Hard to Start

[Excaliber]

A friend of mine just bought a '30 roadster, 302 with a blower, really nice ride. Really hard to start, runs good if it does.

We found the starter was draining the battery voltage so low it wasn't making 'good spark' while cranking. The clue was: It WOULD start most times JUST when you left off the key and stopped trying to crank it! In that 'instant of time' THATS when it would fire up!

To test I rigged up a wire direct to the alternator battery terminal and touched the other end to the positive side of the coil WHILE he was cranking it over. The car started everytime and instantly! He will replace the Ford solenoid which, in his case, does NOT have the "I" terminal, only the "S" terminal. The "I" terminal gets wired directly to the positive side of the coil (depending on your ignition system) and provides the highest possible voltage while cranking.

FYI

We figure the car has been like this for YEARS and was probably a factor in the 'low price' he was able to buy the car for!

[mikiec]

Hey, That's the way my cobra starts. I let it crank once or twice and then let the key go and it starts. If I keep the key in the start position it will never start. I was told there was a fix for it. Something to do with the MSD system wiring. Some day I'll fix it.

Mike

[strictlypersonl]

Originally Posted by mikiec

Hey, That's the way my cobra starts. I let it crank once or twice and then let the key go and it starts. If I keep the key in the start position it will never start. I was told there was a fix for it. Something to do with the MSD system wiring. Some day I'll fix it.

Mike

That sounds suspiciously like a defective ignition switch...

[HI Cobra]

Ernie,

My Cobra started doing just that a while back. I changed the battery
cables fron a #4? to a #1 and bought an optima type battery at Sam's.
No more problems.

[Excaliber]

Well it just goes to show there are various 'hard start' conditions.

Step 1. Make sure your ignition system is getting as much voltage as possible under 'cranking conditions'.

[Power Surge]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

A friend of mine just bought a '30 roadster, 302 with a blower, really nice ride. Really hard to start, runs good if it does.

We found the starter was draining the battery voltage so low it wasn't making 'good spark' while cranking. The clue was: It WOULD start most times JUST when you left off the key and stopped trying to crank it! In that 'instant of time' THATS when it would fire up!

To test I rigged up a wire direct to the alternator battery terminal and touched the other end to the positive side of the coil WHILE he was cranking it over. The car started everytime and instantly! He will replace the Ford solenoid which, in his case, does NOT have the "I" terminal, only the "S" terminal. The "I" terminal gets wired directly to the positive side of the coil (depending on your ignition system) and provides the highest possible voltage while cranking.

FYI

We figure the car has been like this for YEARS and was probably a factor in the 'low price' he was able to buy the car for!

That's sounds more like a bad ignition switch to me. Either that, or the ignition power is not tied into the "start" pole of the switch. So the motor only catches JUST as you transition from start to run. Putting on your jumper wire, that just solidifies that you don't have any crank power to the ignition and when you now power it, it fires right up. Might want to check into that.

Of course, using the I pole of the solenoid would do the job as well, but I don't think you've got a low voltage issue, I think you have a no crank voltage issue.

[Excaliber]

The solenoid is the model that comes only with the S terminal. The spark is 'weak' without the I terminal in play during cranking. Occasionally it will fire up while cranking, but usually just as you stop cranking. Plan is to replace the solenoid and run a new wire to the + coil.

I recall Flips (Hi Cobra) problem was battery leads to small, couldn't carry the amps to crank the starter when hot. His was a 'engine cranking problem' rather than a classic 'hard start' condition.

I had a cranking problem on the ERA for awhile, turns out the ring gear was bad and kept eating my starters! Uh, that made it hard to start...

I'm curios why Bob (strictlypersonal) would suspect an ignition switch on Mikiec's car? My ERA uses the "I" terminal and I would think that once the solenoid engages the ignition switch is 'out of the picture', as voltage is supplied via the solenoid not the ignition switch? This assumes of course on a MSD the BIG red voltage supply wire is always wired direct to a battery voltage source.

[Ibr8k4vetts]

Hey Sal,
Glad to see you have some time to help a fellow Cobra owner and yes that was me on F150

[PatBuckley]

Is there a ballast resistor at the coil?

[Excaliber]

Didn't see one Pat, I haven't checked closely but assume it's an internal resistance type coil (gotta be?). One thing for sure, put 12 volts to the + and it fires right now! Voltage loss in the primary feed to the + plus side maybe? Bad connection? Faulty ignition switch!!!

Super clean wiring, solenoid in the TRUNK! NO wires on the firewall, what ever is there is very cleverly hidden! I should post some pics in my gallery...

[Power Surge]

Originally Posted by Ibr8k4vetts

Hey Sal,
Glad to see you have some time to help a fellow Cobra owner and yes that was me on F150

Mike, I saw your comment on F150. We tried calling you a bazillion times because you didn't put any instructions in with the Xcal when you sent it back, but never got a reply. If you don't want the Xcal2 back, let me know so I can send you a refund. No reason for me to keep your money if I couldn't take care of you with the part.