Absolute pig to start

abowie · Post by **abowie** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 9:30 am

I went to the panel shop on Sunday to start my S1.5.
It is there for a respray. I had dropped it off in January and thought that it was time to make sure there was still some oil in the top end.
I connected the freshly charged battery, put the choke to full and turned the ignition switch on to prime the fuel pump.
The pump just kept whirring despite the fuel filter bowl being full of fuel.
I assumed that maybe it had an air lock, and continued cranking the car over.
It cranked and cranked...and cranked. Occasionally it tried to fire...but died.
Eventually I remembered that I had removed the fuel tank....

flatfloor 3.8 · Post by **flatfloor 3.8** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:31 pm

Try this it works for me. Turn on the ignition and let the fuel pump run then lift the piston buttons under the carbs one at a time for a few seconds each. This raises the piston and needle and allows some fuel to enter the venture.Then start with choke as normal. Works every time.

David Oslo · Post by **David Oslo** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:37 am

abowie wrote:Eventually I remembered that I had removed the fuel tank....

Reminds me of a similar episode I had a few years ago. Turned out I had removed the rotor arm (my anti-theft insurance). Took a while to figure that out. Even longer to remember where I had hidden it !

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:13 am

flatfloor 3.8 wrote:Try this it works for me....... This raises the piston and needle and allows some fuel to enter the venture [sic]...Then start with choke as normal. Works every time.

This ought not to work, since it is the float needle that keeps fuel from running into the venturi, even if the entire piston assembly is removed, let alone lifted a few millimetres (along an unvarying parallel-sided section of mixture needle in the jet).

However, I take your word as true that your car starts very well after lay-up. Strictly-speaking the only way you could know if this tip is currently helping would be to try starting the car from extended lay-up without lifting the carb pistons every time and see what happens then. You'd have to do it several times with at least a couple of months between each start so that would be your driving season wasted.

May as well keep doing whatever turns her on. I'd be interested to hear if it works for others. As mine has twin Stranglebergs and the refurbed triple SUs are on the shelf, I'm not really in a position to check for myself.

malcolm · Post by **malcolm** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 12:03 pm

I have no tips to contribute, other than to say mine is the same. In fact, you can tell how many days there have been between starting according to how many times you have to turn it over - and it's precise! (Note: I only turn it over for a few seconds each attempt)
If it was started the day before, it starts first time.
If left for one day, it still starts first time..
Left for two days,it takes two turns.
Three days, three turns
four days, four turns.
And so on, until you get to more than 5 days when it still always takes 5 turns
Except after winter, it can be MANY turns

tim wood · Post by **tim wood** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:33 pm

Just thought I would drop back into this as I started the discussion.

Seems as we have many differing views with possibly the majority having experienced the issue and some having ways of getting around it.

I think I will try to be methodical starting with battery cranking voltage.

I'm confident with the edis that otherwise Sparks are ok.

Then I will move to carbs noting the comment by Pete on choke settings although I'm sure I set these according to the book.

I will be back soon !

Tim

tim wood · Post by **tim wood** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:33 pm

So today I had to give in and make a start to tidy up the garden after winter.

I dragged the mower from the shed where it has lain since September. No dehumidifier here.

This machine is 25 years old, serviced once in that time. It's a simple bit of kit, you know the type, turn on the fuel, pull back the throttle and yank the cord.

Second pull and off it goes! Totally unsophisticated and so simple. Doesn't mind stale fuel.
Maybe I should stick to to agricultural machines !

Tim

Ian Cooke · Post by **Ian Cooke** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:31 pm

I'm planning on getting mine out this weekend (the lawn mower that is) and hoping that it will be as responsive as Tim's!

As an aside to the cold starting discussion, I'm fortunate that my S2 is a pretty good starter even after a few weeks of inactivity but I'm wondering whether once she's started is it best to move off straightaway or let her warm up for a bit first?

Ian

NickJ · Post by **NickJ** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:48 am

Decided I'd fire her up yesterday, the first time since early October. Did not add fresh fuel so merely primed the fuel pump, pulled the choke out. Lo and behold after 6 seconds it fired up. Horrible noise then followed, so with heart in mouth traced it to the bonnet being in contact with the dehumidifier. Whew!

