[Shotimes] Three Basic Reasons for Hard Starting....was: Re: My Nickle and Diming Sho

[John Weidenbenner]

> The SHO engine needs to be spun faster than most car engines to start
easily.

What is the basis of your comment?

Both of our SHOs have always started easily. If a SHO has good compression
and is otherwise in good tune I know of no reason it would need to be spun
faster.

John W.

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Fourchy" <krazgeo@jps.net>

>
> The SHO engine needs to be spun faster than most car engines to start
easily.  There
>
> are three basic things that will cause a SHO to be difficult to start on a
regular
> basis.  (Not including the SHO specific things that often happen...CPS,
CKP, DIS,
> oil in plug wells, etc.)
>
> 1.  A weak battery or high resistance in the primary battery cables will
deliver
> less amperage to the starter, causing it to have less power, thereby
turning the
> engine slower.
>
> 2.  The starter itself can be on its last legs.  If there is too much
buildup of
> carbon on the armature, or the brushes are too small due to wear, or the
starter
> drive begins to come apart (I had this happen recently, and just replaced
the drive,
> for a few bucks), then the starter will not have the torque necessary to
spin the
> engine up.  One of the '89s suddenly just spun and spun when I turned the
> key.....the drive was not being extended out to the flywheel....the lever
that the
> drive solenoid is fastened to (the part that sticks out from the side of
the starter
> and has the little metal cover over it) was broken, and so there was no
way the
> flywheel could be engaged.
>
> 3.  Weak fuel pumps can prevent the fuel pressure to immediately build up
to the
> required pressure for the injectors to provide enough flow for an enriched
(choked)
> mixture required for a cold start.  The 'patch' for this situation is to
turn the
> key on and off several times before trying the starter, to allow the
in-line
> pressure to build as high as possible.  The fix is a new fuel pump
>
> As always, there are millions of other things that will cause a SHO to
start hard,
> but these are probably the three most common.  (In my experience...)
>
> George
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