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Technical => Spud Miller's Cave => Topic started by: spitzerscott on April 18, 2016, 05:47:54 PM

Title: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 18, 2016, 05:47:54 PM
Just looking for suggestions on what would make a N/A Mechanical Fuel Injected, Alcohol engine hard to start?  I know there will be lots of questions, I installed an on board primer system and still need to prime it.  Looking for your help.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: Curly1 on April 18, 2016, 06:22:32 PM
They can be a pain in the tail even with a primer system. It took me a while to get my primer set right and the timing on it right to make it start. Now I have to hit primer for about 3 seconds and then hit starter switch and it will fire but will not stay running with out primer until pump kicks in about 5 to 10 seconds. I tried gasoline and E-85 but plain old alcohol seems to work best in my primer system.
It just takes a little time to get it set up right.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: dreracecar on April 18, 2016, 06:29:16 PM
When was the last time the pump was serviced???  Will it light on gas???, has it started before and this is a new issue??? Does it light and then just quit or does nothing??? Is there fuel in the tank???
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: ricardo1967 on April 18, 2016, 09:31:04 PM
I had a hard start case once that was caused by a debris keeping the bypass from seating. Of course I screwed up part of my tune until I found the root cause...
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: Paul New on April 19, 2016, 11:19:12 AM
I had a hard start case once that was caused by a debris keeping the bypass from seating. Of course I screwed up part of my tune until I found the root cause...

I had the same issue come up on my idle bypass in my early days of injection. Pressure check all your check valves make sure they are pointed in the correct direction also
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: wideopen231 on April 19, 2016, 11:47:51 AM
Type of ignition? How fast is mjotor turning with starter. If its mag they don't like slow spinning motor much.

If cooler out a 50/50 mix of gas and alky in squirt bottle works.

My routine(non primer system) squirt of fuel ,hit starter and once spinning hit mag.
with primer I get pressure in system,shut primer off,hit starter,hit fuel and them mag.May seem it takes to long but if done right its only cpl seconds to fire up.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: JrFuel Hayden on April 19, 2016, 12:27:58 PM
With our Jrfueler, we use a 24 volt [ two 12 volts in series] remote battery pack, because we can have our crew guys start the motor, and then not have to carry the battery weight in the car. We just use a spray bottle to prime the motor, I perfer just alky so I don't color my plugs with gasoline. You may have a problem with not spinning the engine over fast enough. Also check with FIE or Hilborn about idle  by-pass pressure.  Also if your fuel tank/ line is too low, your FI  pump may have a hard time pulling the fuel into the pump.
 Hayden sells a 24 volt 10 lb battery pack, so even if you want/ need to keep the battery in the car, it's super light.
We need the 24 volt system because of the mag and the 16;1 high compression, and we just use a high performance 12 volt starter, with no problems for 8 years.

Jon, 800-624-3803, 805-444-4489, cell
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: George on April 19, 2016, 02:14:37 PM
We prime our first start of the day with gas then change a couple plugs. The MSD 12LT needed a little extra speed so we added a Powermaster 9450  153T High speed mini starter .Still 12 volt system. All good.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: wideopen231 on April 20, 2016, 06:13:06 AM
Another thing that might effect cranking if spinning slow is cable's.Size of both positive and ground cable .How its grounded will also effect it. Chassis is not best conductor if posible ground to block or as close as can. Just a thought. Again if cranking speed is not issue then this is just wasting space post.LOL
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: dreracecar on April 20, 2016, 07:53:51 AM
still waiting for the OP to respond ???
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 20, 2016, 05:20:42 PM
Engine starts decent when I can prime it by hand.  With my scoop on I need the primer,  I have a MSD 7al/plus, pro-billet dist., and a pro-power coil. Starter is a Jegs pro-starter, and it cranks over fine, I don't think I have a fire problem or slow cranking.   Pump flowed by Spud.  I just think that what I was using from the bottle was a lot more than this primer puts out, am I just not giving it a large enough shot? I am trying not to wash the cylinders down.  Or am I just being a pussy?
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: Paul New on April 20, 2016, 05:46:33 PM
Disconnect the on/board primer and squirt it into a container, next use the amount of fluid and see if it will start. I imagine your not giving it enough fuel
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: dreracecar on April 20, 2016, 05:50:20 PM
I vote PUSSY!!!
Did not mention if this was a tunnel ram or stack injector?
You need a volume of gas to create enough vapor to get thing to lite
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 21, 2016, 04:33:29 PM
You may be right.  I checked the spring pressures, main=2psi, secondary=20psi.   Single butterfly injection on a Hurricane single 4-barrel intake. Runs great once it is started.   I will do a test with my bottle and check that out.   Thanks
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 22, 2016, 10:29:47 AM
Also barrel valve is set at 25% leakdown. I will try my test to fill my primer bottle this weekend and let you know how it turns out.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: masracingtd1167 on April 23, 2016, 06:08:27 AM
Scott I use the Rons Primer plus with a single nozzle in the center of my tunnel ram manifold . I have it hooked up with a push button switch so I can push it a few times to keep the motor running if it starts to die out . I empty out my fuel system after a race so the first start up at the next race I have to prime it quite a bit to get the fuel lines full . After the car if warmed up it will only take a couple of like 1 second taps on the button to fire it .   
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 23, 2016, 09:25:10 AM
I have mine plumbed into my distribution block, I hooked a fuel pressure to the primer line and my small electric pump is making 8psi.  On top of that I am running it through .028 nozzle jets.  Wondering if that's enough psi?   By the way, 336C.I. SBC.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: masracingtd1167 on April 23, 2016, 11:13:44 AM
are you priming with gas or alky ? If it is cold out it's harder to get alky to light ! My system is totally separate from my main fuel system and I use a small little 1 quart tank for gas 
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 23, 2016, 04:44:53 PM
I have tried both, plan on using Alcohol, as that is what's in the lines anyway.  My set-up looks pretty much like the pic.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 29, 2016, 11:03:26 AM
Do you guys start priming before you start cranking, or prime and crank at the same time?
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: dreracecar on April 29, 2016, 11:16:15 AM
Prime- spin- ign, at least thats how we do the blown cars
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: spitzerscott on April 29, 2016, 11:40:10 AM
I had another thought, didn't hurt much,  I come out of my fuel tank, under/behind seat, into a 2" diameter 12" long stainless steel fuel filter, and then about a 16" long -10 line to my pump.  Could this fuel filter be making it harder to start? I have read some of you do not run a filter between tank and pump.
Title: Re: Hard to start
Post by: Paul New on April 29, 2016, 12:21:11 PM
If you are priming your car it should start on that; yes quite a few of us do not run filters. I did run a filter between my tank and pump back when I was injected and had zero starting issues. with multiple connection points you could be getting an air leak which I think would just lean you out not make it hard to start.... maybe