Got my new motor ready to run but

nickg42oz

Founding Member
Dec 16, 2000
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16
New Orleans, LA
It wont start. It cranks but wont start. I double checked the distributer and it was put in correctly on the compression stroke. I cranks kinda slow. The belt is kinda tight but nothing rediculas. Just put a brand new battery. I thought that I drained all of the old gas (2 yr) out but apparently I didn't so its sphioning right now but baring it just being gas which I hope it is and other suggestions?
 
do you have spark while cranking? how is FP? gotta give us something to work with. absent other info, i would look up Jrichker's no start checklist and start mowing stuff down. i like his list because it covers everything but the kitchen sink as a fault, and it is systematic.

good luck.
 
We do have spark and I said fuel pressure is about 35lb while cranking. Well I found one major problem the plugs I had in were Motorcraft 42c. These are about half the length of the ones I need so I went to wal-mart and got the auto light 3924's. Don't feel like changing them tonight will do in the morning.
 
sorry for missing the FP specs. if you have been cranking that much, i would let it sit and clear the flood. have you tried starting it with the gas pedal floored (only while cranking!)? this kills injector pulse and helps clear the flood)?

might toss the charger on it (as you know, getting all the CCA's you can helps). in my experience, timing that is too retarded can cause slow cranking too. shrug.

just my random thoughts. good luck with it. BTW, you need to put some parts on it - your sig does not quite take up the whole screen. :) .
 
Ok well nothing is working. The new pluggs fresh gas.....Its still having trouble cranking. Could a belt that is to tight be causing the tough turn over? It dosent seem to be turning over fast enough to start. Also I checked the oil with the dip stick and it shows nothing. Now I know that I put 8qts in and I get 60lb of pressure with a drill and 40lb while cranking. I also tried with the timing advanced alot and retarted alot but it seems not to make a diffrence.


Sorry about the SIG
 
I'm far from an expert, but my thinking is that if the motor is cranking, you need air fuel and spark for it to turn over. Therefore, my guess is that there is a problem with one of those 3 elements. I would look up jrichker and use his list like hissin suggested.
 
nickg42oz said:
could it be a bad ground. I have the negative battery term going to the timing cover and I think that aluminum. Also where does that ground strap go.

The timing cover is aluminum. My ground strap form the battery goes to the first header flange bolt on the driver's side of the motor.
 
ttt

87GT 306 said:
The timing cover is aluminum. My ground strap form the battery goes to the first header flange bolt on the driver's side of the motor.
def reroute the ground strap to the head and if it still cranks slow then check starter.if all checks out good then you may have some internal engine parts too tight of clearence like bearings,rings,i had a 289 about 10yrs ago i rebuilt and i had to use 2 batteries to start it up the first time,wired them together and after the break in period i had no further troubles with cranking
 
If nothing else, pull the belt off to make sure it's not too tight. Crank w/o the belt to make sure.

I don't think it will crank at all if you don't have enough ground. Still yet, to rule it out, you could hook one side of the jumper cables to the neg terminal and the other side to ground - both black ends or both red ends :D ). I got a HUGE grounding strap from the local farm supply store to add more ground instead of relying on that little one from the head to firewall.

If worse goes to worst, you might try pulling the distributer AGAIN :notnice: , make sure it's on cyc 1 TDC compression stroke (put a paper towel in the plug hole and let it blow it out) and stab the distributer again. Get a timing light on it ASAP. Are you sure the firing order is correct. Please, even if you're ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE it's correct, check it one more time. Firing order goes counter-clockwise 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 if you have an H.O. motor.
 
When I had a bad ground the motor turned over reallly slowly. A quick check is to take jumper cables and connect a solid engine ground spot to the negative battery terminal, takes only a few minutes (most of the time is spent finding the damned cables).
 
Ok little update. I tried with the belt off and it did the same so its not that. I took the #1 spark plug (1st on left, looking at the car)out and when it blew air out I stoped the crank at the TDC mark and put the distributer in pointing at the #1 position (12o'clock). Still did the same. I think this motor is going to have more compression so my dad is going to take the plugs out and see if it will turn over easier(I'm back at LSU now for class) If it does turn over easier I will get a high tourque starter. Thats about all I can think of.