-fury]

Me gots the tools for the jobs b'y.

I will either check where it is now.. or frig around with it after i get it resealed..

[8v-of-fury]

Alright, so I never did pull the pump for a reseal. Because i (in my head) ruled out a fuel leak down as I had no air bubbles what so ever in my feed or return lines, yes they are clear. I did check my timing and it was at a high 1.00mm I can't recall why i set it so high.. but i did. So I took it down a few notches to 0.90mm and it still is starting like a queer, possibly even worse.

Here is what happens. I'll hit the plugs for 15 seconds (yes i like to get em extra hot), I have tested my particular plugs and they don't even star to glow till after 5 seconds, and are not fully glowing until 20 seconds. So I glow, while im glowing my electric fuel pump is also on, then let off and start to crank. With the reduced timing the cranking is much much quicker, and smoke starts to billow from the tail pipe but no firing off. I am stumped. it will eventually catch then run like a bag of hammers for over a minute.. sputtering smoke and missing all over the place.

[DieselBalz]

I may be a complete moron with what I am gonna say, but what you are describing sounds like what happens when on the rare 38 degree morning, I forget to pull out the cold start advance, glow it and start. It sputters misses and makes other displeasing sounds until I pull the cold start. Since thats an advance, wouldn't you want to advance your timing?

[8v-of-fury]

I had it advanced. 1.00mm, and then i backed it down to 0.90mm because it was having a hell of a time starting and when it did it was a clatter basket. So i figured i was too far advanced.. so i backed down to the stock setting of 0.90mm. But now it seems worse? LoL

Pulling the cold start, which i tested when i had the gauge in there, advances the timing 0.10mm. So when I pull the CS it advances my timing to 1.00mm. Which is where I had it set static before anyway. So what the hell is happening here? after it starts and runs the rest of the day its pretty much fine, even if it sits a while.

[madrogers]

simply solution, plug the old blockheater in, the engine will love you for it , most wear happens on a cold engine. you said it starts good the rest of the day . the $ you spend on elec. wil cover the fuel on a cold startup.
do you have any ideal on your cranking rpm or starter drag. my wifes 1.9 was slow to start  rpl the starter and bang it was a new car starting again , it took 10 years to get to that point  but you could hear the crank rpm go way up. 

[8v-of-fury]

Ahh actually I did plug it in once last week. It was -20c out . I plugged it in 2 hours before i left the house, and when i came out i could hear the cooling sizzling. she was DAMN hot. It did not make the start any different, it still took forever to start.

On the starter, not the problem. It is cranking very quick. Gasser quick, as I have a 1000cca battery in there from an f-350.

[burn_your_money]

You have the synthetic in there now right? Do you push the clutch in when cranking?

[8v-of-fury]

Yes I have the 5w40 full-syn in there, what an increase on mileage it has!

Oddly enough I do not push the clutch in, I start it in neutral clutch out all the time...

Here's a stupid tidbit, this morning (0 degrees) it started just fine, albeit with a rough idle.. But it didn't crank more than twice..

[ORCoaster]

How about this?  Your glows don't come on till 15 seconds into the cycle and you turn them off shortly after that, 20 seconds.  Double cycle them then try a cold start. 

I would half the timing change and go back to .95 mm to see if that gets you better starts. 

And just what condition are the injectors in?  I would be pop testing them in the cold to see if some weirdness with cold expansion is having some effect on delivery. 

All the other normal issues seem to be taken care of, slow starter, bad battery (honestly an F350?), fuel in the lines, timing and leaks. 

Oh you mentioned you don't drop the clutch when starting, but do you give it that 1/3 down on the accelerator?  That seems to help mine as it allows fuel to be delivered and pulled to the pump and not incur a restriction of any sort on the pump.

Yeah, scratching our heads here too.

You need a garage man, 50 degrees F (10C) , not a problem starting then right?

[burn_your_money]

Try pushing the clutch in and see what happens. I agree that .95 might be better

[8v-of-fury]

How about this?  Your glows don't come on till 15 seconds into the cycle and you turn them off shortly after that, 20 seconds.  Double cycle them then try a cold start. 

Depending on the temperature, I could burn the plugs for up to 30 seconds. Doesnt change.

I would half the timing change and go back to .95 mm to see if that gets you better starts. 

And just what condition are the injectors in?  I would be pop testing them in the cold to see if some weirdness with cold expansion is having some effect on delivery. 

I have no idea on the injectors, I wanna say good? I run ATF and Diesel Power Service regularly.

All the other normal issues seem to be taken care of, slow starter, bad battery (honestly an F350?), fuel in the lines, timing and leaks.

Yup one of the two out of an f-350, not only that but the battery is a reman and ATLEAST 5 years old.. it was around in the truck before i knew of it.. so 5+ years old, still measures at 12.61V. This was in my 81 just after i got it out of the barn it sat in for 6 years and running. 



Oh you mentioned you don't drop the clutch when starting, but do you give it that 1/3 down on the accelerator?  That seems to help mine as it allows fuel to be delivered and pulled to the pump and not incur a restriction of any sort on the pump.

Yeah, scratching our heads here too.

You need a garage man, 50 degrees F (10C) , not a problem starting then right?

I'll try dropping the clutch next time, see how that helps.. i do have fresh 75w tranny oil, so i dont think it adds too much to drag. I do push the accelerator down the little bit, but only recently as of this problem. I have a 2 1/2 car garage, or a 4 mk1 garage . But it is currently my tools and my '67 Cougar. This was taken after top end gaskets, and figuring out the bastard wiring the PO did to get the 87 motor and its electronic distributor in there.. She runs real good though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3jOpUS_8k

[theman53]

Absolutely love your battery hold forward. I did something similar, did you put cardboard and rubber between the rad and batt like I did too? On the MK2 there is a bolt there that wanted to rub a hole in my battery.

You really need to get a timing cover too.

[8v-of-fury]

Haha, the battery is too big for the tray! But this was in a car that wasn't driven. Now its held in by a bungee cord legit, and I've passed two certifications that way too. I have the timin cover, but I've also done 20,000km without it. Lol I like to live on the edge.

[ORCoaster]

Beware, you can only stack so many silly and foolish actions on top one another.  Then they come crashing down like a rabbit off a cherry picker.  Good thing once the engine is out most of the weight is off the front end.  New years resolution for you should be to factor in a small factor of safety in your day to day actions. 

[BillyWillicker]

Yea, about that bungee cord....  Thats how I got my Jetta, the too big battery bounced while going around a corner and smacked the rad fan, fried the engine.  Instant $100 car.  Thats how I gots my diesel!  Lemme know when that happens to yours, I'll beat the scrapyard on price!