Help Car Hard To Start

[302fordracer]

ok my car has 95,xxx miles on it...it has the mods listed below and recently I have given it a tune up a/f is good all ignition new, timing is good...but today after I got home it was very difficult to start...it would crank and crank and crank but not start...so I know it is getting spark and that the starter is working...I nearly ran outta battery juice trying to start it before it finally fired up...all that leaves is fuel so I guess it isn't getting fuel?? fuel pump maybe?? but once it fired up it drove awesome pulled hard and smooth??? any ideas???

 

[302fordracer]

Can anyone give me ideas??????????

 

[RFMustangGT]

when was the last time you changed battery?

 

[HISSIN50]

Brian, I like your thinking.
Do you have a FP gauge? Have you tried priming the pump several times before cranking it for the first time?


If you suspect injector pulsing or flooding:

What happens if you floor the pedal while (and only while) cranking?

Do you have a noid light? You can use it to see if you have injector pulsing when it wont catch. Not being there with ya, I am guessing as to whether you might have no fuel or somehow fouled plugs (so info is presented for both).

Good luck.

 

[302fordracer]

yeah I feel like a total moron because while I was at work last night I realized I just used seafoam the other day and didn't check the plugs!! So I must have fouled spark plugs!!

 

[HISSIN50]

When I seafoamed, I never swapped plugs. No issues from it. I doubt everyone in here swaps plugs (esp guys who run several batches of foam through their motor in a short amount of time).

I would not be sold on that being the solution.

Good luck Brian.

 

[CManT1914]

yeah I feel like a total moron because while I was at work last night I realized I just used seafoam the other day and didn't check the plugs!! So I must have fouled spark plugs!!

I never swapped plugs when I ran seafoam through my engine, and it didn't cause problems like this. My guess would be to check fuel pressure (parts stores sell the kits with adapters for all kinds of vehicles for like $40, a handy tool to have) and make sure your system is carrying enough fuel on startup. I don't recall how much you're supposed to have while the engine is off, but I think it was at least 30, but somebody else should know for sure. Engine idling should be around 30 or so, and under load it should be around 38-40. Good luck, let us know if you figure anything else out.
-Chris

 

[HISSIN50]

The pressure Chris quoted is correct. Anything over 30 PSI is acceptable with the vac line attached at warm idle. No vac line attached (and line capped) it should read 39 PSI or so.

Good luck.