Hi all, Got a puzzler for you. Rebuilt 350 sbc in a 23 T-Bucket with a th350. Engine turns over nicely with plugs out (remember this). Valve lash has been checked 3 times. Timing looks right but can't tell unless its running and that's the rub! Got ready for a 20 minute run for sake of the cam. It cranked somewhat slow and then caught. with one hand on the dizzy to fine tune the timing and the other hand on the throttle pedal I eased the revs to 2000 then my hand slipped off the pedal, the engine died and hasn't run since. When I tried to restart, the engine barely turned over. So I recharged the battery overnight and set up to try again. Wah-waah-waaaah-waaaaaaa. then nothing. I figured bad grounds so I ran a jumper direct from the neg terminal directly to the block. It was like the battery was almost dead. In fact it drew so many amps, it was almost dead. I even tried jumping with my regular car running but again, barely turn over. But the cables got hot! Every thing on this engine is new including the starter. As I mentioned it turns over nicely without plugs by either the starter or hand crank on the pulley. It is not through the ****** as there is no driveshaft installed yet. Any ideas?
I'd start with removing the starter and seeing how it spins over on the bench, or floor if you prefer. Then I'd get a breaker bar and socket and see how the engine turns by hand. Maybe pull the plugs again and make sure it hasn't filled a cylinder with water or fuel.
Could your new starter be bad, and have you reset your base timing. New in the box does not means it's good. Lay a inductive amp. Meter on the pos. Cable and see what it draws.
Set the base timing with a test light hooked to minus side of coil. As you rotate the crank pulley by hand, key on, then as it gets near TDC on number one, the light will come on as points open to fire the coil. It will be pretty close as far as checking actual timing. It would need to be way too advanced to cause cold hard cranking. The cables getting hot means you don't need a draw test...as it is serious amp draw just by that. So, timing way too advanced.. a lot, or tight engine, or bad starter (or starter gear alignment).
Bad starter, drawing excessive current. Ignition advanced too far. Engine internals seizing. Coolant on top of a piston. Start eliminating them one by one.
To eliminate the timing as a cause, or to verify it was the problem; just pull the coil wire when doing a cranking test. If it still is bad, and because you said it hand turns fine with plugs out, I'd suspect the ****py new starter nose castings used on rebuilt starters. They often need shimming.
Nope. Done all that. Starter runs well and it turns over by hand as I mentioned in the tirade I posted.
First get that motor running and get it thru the break in period for whatever time it is 15 30 mins. Free up the motor. And if continues it sound to me the starter is the problem. After the break in period. But if not then something is wrong in the motor internaly with the pistons as the motor cant move freely. These are my three ideas. Hope it works out
As you should still have the valve covers off you should be able to turn the engine over by hand, watch the intake valve on number one close and see the timing mark come around to the timing tab. Then make sure the points (if you have points) are just opening for #1 on the cap. On the starter I'd pack it back to the place I bought it and have them put it on the test machine or take it to someone who had a starter tester and see what load it actually pulls. Also they sold/sell light duty and heavy duty starters for Chevy engines. Take a look at the strap that goes from the front of the solenoid to the starter does it have one or two layers of copper? Single layer means it is a light duty starter that may not have the poop to spin your engine with the plugs in. To add to that most light duty DElco starters have that strap coming out of the housing **** up against the solenoid while the HD starters usually are longer and there is a spacer between the solenoid and the strap on the full size starters.
Only question I have is what the hell is a dizzy? Is it a fainting spell? Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A dizzy is a HAMB created abbreviation for distributor. Apparently for some it is more traditional to say or be dizzy than to say "dist.", which is more conventional. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You bench tested the starter, and can turn the motor by hand with plugs out. All is well to this point. Re install the starter and no spin. Could it be the Bendix drive is to deep into the ring gear and causing the drag in the starter? The Wizzard
The starter is from Speedway Tuff Stuff Super-Lite Chevy Starter part #9106550. It is made for Chevy small and big block engines. Maybe I should change it out.
In my day it was a blond, usually but confined to a Bombshell. Before I joined the HAMB the only people that I ever heard call a distributer a dizzy came from an island over by Europe.
I* guess I'm just in a pissy mood today, but I really fail to see the humor in all the ******** about "dizzy" when the OP has a genuine problem with an engine he's likely spent a chunk of change on and having a problem.
Been there done that, really makes the starter work, amperage draw goes way up. Bet a shim would do it. Lots of other things it could be, but this is a good place to start. And listen to Frank. Static time it, and LEAVE IT. This BS of firing it up and twisting the distributor all over hells half acre is always a cluster f*ck. I static time it around 10 degrees initial (maybe a little more, depending on how much advance is in the distributor) and BOLT it down. I don't even TOUCH the distributor again till the cam is broken in. Then I turn turn the idle down, throw a light on it and advance it to where I want it, shut it off, re-torque the heads, run the valves again, fire it up and tune it. It will actually start easier if its a few degrees light in timing, and its not enough to make it run too hot while you break the cam in, so setting it a hair short of where you will run it is ideal. Been doing it this way very successfully for 35 years, and watching my buddies make a cluster f*ck out of it twisting the distributor all over hell, having it stall when they move it too far, then grinding the cam on the starter while they try to get it to start again because its over-advanced, ect, ect for just as long. some will listen, some, well... I did the same thing for the first couple years, then I wised up.
Yea in the everlasting words of Forrest Gump, "lazy is as lazy does." Or for the *millennials on the board. " ," * that was just mean and I know some millennials that are really sharp, change that to those who are just not inclined to learn to read or write.
Everything points to the starter drawing way too much current or you have a real bad connection somewhere. Double check the grounds, s****e any grounding surface down to the base metal. I also like to hang a big ground strap from the back of a cylinder head to the firewall. Where is your battery? If remotely located, make sure the cables are heavy enough to cover the distance. You jumped it so you're adding some amperage to the equation. Swap in a known-to-be-good battery into the car. Talk to Speedway's tech line, maybe they can suggest a better way to diagnose the problem. If you have a friendly auto-electric shop, they could look at it and give it a good load test even though it may cost you a few bucks.
Battery sits in the 'pick-up' bed. Negative length is 1 foot; positive is 6.5 feet. Both cables are 3/0
All this back and forth is making me DIZZY.... Speedway starter??? Ask a friend to lend you a starter and try a one that y'all know works.
I have bought a few starters from part houses and had the same problem. Installed them and would not crank engine fast enough to start it. Then works fine on bench tests then installed wouldn't turn motor over fast enough to start. Junk china starter from speedway I bet is the problem OR your timing is way off. Bad ground maybe too. I'm watching good luck.
A speedway starter for a small block chevy? Somehow I didn't catch that one. Go back to post #17 and my definition of dizzy then toss it and take a walk down to the local auto parts and buy a starter.
Also I vote you get yourself an AC delco starter. Even rebuilt in America is still better than china.
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