Spasmodic Startup Behaviour

[straughsberry]

Hey All. Had the new bottom end in for 2600KM now and its sweet. Even though it's a stocky with no mods or tunes at all, it seems to pull harder, especially from 4k.

Getting on topic. I've had this problem since I bought the car where at seemingly random times it wont start easily. It's like when your old carby motor floods and seems to want to start but chugs and splatters for a bit then fires up in a rougher than usual manner. When this occurs, the procedure I usually follow is not to hold the starter on for more than a few seconds on subsequent attempts. If it doesn't start, I let it rest for a few seconds and then go again. It mostly starts on the 2nd attempt. The odd thing is that during the rest period, if I leave it for over 5 seconds, the oil pressure warning flashes and beeps 4 times with the motor not running.

Has anyone seen or heard of this behaviour?

[senna_T]

is your oil system in proper working order? levels, filters and oil pump all working properly? does it have any other traits? whats the fuel & oil consumption like?

[sleeper69]

Are you using a real thin oil???? My oil light used to come on now and again and be hard to start asked my tuner and he said try a thicker oil as I was using mobil1 'gold' (very thin Like water) hasnt come on since and been easier to start too... Dont know if this could be your problem????

[RHR]

what I always do when starting in the morn when cold it turn the key to the "reds" and listen for the fuel pump to stop. Its hard to hear and the pump noise comes from the rear of the car. When the pump stops I start the car and no probs.

It happens to me on the odd occasion

Also you might want to give the throtle body a clean out with carbie cleaner

Rob

Edited 14/11/07 07:24 AM by revheadrobbo

[TOM1111]

why the built motor on a stocker???

[xf_turbo]

Do you start the car up cold, move it a short disctance then turn it off. eg moving it so missus can get out? They have common problem with cams getting stuck while cold. Fix it so have foot to floor while cranking. Or to aviod, let engine idle for a bit or warm up before shutting it off.

[EZ2CME]

Mine does the same. Only on cold starts and only occasionally. But it always starts first time. Just sometimes takes a bit longer to start.

[BTA Motorsport]

check your fuel pump bleed back valve or fuel pressure regulator.sounds like it needs too prime the fuel up too start,with your oil problem change too a different grade,sometimes built motors like different grades.

Edited 14/11/07 09:31 AM by BTA Motorsport

[straughsberry]

Hey all thanks for the info.

The replacement motor is a stock post 05/06 Typhoon short motor (I know, they're the same from 06/06 on) because this was the cheapest and fastest option for me - $2200 delivered. In my opinion. It replaced a BA short motor so I did valve springs (Nizpro) and fitted Kostecki Oil pump gears while I was there. Hoping to rev it a little more and produce that huge torque at higher revs. My every day tune will be sub 300 rwkw with a "race" tune somewhere below 350 rwkw so this fit well.

As far as I know, the oil pump is OK. Fuel consumption after doing 1000 odd highway k's over the last 4 days was 10.1 and it doesn't uses oil. The symptoms never happen on cold start and I rarely do the start-move-stop thing. When it does happen, the motor had reached temp. It has occured with different brand oils incluidng 10/40 and 15/40 grades. I am currently using a second lot of oils since fitting the donk 4 weeks ago. At 1000k I fitted a new filter an Castrol 15/40 GTX 3 (mineral oil). At 5000 I will begin to use a synthetic.

The fuel pump bleed back valve or fuel pressure regulator sounds like it fits the bill as far as the starting issue. It seems to want to start but is either starving or flooding. I would say it sounds more like it's flooding than starving for fuel. The problem has been there with both short motors. The stock BA and stock Typhoon. I'll get it checked.