Back for more - really getting tired of this

Every time I try and start the car after its been sitting for a few days, it seems to take longer and longer to start with more and more difficulty, but once it gets running, its like there was no issue at all. It isn't the battery as the starter is cranking strong with no changes in speed during cranking.

I checked the color of the fuel via the transparent fuel filter between the tank and fuel pump, and the fuel looks perfect (new tank of gas as of a few weeks ago). The numbers on my air-fuel gauge are perfect/same as they have been before the issue, as if there is no problem at all. The only issue is the arduous cranking and cranking and cranking stumbling then eventually starting when cold.

If it helps, starting it after the car is warm is a very quick (2ish cranks) process.

Any ideas?

How fast is the fuel pressure bleeding down?

Just now, SteveJ said:

How fast is the fuel pressure bleeding down?

I'm not sure, but I drive the car about once a week.

That said, since I've had the car (going on 10 years), the fuel pressure has always gotten down to 0 after a few days, so I'm sure that's still the case and shouldn't be the culprit since the hard starting issue (with it running great after starting) is a recent issue. It's weird since it seems to become harder and harder to start each week.

Edited June 6Jun 6 by chaseincats

If it's fuel starved, it's going to be harder to start.

24 minutes ago, SteveJ said:

If it's fuel starved, it's going to be harder to start.

For sure, but it seems to be getting harder to start each week and it has always had the same low-fuel pressure issue when starting where it took 5-6 cranks instead of 10+ now.

Just a guess, but this sounds like maybe a cold start injector falling down on the job?

3 minutes ago, w3wilkes said:

Just a guess, but this sounds like maybe a cold start injector falling down on the job?

I have had the cold start injector wired to a manual toggle switch for years so that shouldn't be it since this is a recent issue. There was a time when I wanted the car to start on the first crank regardless of ambient temperature and wiring the cold start injector like that is how its done.

1 hour ago, w3wilkes said:

Just a guess, but this sounds like maybe a cold start injector falling down on the job?

I think that w3wilkes is suggesting that your CSV has failed. Would be worthwhile to confirm that it's squirting. It's probably almost 48 years old.

1 minute ago, Zed Head said:

I think that w3wilkes is suggesting that your CSV has failed. Would be worthwhile to confirm that it's squirting. It's probably almost 48 years old.

The cold start valve is actually only a few years old since when I wanted to wire it so it could be triggered manually I discovered that the original was indeed dead.

That said, when its 90 degrees out (today) the cold start valve shouldn't be triggering anyway I thought, no? I thought the thermotime switch only triggers it when the coolant is below 50 degrees or something.

Edited June 6Jun 6 by chaseincats

1 hour ago, chaseincats said:

I have had the cold start injector wired to a manual toggle switch for years

23 minutes ago, chaseincats said:

That said, when its 90 degrees out (today) the cold start valve shouldn't be triggering anyway I thought, no?

So, you're not using the switch when it's hot outside? Might want to give it a squirt and see if things are better.

Here's what the FSM says about its operation. Don't forget though that today's gasoline is less volatile than back then. Formulations have changed for emissions purposes. It's kind of interesting but not talked about much.

https://www.google.com/search?q=volatility+vapor+of+gasoline+today+clean+air+act+history

9 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

So, you're not using the switch when it's hot outside? Might want to give it a squirt and see if things are better.

Here's what the FSM says about its operation. Don't forget though that today's gasoline is less volatile than back then. Formulations have changed for emissions purposes. It's kind of interesting but not talked about much.

https://www.google.com/search?q=volatility+vapor+of+gasoline+today+clean+air+act+history

Thanks for all of this! My coolant is definitely above 72 degrees though, so this shouldn't apply. Also it getting worse weekly is odd I'd think...

I swear on my dogs life, nobody believes me, a good valve adjustment made my 240 crank right up where it was turning over and over before. Just throwing that out there, something to think about.