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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Poor starting from cold after being left

My 1500 seems to suffer from poor starting after being left for a few days. Once it has started and run it is fine and starts first turn of the key every time. I was thinking about this and wondered if there is a non return valve in the fuel pump to stop fuel draining back from the carbs. It seems like it has to fill up the float chambers before the engine fires into life.
Any ideas would be welcomed.
S Langston

initial thoughts:

>>It seems like it has to fill up the float chambers before the engine fires into life.<< that's usual


do you wait for the pump to fully stop filling up the carbs, pipes, filter ect.?

are you just using the choke to start and not touch the accelorator?

choke setting might need adjustment or getting used to?

does the engine start from cold OK if it left for less than a couple of days?

have you driven the car regularly and for a enough weeks/months to really get used to it?

do you drive it far enough to give it a bit of a blow out?

it might be the car but could it be you?

no offence intended


N Atkins

Nigel

1500 has a mechanical pump (as standard) so you can't wait for it to fill the carbs before cranking.
Dave O'Neill 2

The problem is that fuel evaporates / drains from the chambers if the car isn't driven pretty well every day. So they have to refill before the car will start and with the 1500 mechanical pump that means turning the whole lump of the engine over just to pump a little petrol.

There is a sort of compromise. Turn the engine over just 2 or 3 revolutions on the starter. Stop, count to 10 (or put your seat belt on). Then turn the engine again, this time with choke pulled out and it should fire up. Although the pump relies on the engine turning to operate, during that 10 second pause petrol will still be flowing into the carb from the pressure built up in that initial operation. This is better than just labouring away with the engine cranking continuously.
Guy

er, obviously David I meant a non-standard electric pump :)

or I forgot - no never :)

quick thoughts rather than reasoned diagnostics

good advice from Guy and on the use of the choke and mean my other comments stand
N Atkins

This thread was discussed between 12/07/2011 and 13/07/2011

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