Re: Toasted Starter

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxx>]

When you have a problem like this start with the basics. You do need
the starter to turn the motor over at a fast enough speed. When you
get it to turn over fast enough remove a spark plug and stick your
finger over the hole. When you crank it over you should feel vacuum
and compression, this will tell you that at least the valve timing is
close. Now crank it over again with the spark plug attached to the
wire but laying on the block, you should see a spark at regular
intervals. If you are getting spark now you have to check you are
getting fuel. You could try a SMALL squirt of starting fluid (ether)
and if you atrat getting pops or it runs for a moment then you know
you have to troubleshoot the fuel system. You need to find the system
that is not working. You could try a compression test. Check the
ignition wires that they are going to the correct cylinders, this is
the firing order. Make sure the fuel pump runs. Maybe you forgot a
plug somewhere like to the distributer? You were in so deep that there
are a lot of possabilites so you need to try to eliminate them one by
one. Try cranking it over without any spark plugs. If it runs much
better do the compression test. You may have really screwed up the
valve timing and made the engine too hard for the starter.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "cruznmd" <racuti1@xxxx> wrote:
> Looks like I burned a vacation day for nothing. This thing isn't 
> going to start.
> 
> I've positioned the distributor both ways and it won't catch. Bill, 
> at DMCH asked how fast the engine was cranking.
> 
> Well, the truth is, not very, and it has to have some speed if it's 
> going to catch. I've cleaned all the ground points, battery 
> connections and such. I've got a new Optima battery @ 700 or so cold 
> cranking amps and a trickle charger that has the 50 amp "start 
> booster" function on it. None of that makes it crank over any faster. 
> After cranking for only 5-10 seconds the starter is pretty warm to 
> the touch.
> 
> If anyone else has any other ideas I'm all ears.