Ferrari Mailing List: Re: 328 reluctant dead cold start

[Grahame Reinthal (grahame]

Ah, I get what you mean, Rick. I'll have to investigate what the pressure
regulator does when the system is off i.e. does it still hold the upstream
pressure? If so, this scenario is very plausible.

So over time (a week or more in this case) the pressure in the lines could
be gradually pushing enough fuel through the injectors into the cylinders to
cause the problem, but if it's only a few days of such seepage, it's not
enough (yet) to cause a starting (flooding) problem.

On the other hand, if the regulator drops the upstream pressure when the
system is off, it is less likely, I think, that gravity is draining the
lines through the injector pintels so the problem would be elsewhere.

Grahame

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Meisch [mailto:Meisch [at] sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, 29 September 2010 11:07 AM
To: Grahame Reinthal
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] 328 reluctant dead cold start

Graham,
The leak would be internal allowing seepage of fuel into the cylinders.  The
fuel would be there even before before you even walk up to the car. I do not
think a visual would give you an indication.  

Rick

On Sep 28, 2010, at 7:45 PM, "Grahame Reinthal" <grahame [at] reinthal.com.au>
wrote:

> Wow, thanks for the quick responses. Just to give you a bit more
information
> and answer your questions, the motor has done about 40,000km. It's a
little
> bit difficult to pinpoint the issue because, although it is a 1988 Mondial
> motor, it has been transplanted into my 1977 308gt4. I have also installed
> EFI (348 rails and injectors plus various sensors) with a high pressure
fuel
> pump, different ignition modules and the computer is now a MoTec.
Everything
> else about the motor is essentially standard and I still use the original
> plenum with its cold start sensor/injector (which I guess could also be
the
> culprit). Once it is up and running, the motor runs perfectly. 
> 
> Also found an old post in FerrariLife which said the Thermal Time Switch
> sensor on the manifold senses the block temp, and injects fuel into the
> cylinders until the car warms up. If it isn't working probably, it's a
real
> bitch starting when cold and will run rough for a while until the block
> heats up. I guess this is also referring to the cold start sensor/injector
> set-up.
> 
> Clyde, I'll go out now to check the connections to the sensor in the
coolant
> recovery tank. Also, thanks for the "Start easy first then go hard"
advice.
> ;-)
> 
> Rick, yes, I have checked all fuel lines and there is no external leakage.
> Internally, there is an in-line fule pressure regulator. After it has been
> sitting for a week or more, I make sure all the lines are fully
pressurised
> before I start cranking, by turning on the ignition till the pump stops,
> then off, then on again till the pump stops, then off, then on again. I do
> this until there is no more priming. Only then do I start cranking. 
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Grahame
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rick Meisch [mailto:Meisch [at] sbcglobal.net] 
> Sent: Wednesday, 29 September 2010 10:04 AM
> To: Grahame
> Cc: The FerrariList
> Subject: Re: [Ferrari] 328 reluctant dead cold start
> 
> Sorry hit send before finishing....
> Continuing thought from other message...
> What I am thinking may be the fuel regulator or even injector leakage.  
> 
> On Sep 28, 2010, at 6:48 PM, clyderomerof4 [at] bellsouth.net wrote:
> 
>> Chk the connections to the senor in the coolant recovery tank this tells
> the computer the car is cold. Start there 
>> 
>> Clyde
>> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: "Grahame Reinthal" <grahame [at] reinthal.com.au>
>> Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:34:36 
>> To: Clyde<Clyderomerof4 [at] bellsouth.net>
>> Cc: The FerrariList<ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
>> Subject: [Ferrari] 328 reluctant dead cold start
>> 
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