Solved this one....might help someone else.

V6, wouldnt start on first turn of the key, usually started on second go but ran lumpy for a few seconds and exhaust smelt of petrol. Once running it behaved perfectly.

I was pretty sure it was an injector which was leaking fuel into the manifold over time, I have had to disconnect the fuel lines a couple of times recently (fuel filter and camcover gaskets) and each time there was no pressure in the fuel feed pipe.
I acquired another inlet manifold and injectors and swapped them at the w/e and it now starts first turn and idles cleanly straight away. Loosened the fuel feed union after 24Hrs and there was still pressure in the rail.

So that seems to confirm the diagnosis of an incontinent injector....it happens to us all with age...apparantly

Matchless wrote on 11. Jan 2007 at 10:00:

Solved this one....might help someone else. V6, wouldnt start on first turn of the key, usually started on second go but ran lumpy for a few seconds and exhaust smelt of petrol. Once running it behaved perfectly. I was pretty sure it was an injector which was leaking fuel into the manifold over time, I have had to disconnect the fuel lines a couple of times recently (fuel filter and camcover gaskets) and each time there was no pressure in the fuel feed pipe. I acquired another inlet manifold and injectors and swapped them at the w/e and it now starts first turn and idles cleanly straight away. Loosened the fuel feed union after 24Hrs and there was still pressure in the rail. So that seems to confirm the diagnosis of an incontinent injector....it happens to us all with age...apparantly

Glad you sorted it :y

Useful piece of information too. Thanks, I'll remember that. :)