My 1988 has always done this since we got it, sometimes the engine idles up really rough. I baby it when I crank it over, I try to crank it just enough to get it started. Listen between 0:20-0:23 sometimes this lasts upwards of 5-10 seconds, I have even had it stay like that until I pressed on the gas pedal. What is not working here??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk9HPcr4kLA

 

My guess is bad fuel pressure. Have you tested to see what pressure your getting at the bad start up times?

 

No because it does not always start hard and it never lasts long, also there are brand new gas lines and a brand new pump/screen it almost sounds to me like half the cylinders are firing the whole truck shakes like it had a mild cam.

 

It could be bad due to a check valve in the fuel sending unit. I suggest just checking the fuel pressure at that time. Since you think it is ignition related, have you done a tune up lately? Did you check every plug to make sure its got spark?

My sending unit from Napa is 4 months old and the check valve is bad. I have to turn the key 2 times to get it fired up right away.

 

Oh really? I will see if I have a way of adapting my pressure gauge I think it is designed to test fuel rails. Yes I did a full tune-up including Bosch premium plus plugs, and it has a brand new pick-up coil in the distributor. I have not checked individual cylinders for spark since the engine sounds perfectly fine once it gets through the first couple seconds.

Sending unit as is the fuel pump?? The double keying sounds familiar when it was warm out that is what I would have to do; a quick crank then the second time always fired right up. So where is the check valve located sorry for my stupid question.

 

I have got the symptom down to an exact, you have to give it a QUICK crank-wait a second-then the second quick crank it always starts right up. If you crank it for more than 1 second the first time then it will not start the second, third, or fourth time.

 

Aside from your last post, I would've said to check the ground wires.
Similar start-up happened with my truck...it was rough and stalled out. Turned out to be the ground wire from the battery wasn't well grounded anymore, so all the sensors weren't working properly.

 

I think the engine might idle a little high because of the fact it jumps when I switch in and out of neutral (D or R). Could a high idle cause this sort of starting problem?? If I'm braking and it shifts down, it almost skips forward ever so slightly or jerks forward for a moment. If I take my foot off the brake at a stop sign even on a casual incline it will idle forward on me.

High idle = crank over, stop, crank again and then it starts?

 

UPDATE: Today I screwed with the idle, compared to the picture in the manual the **** on the idle solenoid was pretty far in already when I looked at it. Regardless I used a small wrench and turned it in a few rotations, couldn't really tell much of a difference by hearing it but I can tell it's a bit lower now and the screw is probably almost all the way turned in on the solenoid. The manual says I think between 2500 and 2600 RPM for an idle speed, but the only RPM gauge I have is for small engines I don't know if I can use it on an automobile engine?? It's a circular piece of plastic with a coiled spring inside, you spin the top and the coiled spring end starts to stick out, when you get the spring to vibrate at it's maximum you stop spinning the top and read it for your RPM.

The idle adjustment did not resolve the "crank-turn back-crank & start" issue but it did seem to smoothen out the rough idle on the very first couple of seconds the engine is running. It seems at least to downshift smoother when coming to a stop, not sure if that was/would be an idle related issue? Now when I start it after the idle adjustment as soon as it fires up it bogs down for a second then smoothens out; no more choppiness and playing with the pedal to smoothen it out) so does anyone think the engine was flooding out when you started it because of a high idle?

 

Have you done a code check? I ignored codes for a bad temp sender for ever and when I finally replaced it all problems left including the key on clicks and the short first start.