High Idle when Engine Cold, But wait, there's more... Gold foil film on starter! Options

[ericread]

OK, not such a big deal, but for the past few months, when I first start my car the idle goes to about 2,000 RPM. Once the engine oil gets to the mid-way mark the idle drops to about 950-1000 RPM and remains there when ever I return to idle.

Is this normal?

I removed each of the spark plugs and each showed a slight bit of white ash, but no fouling or any other sign of abnormal wear. The car seemly runs great, with the exception of the higher idle when the engine is cold. My CHT shows the engine cylinder temp gets up to temp pertty quickly, but the idle seems to be entirely dependant upon the oil temp.

On another note, I was having some problems with the starter engaging after a long run. Typical instance of the heat getting to the starter. So I purchased some gold reflective heat barrier film and installed it on the starter and on the solenoid. Although the film has a self-stick backing, I also secured it with stainless steel ties. (I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow). It'll probably be a week before I make a long enough trip to see if it helps, but it sure looks cool!

I know Capt. Krusty doesn't believe in manufacturer specs, but here's their writeup:

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Our Gold Reflective Film has excellent heat reflective characteristics, yet it is very thin and easy to install. Capable of reflecting 78% of all radiant heat while withstanding continuous operating temperatures of 675° Fahrenheit (357° C) for a minimum of 8 hours.

Made from metalized polyamide polymer laminated glass cloth, with a special high temperature pressure sensitive adhesive. This film is very lightweight at only 5 ounces per square yard, and is easy to apply. The minimum air gap to heat source is just 1mm. Sold by the running foot from a roll that is 24 inches wide.
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I figure if gold foil reflective film is good enough for F-1 cars, it just might help on my starter...

Eric Read