Gear reduction starter installed - question

[chirigringo]

I had a new starter from britishstarters.com intalled in my '96 Disco a couple weeks ago after reading all the glowing reviews. It works great when the engine is warm but the first start of the morning seems a little sluggish. If I don't hold the key long enough, sometimes it won't start. Then the engine acts like it's flooded when I turn the key again. The Disco is parked in a garage so I'm not talking about extreme low temps here. Anyone else with this starter have similar behavior?
-Michael

 

[Antichrist]

I've had one in my Disco for 4 years or so and not seen that.
When you say sluggish, do you mean it's not cranking the engine over as fast as you think it should be? Mine cranks quite fast, even on below freezing days (my Disco lives outside).
I'd look at the battery, and battery connections if it's cranking slowly. Don't forget the ground.
I put in a larger cable from the battery to the starter, #1 I think or maybe 1/0, and also the same for the ground. I also ran the engine ground from the starter mounting bolt to the same point where the battery ground attaches to the frame.

 

[chirigringo]

By sluggish I mean that it turns over several times but doesn't start. It turns about as fast as I would expect and acts like it's going to start, at which time I let off the key, but then it dies. Once warm, it starts with the slightest touch of the key.

 

[ntsqd]

X2
A cold engine requires more amps to be spun over. Somewhere you have a connection or connections that are just marginal enough to be OK when warm, but be too much resistance when cold.

One way to find it would be if you have an IR temperature gun. That connection will be warmer than the rest after a cold start. It's not a fool-proof method though as it could be several such connections, and the difference could be lost in the noise.

Second Tom's advice on checking the grounds too. All of them.

 

[proper4wd]

From the more detailed description of the issue it sounds like a fuelling issue, not a starter/voltage issue. Check your fuel filter, quality of fuel, spark plugs, anything that might cause a poor start condition.

 

[Antichrist]

I second Adam's advice.
It doesn't sound like the starter. Once at cranking speed, which your second post makes it sound like it is, the starter is out of the picture, so to speak, as far as the engine's ability to start goes.

On the starter in general, it's a great starter. However, there is one thing to be aware of with Denso starters and that's the solenoid contacts tend to wear out long before the starter ever does. One the up side they are pretty trivial to replace. I would suggest getting a set of spare contacts, and maybe the plunger, and keep them in your spares kit. Steps for replacing them can be found here:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml

 

[sven]

Your fuel pressure might be leaking off during the night. A leaky injector or bad check valve in the fuel pump could cause this. Check the fuel pressure.

 

[chirigringo]

Thanks a lot guys. I'll look into all the suggestions above.
I'd forgotten about 4crawler. I owned a 1st gen 4runner a while back that I had to replace the starter contacts in. Used 4crawlers parts and instructions. I guess now I can move that bookmark over to the Rover folder.