1969 Mark III Cold Start Issue & Updates

Hi Bill –
Have a hard time starting when cold. Butterfly closes, fast idle works etc., but takes forever to start. When warm it starts up with no problem.
Ed
—————————————————————————————————————-
Greetings Ed –
Some automotive issues are really tough but this one sounds like an easy fix. Since you provide no other information regarding the vehicle maintenance history or if any thing at all was done recently to correct this “hard start cold” condition I can only start by asking you when the last full basic tune up was performed on your Mark? What condition are the points, condenser, wiring and spark plugs in? Maybe all that you need to do is a tune up.
Sincerely,
Bill
—————————————————————————————————————-
Bill –
Thanks for the response. The car was tuned up last August and runs great and starts great when warmed up.
When I add a small amount of starting fluid in the carb when cold, and starts right up?
Having another mechanic take a look.
Ed
—————————————————————————————————————-
Hi Ed –
Thanks for the new information. If you need to prime the carburetor when cold for a fast start there are several items for you to check. The choke butterfly should not only be closed when cold but should have enough adjustment to be closed fully while cranking a cold engine as well. If not adjusted correctly the valve can flutter or open slightly while cranking thus supplying a leaner unwanted mixture to the engine. Todays modern fuels that are laced with ethanol evaporate from the carburetor faster therefore the longer that a vehicle sits unused, the longer the engine will crank to refill the carburetor. At this time the fuel flow and pressure to the carburetor could be tested as per the manual. If the flow is low because of a weak fuel pump or a plugged up fuel filter etc. and cannot replenish the fuel bowl fast enough the engine of course will need to crank much longer in order to start. It is also important to remember that old fuel does not ignite as fast as when it was fresh. I am assuming that your plugs are gapped correctly and that your dwell setting and timing were adjusted as per the specifications. These items are very important for a cold engine to fire up easily but lesser important when the engine has been started and warm.
Sincerely,
Bill