no start situation

["Livolsi, Stephane" <livols1@investorsgroup.com>]

I have a curious situation that I am hoping listers can help me with.
The car is an 86 5KTQ and some of you are probably getting tired of
hearing me ask for help but hopefully some day I will be able to help
someone else. Fuel economy bites!  16-17 litres/100 km in the city.  7-8
litres/100km hwy.  No smell of unburnt fuel in exhaust and I have NEVER
seen any dark or black smoke coming out the exhaust.  It really seems
the engine is starving for fuel before it starts.  When the car is
running well, it sounds really good.  No wheezing as if vacuum leak or
blown head gasket.

Background is that the car won't hold an idle.  Ignition components are
all new, fuel pump is confirmed running well and high rpm power is good.
 I can get 1.4 Bar at WOT.  Fuel distributor buzzes nicely and air and
fuel filter are new.  
This car has always had a hot start problem and here is how I got around
it.  I wired a momentary contact switch on my dash which is spliced into
the cold start valve circuit.  When it wouldn't start (hot) I hit this
switch, which gives it a shot of gas through the intake manifold and it
would start and run fine.  Now, I need to hit this switch to start the
car EVERY TIME - hot or cold or in between,  and once it starts, I have
to keep my foot on the gas or it dies.  I have extensively searched for
vacuum leaks and don't think that's the problem - unless there are some
vacuum lines I haven't found. 

Here are a couple of curious things:

1. The car won't start by just turning the key and pressing the gas
pedal.  However, if I 'prime' it with my cold start valve, it will start
and keep running if I give it gas through the pedal. Also, it runs very
roughly up to about 2500 - 3000 rpm with no engine load.  It runs
smoothly under load. Why will fuel get to the cylinders after it's
running, but not before?  Residual fuel line pressure, maybe? but then
why won't it hold idle once the fuel pressure gets built back up?

2. When I turn the climate control on to lo, auto or high, the engine
will idle, although it is a very high idle (2500-3000 rpm) Also, I can
hear the climate control switching flaps every once in a while.  The air
usually only comes out the defrost and floor, but will switch to dash
and then back again all by itself.  The fresh air flap (behind the glove
box) vacuum connection was broken and I plugged the vac line.  Does the
climate control run off of engine vacuum, or a separate vacuum motor
like the cruise control?

TIA, everyone


Stephane Livolsi
180 Yorston St
Williams Lake, BC, V2G 3Z1
ph 250-392-2637
fax 250-392-2693

'86 5KTQ stock (if you don't know what it means, you aren't in the club)