Best startup procedure?

[Biancaneve]

The users' manual has the cold and warm start-up procedures described in details ... you may wish to try those but, as mentioned, it much depends on the status, specs, re-build(s) and set-up of your engine ...

[runsub5]

I do what Ed does. When it lights up I pull the hand throttle to hold it at a fast idle for a minute or so while I close the barn door. Then drive off keeping RPMs at 4k or below till it warms to 80c. I've never had a problem with warm starts.

That's exactly how I start my MFI car. When the engine is warm it starts with half a crank and no throttle required.

[Haasman]

"And NO,,,, these are NOT modern whiz bang electronically controlled engines,,they do not start on half a crank revolution"

[Biancaneve]

Some examples:

1966


1971 T


1972 S

[frederik]

The instructions from Porsche are very nice, and my 2.4 T with cold start connected always sprung into life after a few seconds, firing on all cylinders at once at ~2000 rpm. However, my 2.2S with cold start disconnected is quite hard to start cold and I fear that's just the way it's gonna be unless the cold start system is enabled again, which I don't really want to do.

[Phil Planck]

Some 356 pros recommend cranking to build up oil pressure if car has sat for a while.

[cbpiii]

On MFI engines the cold start system sends fuel directly into the throttle stacks above the throttle plates when you start cranking. The thermo time switch allows current to activate the cold start solenoid for ~9sec when temp is below bottom temp threshold of the switch. In order to get the fuel into the cylinders the throttle plate has to be open when cranking i.e. hand throttle all the way up. This does give pretty high rev on start up. I suppose one could adjust the set point on the hand throttle to find what works best.

[edmayo]

Or just use your foot to control RPM.

[McOtto]

My ‘72 MFI and I are in Ed’s camp (very unwise to be anywhere else). Experimentation showed, when cold, my car likes the accelerator to the floor (which is interestingly the Owner’s Manual warm start procedure) with no hand throttle during initial cranking when the cold start solenoid is hogging fuel into the stacks, followed by some hand throttle at 1200± rpm while it warms up.

If, like me, you prefer to keep the cold start system functional, this is good time to remind everyone to routinely and closely inspect your cold start tubing and connectors to make sure they are in excellent working order.

For reference and comparison, attached is a page from the Owner’s Manual: