12 valve hard start issue

kole32

kole32

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Oct 7, 2012
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Don't post very often, usually just read and buy stuff, but I need help, I've got a first gen I p pumped, it's a 215hp pump benched by Seth, set at 460cc's right now 5k governor springs. Tork tek overflow valve. An s366 t3 housing with a .90 ar. 181/218 colt cam, Hamilton retainer, 24v oil pump, colt tappets, billet pushrods Hamilton 165lb valve springs 6x16 new era injectors, head was resurfaced .10 thousandths. Very Mild port on the head. Also a stock manifold for now.

My problem is it doesn't like to start when its cold with out a small shot of ether. Then it's fine, and will start by itself after. It runs awesome, plenty of power. 500 foot long burnouts with no brake is easy, tires are 35/12.5/20. I'm at a loss, could be an injector issue ? I had a shop reset the pop pressure to p pump specs, also on number 5 after I first got it running, the locknut on the rocker arm, loosened up and the push rod came off the rocker arm, it had a miss, I'm possibly thinking it could of opened the valve to far and bent it, but it does not have a miss now. And runs awesome just hard to start, timing is around 26 to 27 degrees if I did my math correctly. Any help is appreciated. Thank you !


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Like today I fired it up after work when I got home it's 65-70 degrees out, and I measured the balancer took that times pi, and figured out how many inch/inches it had to move for the degree, it doesn't smoke white when I'm cranking and it doesn't have a pop or any miss


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Guessing it's not too cold in June in Indiana. Does sound timing related though. Any smoke when cold?
 
Nope no smoke, it hazes a small amount. But nothing drastic, but I noticed the smoke when I drive it isn't very dark, almost a dark gray.


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Did it start hard right after you put the pump on or did you change timing after?
 
Ya. I had the timing retarded to much at first. So I reset it to 22* and it was still hard to start so I bumped it to 26* or 27* and if I let it crank for a while sometimes it will fire with out ether


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Ok I know a guy with the timing kit I'll borrow his and give it a shot, I'm just thinking if it was a bent valve from the rocker arm loosening up it wouldn't run as good as it does.


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My dang tach hasn't started working since I hooked it up, and I've yet to put a gauge on, I'll pick one up tomorrow, but it's an airdog 150 with a 40 psi spring


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Intake or exhaust rocker arm? You would definitely hear a bent valve pushing air back into intake I'd think

Do you have fuel psi guage?
 
Also it does hold steady boost, my gauge fluttered once then held steady ever since, it's a mechanical gauge.


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Make sure timing is good. Take valve covers off and measure from top of valve stem to like the valve cover gasket surface with a micrometer. Bent vale will be lower but seems like it's fine if it went loose it would never get closer to the piston where as if it got tight it could contact the piston.
 
Ok, any idea what that measurement should be ? Or should I just go off of another cylinder ?


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Are your injectors sealed up? If your injector seals are leaking it will take a little more cranking to start. It does sound like timing but no hazing throws it off. Your pump shut off could be binding up or stiff too. Or a fuel leak might be letting air in the lines


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I've got the shut off ties forward, the injectors have all new seals, it could be getting air somewhere now that I think about it, it idles funny for a few seconds then comes outta it.


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If you're using an orifice style tork tek ofv, throw it in the garbage and use a bosch spring and checkball style ofv with the spring stretched.

I'd also recommend verifying you are at true tdc/ have an accurate tdc mark before starting the timing process. DO NOT use the timing kits/ lift charts, they aren't remotely accurate.
 
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