starting her in cold weather

[jim_m5]

I go up to the boat weekly and start her up and run in the slip for 5mins. She has the bilge heater. It has been a bit cold for us here, down in the 30's. It takes about 3 starts per engine to get her going. In start 1 and start 2 she runs for 10seconds and stops. I guess she is cold. Is this normal and is there a better way to get her started on 1st try?

In the summer she starts on 1st try everytime.

 

[skolbe]

They don't start that great in cold weather. Pretty typical.

 

[BonBini]

I would have to say yes the stalling is normal... boat engine cold start strategy differs that from an automotive type, mostly with a cold idle setting for maneuverability.

On the other hand, running your engines the way you are, your building up allot of internal moisture. ie: as an engine cools after shut down, moisture is drawn in until the engine mass is stabilized with the ambient air temp. The next time the engine is run and warmed up to operating temp, the oil temp still lags behind that magic burn off temp of 212* ish. Only when the engine gets under load will the oil temp rise up above the typical regulated coolant temp and now start distilling off moisture.

Sorry for swaying off topic with the second half of my reply:smt024, just thought you might want to reconsider running your engines like that. IMHO with the bilge heater your fine just to leave them be. ...Ron

 

[Alex D]

In the winter my engines fire up right away but each immediately dies again. then on the second start they stay running and set right into a nice stable idle. Can't beat FI !!

 

[sbw1]

My 7.4s without fuel injection would run a little rough when cold. My standard procedure was to pump the throttle 3-4 times and set it to 3/4 wide open and then turn the key. Would usually fire up and then I would pull the throttle back to idle and it would run. Sometimes I'd have to do this twice. In each case this technique was required after the engines had not been run for a week. Once started, it was pretty much turn the key and they would fire right up even if not run for 24 hours. Fuel injected engines are much different. Just turn the key and they start within 3-4 seconds.

 

[northern]

I used to get my engine run up once a week for half an hour. The past two years I leave them from October to April and they start fine. Oil consumption has not increase nor as there been a loss of power. I change the oil in the fall run them for 1/2 hour and shut them down for the winter. Engines have 1,600 hours each. Oil consumption is 1/2 quart in 100 hours. Do the same with the 8KW gas quicksilver generaator and it does not burn any oil. It has 950 hours. All I saw when they ran them every week is they used about 50 gallons of fuel over the winter.

 

[David Morgan]

This is pretty typical behavior for a carbureted engine when it is cold outside.

 

[Groucho]

Your better off properly preparing and fogging engine. Then leave it alone till your ready to use it.
Zillions of debates on this on the Corvette forum....Concensus is fog it and let it be.