FS ignitions hard starting

E

earbleeder

Senior Member
Anyone ever had a hard starting issue with a FS ignition? By hard staring I mean the first revolutions of the motor are VERY slow then as you let your foot off the pedal it starts. It almost seems like the timing is too advanced. Also has Snyder head but I find it hard to believe that head would make that much compression to do that. Once it starts it runs fine. Any ideas? I had a motorcycle do it once and it turned out to be the starter itself drawing too much. Tried a couple different starters on the A, same result.
Thanks
 
call mel at FS , why are you on the petal, I think your out of time, retarded.+ if it is to advanced you will break a bendix>
 
I don't use it but others have said it's voltage sensitive. To me that means it sounds like your your battery is weak (or bad connection) and the starter is drawing enough current to 'starve' the ignition until you let off the starter.

Leave the ignition switch OFF and operate the starter. If it turns slowly then solve that problem before even thinking about the ignition again.
 
If the battery is in top notch condition, and the starter isn't pulling too many amps and the electronic ignition system is connected EXACTLY as directed by FS the engine will start very well. That has been my experience with the 6 volt unit. A very important point of this installation is that the wire that is supposed to be connected directly to the battery needs to be connected directly to the battery and no other parallel circuit. That one seemingly (to me) small point is very important in this installation.
I have been very happy with my FS ignition system.

Chet
 
i agree with marco , if it starts when you stop cranking , then the starter is pulling all the juice .......
 
So this is where I end up. Fully charged battery (I think I tried it with the key off but will check again), tried several known good starters/cables/reed switches, Nurex timing advancer checked by Nurex to be ok, timing set with nurex wrench and checked with light= where it's supposed to be, sounds advanced like it is going to break a bendix/FS won't sell individual parts to try... I agree that it sounds like the starter is pulling too much but can't find out why.
 
VERY IMPORTANT, DIRECT WIRE FROM THE BATTERY TO KEY SWITCH, KEY SWITCH TO DIST. NO OTHER WIRES ! 0 tdc 28 degrees adv. we go about 7 tdc but we have a very modified motor, again call mel at FS .or call us 408 722 2518 will try to help (calif time) modelaonly.net
 
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I agree with the others, bad connection, ground or too small of a cable. Something else you can try is to get the starter spinning with the key off first and then switch it on while still spinning the starter. Good Luck!
 
I had nothing but trouble with my FS ignition, so I went back to a stock distributor and my full pressure B engine with a 7-1 Thomas head runs stronger than ever. I'm thinking of sending all that electronic stuff back to FS to see if they can figure out what's wrong with it
 
I have had my FS for 5 years. Last year it seemed to act just like yours when I replaced the electronics (yes I stupidly left my key on and burned out the unit. FS replaced at no cost). It felt like it just did not have the UMPH to turn it over. Turned the key off and cranked and it cranked like a champ. It was the timing. I redid the entire set up of the FS timing and all is running fine now. Try to crank the starter with the key off. If it cranks fast, then you have a timing problem.
 
I have seen the slow starter problem with Electronic ignition 4 or 5 times.

1. Turn off key and crank ... if cranks faster then replace the coil to distributor wire with a carbon RESISTOR wire.

2. Try again. If still slow cranking then replace distributor body and cap with modern cap and carbon wires to the plugs. Leave carbon coil wire in place.

The electronic ignition module is picking up a random triggers from the high voltage or the starter brushes ... which causes erratic triggering of the module. The ones I saw were firing randomly while starter was cranking.

Maybe the module is picking up triggers from the sparks from the starter brushes.

Carbon wires reduce the random triggering while starter is cranking...

I do not know why this happens only on some engines ... maybe some starters are making more sparks.
 
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Have you tried turning the engine by hand or with the hand crank? Sometimes a tight engine will seem like a dragging starter.

Chet
 
Benson said:
I have seen the slow starter problem with Electronic ignition 4 or 5 times.

1. Turn off key and crank ... if cranks faster then replace the coil to distributor wire with a carbon RESISTOR wire.

2. Try again. If still slow cranking then replace distributor body and cap with modern cap and carbon wires to the plugs. Leave carbon coil wire in place.

The electronic ignition module is picking up a random crossfire from the high voltage or the starter ... which causes erratic triggering of the module. The ones I saw were firing randomly while starter was cranking.

Maybe the module is picking up triggers from the sparks from the starter brushes.

Carbon wires reduce the random triggering while starter is cranking...
Click to expand...

To my knowledge random triggering is the reason for connecting the hot wire directly to the negative battery post 6v pos grnd. The battery acts as a buffer for the
RF signals that the system picks up from the starter.

Chet
 
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This is not Model A related albeit electronic ignition related. Electronic ignitions are sensitive to Radio Frequency noise;
A friend had new imported sports car with electronic ignition and fuel injection. It ran fine for a couple thousand miles and immediately started misfiring and missing driving at any speed but more on the freeway. He being a mechanic tried to no avail to repair the problem and in frustration decided to take it to the dealer as it was still under warranty. A very sharp technician connected the car to the engine analyzer and before starting it he asked who changed the spark plugs. Al left something out that he did in his quest for something other than Bosch sparkplugs which he didn't like and wouldn't run in any car he owned. This system was designed around the Bosch spark plug and would not run even close to correctly on anything else. Seems the odd spark plugs caused RF signals that upset the ignition and fuel injection.
Another guy I used to know had a high powered CB radio in his van and on a certain channel would pull along side a certain electronically fuel injected auto, key his mic and shut down the other guy's engine.
Fun with electronics.

Chet
 
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