Toastintx

Ok guys probably an old question but couldnt find it. Heres the problem almost finished a 5 year project and its down to this. 302 rebuilt with petty much stock like componets, except a cam and one wire alternator, and mini high torque starter edelbrock 4 bl carb. I can get it started after battery is charged and runs ok i can drive it around the block about 2 miles come home turn off and then will not start just sounds like battery is draining. I can wait a couple of hours and it will start. when im trying to start the starter seems to get hot, i have plenty of ground cables everywhere. dont know what to do should i go back to an OEM type starter, or is it the solenoid oh brand new battery. HELP i want to drive it!!!!!
thanks Johnny

boogerschnot

Are you saying it turns over but wont fire? If so you may need to back down your timing a degree or two then retune the carb. With high timing you sometimes run into a hard time with hot starts. Or maybe your carb is flooding the engine after shut down. Hold the accelerator to the floor (dont pump) and try starting, if you hold it down the fuel doesnt flow after the accelerator pump shot until its running. Try to describe what sound it makes and if the engine is hot or not, that will help in troubleshooting.

Tilley

Do you have a temp gauge? If your thermostat is stuck closed your car could be overheating causing what's called a heat soak.

Gun Jam

auto or manual trans?

Toastintx

its a manual T5 I bought a new starter today and it fired right up. i will run it tomorrow till it heats up to see if i still have the problem, thanks guys. i thinks the high torque starter was the culprit

Gun Jam

one way to test is to push the car by hand then jump in, put it in 3rd gear and release the clutch...it doesnt have to turn the engine over but the load will help soften things up and probably allow the start to rotate the engine. I have the same problem with mine but its just rare enough to make me not replace the starter.

-Gun

musnicki

I posted this in the Mustang II section to answer someone else whom had almost the same symptoms:

I think that your gas is vaporizing either in the gas line or the carburetor bowls. After stopping the car hot, the residual gas in the lines will turn to vapor and not be able to be atomized into something burnable in the cylinders. Likewise, heat can (will) rise up from the manifold and get your carb hot as well. The fuel stored in the front and back (or side if an Edlebrock) bowls can turn to vapor as well. You can also have a bad gas cap. It should have a one way valve to relieve pressure from the fuel pump sucking gas out through the bottom of the tank.

Fixes: Reroute your fuel line away from as much motor as possible. Make it as short as possible too. Most of us route it from the pump, up and over the water pump area and up to the right side of the carb. I have seen the fuel line routed from the pump under the balancer and then straight up to the carb. I just don't like having my fuel line down by my balancer and steering stuff. Also, wrap it in some heat reflective wrap or get a nice braded one from Pep Boys. Check your fuel pump, make sure that it's not too aged. A mechanical pump should be pushing 6psi. Get a carb spacer and look at how big your air cleaner is. A big air cleaner can trap hot air between the manifold and the carb bowls. Typically it's not a big deal if all of your other stuff is working. Wrap your headers to keep under hood heat down a bit. Change your fuel filter. Check the peep holes on your carb bowls. Make sure that gas is filling the carb bowls up to the peep hole, this would also cause other problems but if there isn't much gas in the bowls then it won't take much to vaporize once the car is shut off. All cheap fixes, do those and see what it does for you.

Timing and fuel pump issues would show themselves on a cold motor as well, so you can rule them out for the time being. If the other stuff doesn't work then take a look at your timing and pump.

Hot motors are just a little bit harder to start. I think that hot pistons expand just a little bit which close up the gaps and make the motor a bit harder to turn over, again, have an expert confirm. I've just worked through every issue in the world with my Mustang over the past 5 years. I hope this helps.

James

musnicki

oops, I should have read the whole post...duh.

Let us know if the starter was the issue.

Toastintx

thanks James

MetalEd

Sure it is the battery? When my choke was adjusted wrong, I could start and run the car, but if I took a short ride (less than 5 minutes), then turn off the car. It would not start up again for 20-30 minutes. The trick was to try to turn it over without giving it any gas since it was flooded. turning it over without any gas for almost a minute would drain the excess gas and allow me to start it like normal.
I thought it was an electrical problem as well. It was because my choke was set wrong and my choke tube was not transferring any heat, The fast idle would flood it when I turned it off cold (even though it was warm). It would also start after sitting since it allowed time for the excess gas to evaporate. I went through the entire electrical and only found the real culprit when I tuned the carb to run better.
Guess I am saying, don't blame it on the electrical unless you can isolate it to that specifically. (I can't think of a reason the electrical would work after sitting......unless it is a 'lucky' short)
hope this helps in some form.