Hot starting problems, help needed!!
muller - 22/11/04 at 09:39 AM
My Lotus has problems starting when hot (Kent 1600)
When cold the starter will turn the engine without any hassles, once the engine is warm (a couple a trips around the block is enough) you cannot start
the car.
The starter will engage and it sounds like it turns the engine once before it stops. You can still push start the car very easily.
So far I have changed:
Thick earth wire from the starter to the battery
New starter relay (inertia type so no solenoid)
New battery
Exhaust wrap to reduce under bonnet temps
To my mind that leaves 2 options
1. The starter is suspect when hot, and doesn't have enough power to turn the engine
2. Some tolerances in the engine becomes too tight when the engine is hot (oversized piston?) which means the starter cant turn the engine over
Any other possibilities?
During the week I'll remove and strip the starter 
[Edited on 22/11/04 by muller]
[Edited on 22/11/04 by muller]
Peteff - 22/11/04 at 10:20 AM
Sounds like the starter but have you got an earth between a bellhousing bolt and your chassis or is that the one from the starter to the battery. Is
the solenoid well earthed as well ?, I used to have trouble with one like that in an Escort years ago.
muller - 22/11/04 at 12:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
Sounds like the starter but have you got an earth between a bellhousing bolt and your chassis or is that the one from the starter to the battery. Is
the solenoid well earthed as well ?, I used to have trouble with one like that in an Escort years ago.
Both, I have earth leads to the bell housing, and to the starter mounting bolts, so doubt its an earthing problem.
Other sources have suggested it could an ignition timing problem - i.e. ignition to far advanced?
Rob Lane - 22/11/04 at 12:46 PM
Odd, I posted just that reply but it seems to have gone into computer limbo land!
Anyway. Try painting a small spot on distributor to mark its position. Then loosen pinch bolt and retard timing a small amount, clamp up again. Try
your starter, it should spin over easier.
If this doesn't work then it's easy to put it back to the paint mark.
CairB - 22/11/04 at 01:03 PM
May not be relevant but I had a similar problem on a Cortina 2000E. It turned out to be the fasteners that hold the starter motor together had come
loose which resulted in its inability to turn the motor.
Good luck.
muller - 22/11/04 at 01:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Rob Lane
Odd, I posted just that reply but it seems to have gone into computer limbo land!
Anyway. Try painting a small spot on distributor to mark its position. Then loosen pinch bolt and retard timing a small amount, clamp up again. Try
your starter, it should spin over easier.
If this doesn't work then it's easy to put it back to the paint mark.
Good tip, only problem is that with the side draughts you cant see the distributor anyway!
Rob Lane - 22/11/04 at 04:10 PM
Aww go on, you're just not trying 
I could manage it when I had Xflow and sidedrafts.
Stu16v - 22/11/04 at 04:48 PM
An even easier way to tell if it is the timnig causing a problem when hot is to just pull a wire off the coil.
If it still wont turn over-starter/electrical problem
If it spins over fine-timing needs retarding.
HTH Stu.
kaymar - 22/11/04 at 09:40 PM
Try a volt drop test, using a multimeter connect to earth/negative pole of battery and then other lead to stater body and crank engine taking the
meter reading at the same time. Then connect to posotive pole of battery and then to battery side of starter take meter reading, then connect to other
side of solenoid take reading finally cannect to the copper braided feed into starter from solenoid take reading. if your meater shows .5v or higher
this is were your problem may be. in essence this method can find many earth/poor connections quite quickly hope this is of some help
muller - 25/11/04 at 06:46 AM
OK, hopefully I have this problem licked. Retarded the timing last night to 10 deg BTDC and took the car for a spin and when hot it still started
everytime
Will still have to do a track test to make sure the fix 100%
Next step is to replace the mechanical fuel pump with an electric one, but that can wait for till I'm on leave in Jan
David Jenkins - 25/11/04 at 08:11 AM
RETARDED it to 10 degrees BTDC! 
10 degrees is the book setting for my 1600 x-flow, and if you've converted the engine for unleaded then you should be less again (unless
you're using super unleaded).
rgds,
David
BTW: Glad it's working!
muller - 25/11/04 at 08:52 AM
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
RETARDED it to 10 degrees BTDC!
10 degrees is the book setting for my 1600 x-flow, and if you've converted the engine for unleaded then you should be less again (unless
you're using super unleaded).
rgds,
David
BTW: Glad it's working!
So you learn!
I had a problem spitting back through the carbs and read somewhere it can be caused by retarded ignition timing. So I advanced it a bit (to 12 deg)
and the car ran much better for quite while. I guess at some stage the distributor got disturbed and accidently advanced the timing even more.
Before I reset it is was around 14 deg BTDC!! (guessing because timing marks only goes to 12)
David Jenkins - 25/11/04 at 08:56 AM
I forgot to mention - I strongly approve of your colour scheme! (guess the colours on my car!)
David
muller - 25/11/04 at 09:06 AM
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I forgot to mention - I strongly approve of your colour scheme! (guess the colours on my car!)
David
Oops, cause I hated it.
The avtar is an old photo, its black and silver now. Just need to junk the windscreen for an aero screen and raise the rollbar (previous owner was a
bit of a short-stop)