Crossflow starting / ignition gremlin.

[simon metcalfe]

Please can anyone help with suggestions to cure “intermittent, but usually ” reluctant starting?
 
1990 Ford Crossflow 1700
Refurbed carbs.
Lucas electronic ignition. 
New Coil, new leads, new spark plugs.
 
The issue is that from cold, the engine won’t fire – unless I reverse the wires to the connections on the coil – in which case it starts immediately. It also drives ok like this, although having owned the car for 25 years I can tell it’s not right. So, when warm, switching the coil connections back correctly (black and white wire to the negative terminal, white wire to the positive terminal) the engine then starts fine and drives perfectly. 
 
The fault was present with the previous coil also, hence replacing it with a new one (from Redline). It will sometimes start ok from cold with the coil connected correctly – but it is reluctant. With the connections reversed it always starts better – hardly having to turn the engine at all.      
 
All seems very strange and something is not quite right so would very much welcome any thoughts on anything I can check further and why it should make a difference if I reverse the coil connections.
 
Cheers Simon.     
 
 
 

[Jonathan Kay]

I'd start by disconnecting all the relevant connections including the earths, and then inspecting them, remaking where necessary, and cleaning.

(Well, actually I wouldn't. I'd randomise and reconnect them blinded in order to eliminate non-random stopping as a source of bias. But I may well be alone in this.)

Jonathan

[SM25T]

Have you checked the polarity on the cables to the coil to make sure they are + or - as they should be. Maybe they are mis-connected the other end. If it runs fine with the cables reversed .... I would do that !

[elie boone]

What type of Lucas ign ? use full info on constant energy here http://workshop-manuals.com/landrover/discovery300tdi/86_electrical/fault_diagnosis/lucas_constant_energy_ignition_system_v8i/ 

What most tuners say about the gap between rotor and pick up ( as close as possible ) is wrong, my engine runs best with a 0,4 mm gap.

 

If it's the old Lucas Silver box amplifier i would have a look at the rotor first but you should not switch wires on the coil for starting aldo some systems use the coil on the neg. side of the system