Beta 3 cyl starting issues

[DoubleEnder]

My engine has about 130 hours, is properly serviced and maintained. It always USED to start on the button, maybe needed a few seconds heater in cold weather. Last year there was some heavy work done below the engine, which was pulled forward to allow access. The yard did all this.

Since then it needs a lot of churning to get it to start, even when using the plugs.
Once started it runs fine. From warm it starts very quickly. There is no unusual or excessive smoke from the exhaust. Power seems the same, it revs the same.... Just the difficult starting. New plugs needed? Air in the fuel lines?

Any ideas?
Thank you
Graham

 

[pvb]

Could easily be a small air leak allowing fuel to drain away from the engine over a period of hours. Have you tried bleeding the fuel at the engine before trying to start it from cold? This might indicate if it's an air leak.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Are the heater plugs actually working

Could easily be a small air leak allowing fuel to drain away from the engine over a period of hours. Have you tried bleeding the fuel at the engine before trying to start it from cold? This might indicate if it's an air leak.

Have you checked that the heater plugs are actually being energised by measuring the voltage at the plugs. Just a chance that when the engine was disturbed, some of the wiring may have not gone back. If you dont have a voltmeter to hand, use a 12 volt bulb with a couple of wires soldered to the connections on the bulb and try the heaters.

 

[VicS]

My engine has about 130 hours, is properly serviced and maintained. It always USED to start on the button, maybe needed a few seconds heater in cold weather. Last year there was some heavy work done below the engine, which was pulled forward to allow access. The yard did all this.

Since then it needs a lot of churning to get it to start, even when using the plugs.
Once started it runs fine. From warm it starts very quickly. There is no unusual or excessive smoke from the exhaust. Power seems the same, it revs the same.... Just the difficult starting. New plugs needed? Air in the fuel lines?

Any ideas?
Thank you
Graham

Two simple things to check are that the heater plugs are Ok and that there is a power supply getting to them when there should be.

Plugs have a very low resistance. I usuall check them by disconnecting them and then testing with a bulb on a couple of leads from battery positive. If the plug is Ok the bulb will light.

 

[rob2]

Agree you should check all the wiring as it could have been disturbed when the engine was moved. Could be as simple as the earth cable needing to be tightened up, although usually that manifests itself in slow cranking. Still, may as well check it all out - even if it doesn't solve the problem at least it can't be making another problem seem worse.

Rob.

 

[ianat182]

If you use a stop /start lever make sure that the lever is pushed back fully after stopping the engine,again the 'lead' of this cable may have been altered, and not allowed to be fully seated.

ianat182