Starting issue

[Kishan]

Hi

I have an UK market TR5 that I bought about 18 months ago. It was fully restored and largely original. 
 

If I’ve not run the car for a couple of weeks, it takes a lot of cranking to get the it started. Once started it runs beautifully. 
 

Any thoughts on what this might be?

Thank you

Kishan

 

 

[Gary Flinn]

Hi Kishan

Presumably you have the standard Lucas Pump fitted?

On my car with the standard set up and pump, I always used to leave the ignition on for 30 seconds or so then try and start mine with full fuel enrichment (Choke lever out), it would normally fire up after the second or third turn of the key, running on 4, then 5 cylinders, I would then immediately push in the enrichment lever half way and with a bit of revving it would run on all 6 after a few seconds, I would then fully return the enrichment lever and it would idle ok after a minute or so.

There is a similar query on the TR6 Forum page and mention of the Injectors draining back fuel when left for any length of time, which could well be the problem

Gary

[stuart]

They also start better on fresh fuel.

Stuart.

[Kishan]

Thank you Gary and Stuart.  I will try Gary's method at the weekend and report back.  Best Kishan

[Andy Moltu]

If the PI's haven't run for a while turn the ignition key on and wait until you hear the note of the fuel pump change indicating that fuel pressure has been achieved, then crank it over. (Pointless cranking over until this stage has been achieved as there won't be enough pressure to open the injectors). Normally this is just a few seconds.

You will always likely have to crank it over a few turns if it's not run for a few days - the injector seals are not perfect and when you switch off a hot engine some of the fuel in the injectors may get hot enough to vapourise or simply dribble a tiny bit of fuel and some drain back past the non-return valves in the metering unit (we are talking Lucas). When it cools you will be left with a little air in the injectors which will need to bleed out as you crank it over before it injects fuel and the car can fire up.

Again full "choke" is best on initial start up, not just as en enrichment for cold starting but, bearing in mind it in reality it is not a choke but an enrichment device that operates a lever that operates the maximum fuel lever - considerably increasing the amount of fuel squirted at each injection.  Bigger squirt the quicker the injectors bleed.  Once the car has fired, full choke is usually too much and you will find that pushing it in to half or even less is all that is neded.