Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
Guys, I'm having a hot start problem with my BJ8. It seems she wants to start cold soaked with a fully charged battery, but after it gets up to operating temp and is shut down for a few minutes it can't turn over. Obviously have gas and spark, but wondering if this could be an electrical problem like a coil or condenser or the related wiring. Everything looks tidy when I checked for these things. Anyone ever have a problem like this?
-
Hi Guest!
You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
BJ8 Hot Starting Problem
- Thread starter Scot
- Start date
Share this page
If the starter makes a groan as if trying to turn but never gets going, tap it with knock-off hammer, sometimes just pushing clutch in and out will do the trick, seems to be a magic window of under bonnet temp where this happens. Sometimes cleaning where ground strap attaches to fitting for terminal, or any other ground contact spot will do the trick, for a while. oh, cleaning every contact in trunk cut-off switch or when main lead connects starter, or even lead involved with solenoid, Jay, '65 3000
Keith_M
Jedi Knight
Offline
I think we need a clarification. Are you saying it won't start or that the starter motor can't turn the engine over? Two very different problems.
bob hughes
Luke Skywalker
Offline
Assuming that it does turn over, try checking the wire from the coil to the side of the dizzy, or even just substituting it with a temporary. If you have sparks, this may not cure the problem, but it could be intermittent sparking as this wire has a tendency to break near a connection and then it is hit and miss. Once the engine gets cold, does it then start up again?
Bob
Bob
Keith the starter motor runs fine but the engine wont turn over when hot. Bob once the engine is cold soaked again it starts right up. I replaced this wire once with hardware store materials years ago so perhaps ordering it from a vendor and replacing might fix the problem?
Healey Nut
Luke Skywalker
Offline
Remove the wire between the solenoid and the starter and solder the crimped connections directly to the copper core . You may have a high resistance joint that when the engine heat heats up the cable the starter doesnt have the balls to turn the motor over due to high resistance .
Failing that put a gear reduction starter on it and solve all your problems .
Failing that put a gear reduction starter on it and solve all your problems .
bob hughes
Luke Skywalker
Offline
Scot
That wire is part of the harness set up so can not be bought as a separate, Just pull the connections and wire in a new length between coil and dizzy, I travelled for years with just this quick fix before I rewired the car, so that should not be the cause of your problems - unless the wire is broken - usually near the connections.
Bob
That wire is part of the harness set up so can not be bought as a separate, Just pull the connections and wire in a new length between coil and dizzy, I travelled for years with just this quick fix before I rewired the car, so that should not be the cause of your problems - unless the wire is broken - usually near the connections.
Bob
Chris_Masucci
Senior Member
Offline
Sounds to me like the engine was built with bearing clearances too tight.
Keith_M
Jedi Knight
Offline
Hi Scot,
I kinda lost track of this thread. Let me see if I have it straight. When then engine is hot, the the starter motor can turn the engine but the engine won't start. You've replaced the coil, but it doesn't help. It sounds like vapor lock or the fuel boiling in the carb bowls to me.
Keith
Yes when the engine is hot the starter will turn the engine but it wont turn over and start. I did not replace the coil yet as it is pretty new but I may try that. I have a glass in line fuel filter connected as the fuel enters the carbs. It never really had this problem before but if the fuel is boiling or vapor lock how can I correct it? I have had the heat shield out once and replaced the material on it.
Keith_M
Jedi Knight
Offline
Once the engine is off, all the heat just builds up under there. I don't know of any way to cure the problem short of opening the hood and allowing the heat to escape. Mine is always hard to start after it's been running hard and then shut down, but it doesn't sound quite as bad as yours. The car doesn't quit or run poorly if you sit at a stop light for a while does it? If so, adding a 5-bladed fan will help move more air through the engine compartment and keep temperatures down. Doesn't help if you turn off the engine, though.
drambuie
Jedi Warrior
Offline
First check your point gap and then ignition timing, set your timing light to 15 degree advance and line up your timing marks at about 700 to 800 rpm. Also could be faulty tune up parts as well as we are getting so much junk from the major distributors these days! Bad points, condensers, rotors and caps. Do these simple things first.. A engine out of time can really heat up a very quickly and result in very hard starting.
bob hughes
Luke Skywalker
Offline
First check your point gap and then ignition timing, set your timing light to 15 degree advance
Bob
Bob
Hi All, Just an update on my hard starting problem when engine hot...I have replaced ignition wire between dizzy and coil, replaced coil itself, replaced fuel filter, cleaned grounds and have checked point gap and timing. Problem persists. Any other suggestions welcome! Thanks...