Kent Starting Issue?

[milesinfront]

My Kent is very tedious to fire up after sitting for a month or so...

Yesterday I tried the starter a few times, with the usual crank, crank, crank and decided to check for fuel. I loosened the hose to the carb inlet and there was spray of fuel, so obviously fuel is there... The strange thing is that after re-torquing the hose to the carb I hit the starter and it instantly fired and idled perfectly!

Is there a clue to the problem in the events above?

[Dave Brand]

What fuel pump are you using? Your symptoms sound very much like a problem I had on a Cortina rally car which used to sit for weeks on end. Fuel was draining back from the line between the pump & the carb & the pump wasn't being run fast enough at cranking speeds to prime; in your case, disconnecting the line may be removing just enough resistance to allow it to prime. If that's the problem replacing the pump diaphragm (which, from memory, has the non-return valves built into it) will cure it.

[milesinfront]

The pump is a fairly new mechanical type from Pegasus. The spray of fuel from the line (engine not cranking) suggests to me that there is plenty of fuel and pressure.

It almost seemed that releasing the pressure was the solution... ???

[Triple J Motorsport]

It not an uncommon problem after standing for a period another fix is to tip and tea spoon or two of fuel into the carb. should fire up and run long enough to pump the fuel up.