[Healeys] Starting a BJ8

[ROBERT A WESTCOTT]

A new gear drive starter does wonders to spin it over faster.

I push the accelerator to the floor when I pull the choke out, seems to make it easier.  
Steve Byers suggestion of starting fluid also helps as well of not trying to pump the accelerator as it does nothing to help.
Once the engine starts the choke can go in pretty quickly

Have car in neutral and clutch out ( emergency brake on ), engine spins easier. 

Rob

> On Dec 16, 2016, at 7:26 AM, BJ8Healeys <sbyers at ec.rr.com> wrote:
> 
> I live on the coast of the southern USA where winters are very mild.  My carbs and everything else are adjusted properly, but still my BJ8 is hard to start when it has been sitting for more than a few days -- even in the summer.  I have heard discussions before from people on the list about how their Healeys are hard to start, so I think it is a characteristic of the engine (assuming all adjustments are correct, of course).  The engine will start eventually, after multiple tries.  But if I just give both carbs a shot of starting fluid after filling the float bowls, then jump in, pull the choke full out, and turn the key he engine starts immediately, without all that grinding on the starter.  Starting fluid is cheap. Rebuilding the starter not so much.
>  
> There is no accelerator pump on the SU carburetors to provide a rich mixture for starting, so "pumping" the accelerator pedal only opens and closes the throttle plates and does nothing to help the engine start.