Won't Start when cold

[Graham]

Before Christmas UOV threw a tantrum and refused to fire up (not nearly as big as the one I had when the bl@@dy thing wouldn't start !) anyway I knew there was an issue with the carbs being badly worn, the car was running VERY rich even though the carbs were adjusted fully lean.

 

So carbs went off to Andrew Turner and have recently returned looking rather better than when they went. I dully re fitted the carbs full of expectation .......but to no avail, still wouldn't start. So went through the whole routine that I did before Christmas checking electrical system, changed coil and condenser just in case, points are new, rotor arm is a DD one, when the car spins with a plug shorted to the block, clearly got a spark, timing checked and is 4 deg BTDC.

 

What will make it start is a shot of easy start and once the engine starts and warms it now runs like a Swiss watch ( well by comparison with how it did prior to carb rebuild) have checked choke mechanism and it appears to be working. When warm the car also starts on the button.

 

Any suggestions as to what to do next gratefully received !

Edited March 28, 2018 by Graham

[stuart]

Presumably fresh fuel first then if you have NGK plugs and they are new and have been drowned by the previous rich running then fit a new set as theyre not keen on getting wet when they are new, fine after they have been run for a few hundred miles.

Stuart.

[RobH]

Silly question perhaps but are you sure you are pulling the choke out far enough? If these are H6 carbs the knob comes out a good 2 inches for full choke - and can be very stiff so that you can be fooled into thinking its fully open when it isn't.

[RUBY131]

With you on the NGK plug issue Stuart, cleaned them a couple of times but as soon as it came to heavy choke they broke down until engine really hot, so I cooked my soaked plugs with a blowtorch then cleaned with a brass wire brush and they perform spot on.

[Don H.]

Silly question perhaps but are you sure you are pulling the choke out far enough? If these are H6 carbs the knob comes out a good 2 inches for full choke - and can be very stiff so that you can be fooled into thinking its fully open when it isn't.

 

+1. This is the trick on my car.

[Motorsport Mickey]

 

What will make it start is a shot of easy start and once the engine starts and warms it now runs like a Swiss watch ( well by comparison with how it did prior to carb rebuild) have checked choke mechanism and it appears to be working. When warm the car also starts on the button.

 

Any suggestions as to what to do next gratefully received !

 

 

Yes, throw away the easy start before you break the top rings !

 

The explosive mixture is too much for them, there is a product called Start Pilot which is a fast burn mixture which does the job more sympathetically without the breaking rings syndrome.

 

Mick Richards

[Lebro]

+1 for not enough choke

 

Bob.

[RogerH]

What will make it start is a shot of easy start and once the engine starts and warms it now runs like a Swiss watch ( well by comparison with how it did prior to carb rebuild) have checked choke mechanism and it appears to be working. When warm the car also starts on the button.

 

Any suggestions as to what to do next gratefully received !

 

 

Yes, throw away the easy start and Use the now imfamous 'Start You Bastard'

 

 

 

 

 

[roybr]

Try a compression test, could be a burnt exhaust valve.

[Guest]

+3 choke.

 

Back in the 90s I spent a complete Spring Break week because my Spitfire 1500 wouldn't start. Same symptoms. It turned out that when I pulled the choke, the outer cable moved up against the back of the dashboard thus leaving the inner cable more or less untouched... the effect of pulling the choke was hardly noticeable.

[RobTR3]

Agree with all comments regarding the choke being pulled out 2" or so, but as well as the jets being pulled right down, does the link rod to the fast idle cam open/push up the throttle stop? It won't start otherwise! Just had recent experience of this quite simple 'out of adjustment' setting. Adjusted the cam correctly and it fires up from cold on the button.

 

Rob

[iain]

+5 for choke, plus check all the fast idle adjustment........been there got the T-shirt.....35 years later

[Graham]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions I have:
Ditched the easy start
By bracing both feet either side of the choke knob and grasping it with both hands! Found another 1/2 " of travel on the choke but now found the Clevis on the linkage fouls the cable bracket.
Found I may have a dodgy spark plug as when I tried earthing it on the block I didn't get a spark , it had worked fine the day before ? changed the plug got a spark so new set of plugs ordered.

Have also checked the throttle 'advance' mechanism on the choke and this was a bit shy of the mark as well

Edited March 30, 2018 by Graham

[littlejim]

 

What will make it start is a shot of easy start and once the engine starts and warms it now runs like a Swiss watch ( well by comparison with how it did prior to carb rebuild) have checked choke mechanism and it appears to be working. When warm the car also starts on the button.

 

Any suggestions as to what to do next gratefully received !

 

 

Yes, throw away the easy start and Use the now imfamous 'Start You Bastard'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ancient post by Roger was about an Oz product, with an interesting name, to help start the TR.

With your summer coming up thought you might like to know about this Oz insect repellant with an equally interesting name.

 

ou add your own four letter word in front of "off!"

My guess is "buzz".

(Having a few probs with the editor - now giving up.)

Edited April 3, 2018 by littlejim

[Paul Down]

Graham,

 

As Stuart mentioned earlier in the thread have you put new fuel in the tank.

 

After this winters lay up my 3A was reluctant to start even after :

 

Priming the carbs with fuel

Pulling the choke right out

Using a mains starter in parallel with the battery to give it an extra jolt.

 

Even after prolonged trying it only spluttered and backfired.

 

Put 10 litres of fresh fuel in the tank.

 

It started first time!

[Ian Vincent]

At the end of last year for the first time I used a fuel preservative / conditioner and starting the car for the first time for a couple of months was very easy whereas in previous years I have had to drain the fuel out of the carb float chambers and top up with new fuel.

 

The one I used was called Lucas Fuel Stabiliser and was green although the current offering appears to be blue.

 

http://www.lucasoil.co.uk/products/fuel-treatments/lucas-fuel-stabilizer

 

Usual disclaimers, but this stuff seems to work.

 

Rgds Ian