I think it's electrical? Hard starting COLD- one thing leads to another....

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Getting ready for the car show this morning..... hard starting..

BUT ONLY ON COLD START... like after shes sat a few days.
This problem has been getting progressively worse. I've had NIKKI since 05, when I first got her she had the choke disconnected. Give her some gas let her sit 15-20 secs hit the key and boom! Running, keep your foot in it a little bit till she warms a little and you were good to go. Over the corse of time it took a little more cranking to get her to go. Ok so a few years ago I hooked the manual choke up (Brad the bracket you made still works great!  THANKS) Thinking this would help on cold starts. Which it did. Timing has been set @ 34 deg @ 3000 for a long time. I dont belive its a timing issue. Things have been getting progressivly worse. She did fire up fine the first "start" of the season when I took her over to my buddys to rebuild the front suspension. Starting her to get her back out of his shop ws quite an ordeal. working the gas and choke till she finally started. Temp in the shop was @ least 60 so a choke shouldnt have been needed, IMO.  Drove over to the alignment shop no issues, leaving the algnment shop no issues. She will always start warm. I've had ECU box problems on other MOPARS I've had. They always acted up when hot.... not cold.  Went home no issues.

So this morning, were going to the first show of the season. Its been raining here allot. Shes been sitting maybe 2 weeks. I start thinking to myself... I wonder if the carb is leaking down when she sits? I had this problem w the Quadra bog on my Pontiac. I had to throw some lawn mower gas down the carb, she'd fire right up. Ok , so I pull the Shaker off (I'm getting way to good at this) so I can look down the carb to make sure she's getting gas. She gets a good squirt absolutely no problem. I hop in, close the choke a bit.... think she'd start....    Now I'm pumpin' and chokin' I'm gettin pizzed off. The mini starter is getting a workout.  I spot a can of ether on the workbench. Give her a good blast......... NUTHIN'  I do it again... Nuthin'.  I'm really awre of NOT flooding her out at this point. I hit the key again she farts... ok I think. I hit the key again BOOM! Good thing I got a shaker hood... so the ball of flame had somewhere to go!  It sounded like an quarter stick went off in the garage- Next hit of the key she fires! I put the shaker back on... go the 35-40 miles to the show... no issues. @ the show for maybe 4 hours, one hit of the key she fires, no issues. Get her home , ya you guessed it.... no issues. 

I'm really getting concerned that I'm washing my rings out, I am using oil.  A ballast issue I had years ago happend hot or cold. Whats the collective wisdom here?? 

Thanks
BIGS

[Bullitt-]

Brother burdar was having a similar issue, seems there was a poor connection in the column harness
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=61201.msg915419#msg915419

I had a Charger once that was sensative to cold & damp that would not crank until I slapped the column harness, messed with the bullet connections and the problem went away. Could be issues in the bulkhead connector also.

[Chryco Psycho]

are yougetting a strong spark , check the reluctor gap in the dist too

[dodj]

are yougetting a strong spark , check the reluctor gap in the dist too

and the timing. 

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Colum... wouldnt have thought of that. Thanks Wade.  Neil, do you know the gap spec on the dizzy? Thanks

[hooD]

Replaced your fuel filter lately?
swap out your ballast resistor for a new one...can't hurt to try it.

[dodj]

Colum... wouldnt have thought of that. Thanks Wade.  Neil, do you know the gap spec on the dizzy? Thanks

0.008

[torredcuda]

My winter bomber `87 Gran Fury died on me a while back and wouldn`t start without really pumping the gas or dumping a little gas down the carb but ran OK once it started.I replaced the fuel filter which helped but it was still hard starting so I replced the fuel pump and she now fires right up.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

FYI - fuel filter/lines /tank/sender under 3000 miles. Yes I know you can get a load of crap gas BUT when you look down the carb and pump she squirts BIG time! 

dodj - Thanks for the spec! 

I'm taking a look @ a few things tonite. 

[torredcuda]

Ya, and the ball of flames tells me she`s probably flooding!The carb may be slowly leaking when she sits causing the flooding.Next time no choke, foot to the floor and hold it there and crank and if it fires = flooding.Also check for a good spark but where it fines once it`s hot I wouldn`t think that`s the problem.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Ya, and the ball of flames tells me she`s probably flooding!The carb may be slowly leaking when she sits causing the flooding.Next time no choke, foot to the floor and hold it there and crank and if it fires = flooding.Also check for a good spark but where it fines once it`s hot I wouldn`t think that`s the problem.

Jeff, I'm thinkin thats from me pumping her to get her started. (the flame ball that is) .

Yes  - warm start - even after 4 or 5 or 6 hours .... NO PROBLEM

[torredcuda]

Which leads me to think the carb is slowly leaking over a period of time. 

[BIGSHCLUNK]

I did a little digging after work. The dizzy looks good gap wise.

I then pulled aprt the connectors @ the bottom of the colum. One prong looked a little discolored to me. So I went to the firewall. The first block I pulled has an issue for sure. Its not real bad but not good either. The second block I really needed to work back an forth up an down t get it off. The spades a a little rusty.

Obviously I need to clean the rust and use a little dielectric grease. Is the melted one what I think it is???    ( the dreaded amp meter?)

[Bullitt-]

Obviously I need to clean the rust and use a little dielectric grease. Is the melted one what I think it is???    ( the dreaded amp meter?)

Yea Buddy  Bottom right center ...the big red one

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Yea Buddy  Bottom right center ...the big red one

yay! another aspect of this project!   



 


any notions of cleaning the other block solving the "other" problem??