The car is kept under a sealed Airchamber with a dehumidifier pre-set to run for an hour a day. This even keeps the discs rust free. It is staggering just how much water is collected. Wee job to do first - yet another brake light switch - and then off for the first blast but we had snow this morning on the hills. Nick J Shrops. 1962 Series 1 FHC

pmansson · Post by **pmansson** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:26 pm

Today I tried your trick on my 3.8 which has been a real pig to start when it has not been used for more than 2 weeks. It made a very noticeable difference and took off on the second attempt, which wasn?t even very long. Before it was 5-10 attempts at 6-10 secs each.
Very happy. Let?s hope it works next time as well. It had been standing for over 3 weeks when I started it today.
Cheers,
Peder

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 11:31 pm

Peder,

Who's trick are you referring to?

Tony

pmansson · Post by **pmansson** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 3:56 am

Flatfloor; as I wrote in the Subject space.
My other E-types are normal, but this one has been like this since I got it about 10 yrs ago. CMC could not solve it either,j but again, I would like to see it work as well as yesterday when I get back here in a month?s time.

Post by **1954Etype** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:31 am

I agree with Pete. I can't see how lifting pistons prior to starting would help if we are to asuume that you are cranking in order to get fuel down the tracts.

How about giving the car a little blip and then turning it off? I could understand the theory of that working.

PeterCrespin · Post by **PeterCrespin** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:43 am

1954Etype wrote:How about giving the car a little blip and then turning it off? I could understand the theory of that working.

That's an old 2-stroke trick to leave some mixture in the crankcase. Not sure there's be much volatile left after several weeks, or that I'd want extra fuel washing the oil from the bores prior to lay-up?

Simon P · Post by **Simon P** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:12 am

1954Etype wrote:How about giving the car a little blip and then turning it off? I could understand the theory of that working.

Many moons ago a colleague of mine did that in a huge great Vauxhall that he'd just gone and treated himself to - much against the better wishes of his missus.

Having picked up the car at lunchtime, rather than head straight home with it it thought he'd take a couple of us down to the pub for a quick stiffener before going home to face the inevitable froideur that awaited him at home.

We pulled into the pub car park, he carefully guided it into a parking slot, and - forgetting that this car was also his first automatic - blipped the throttle, whereupon the car bellowed, shot forward and rammed straight into the cast iron lamp standard in front of us! Net result: front end staved in, bonnet pushed up and buckled, smashed and cracked radiator etc., etc. As the car was second-hand it was I believe a write-off before it had even made it as far as home, and I may be wrong but I also believe the insurance company also refused to pay up because the accident had happened on private land...

To add insult to injury we dragged the crestfallen Gary into the pub anyway to buy him a drink to try to cheer him up, and whilst inside the landlord came rushing in and said to the staff "Here, you'll never guess what: some prat's gone and written off their car in the car park!"....

:D

flatfloor 3.8 · Post by **flatfloor 3.8** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 4:21 pm

1954Etype wrote:I agree with Pete. I can't see how lifting pistons prior to starting would help if we are to asuume that you are cranking in order to get fuel down the tracts.

How about giving the car a little blip and then turning it off? I could understand the theory of that working.

Pete maybe right in theory and you can agree with him, I can only tell you what works on my car, and my brothers car also. When I say lift the pistons I just bounce them up and down a few times. Maybe this just lets a little fuel splash into the venture, enough to make the engine fire up. Sometimes what should not work in theory works in practice.

Post by **mgcjag** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 7:59 pm

HI.....Is that with the ignition on or off.....with it on the pump will still operate and push a bit more fuel rhrough....Steve

flatfloor 3.8 · Post by **flatfloor 3.8** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:39 pm

mgcjag wrote:HI.....Is that with the ignition on or off.....with it on the pump will still operate and push a bit more fuel rhrough....Steve

Ignition on and pump running.

christopher storey · Post by **christopher storey** » Tue Mar 31, 2015 9:29 pm

Well in that case you have leaking needle valves

flatfloor 3.8 · Post by **flatfloor 3.8** » Wed Apr 01, 2015 6:56 am

christopher storey wrote:Well in that case you have leaking needle valves

All the carbs were professionally re-built and set up not long ago and I can assure you that they do not leak.

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The 'E' Type Forum

Absolute pig to start

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