I have a shoebox ford with a 302 and C4. It's a new build and today was the day to fire it up for the first time. Turn the key, press the button......ruuuuuut, ruuuuuuuuuttt, ruuuuuuuuuuuuut. It cranks over but SUPER slow. I have a brand new battery, (charged), new solenoid, new starter button and a new starter. I verified my voltage, and ground by running wires direct to the battery and jumping the starter that way. Same effect. I bought another new starter, same issue, AND tried a different starter for the 302 with C4. Nothing fixed it. I removed the spark plugs and it cranks like a mother....no issues. Put the plugs back in and it barley turns over. We did get the car to run and it ran great (aside from the carb adjustments needed) I also need to add that the coil was not connected at first so I do not believe the starting issue is a timing problem. Any ideas???? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I've had trouble cranking it since the very first time I tried to start it. I actually disconnected the coil initially so I could just crank and build oil/fuel pressure and I had this cranking problem. I threw my charger on "engine start" and cranked enough to get it running. At first I was priming the carb so it started briefly and stalled a few timed. The thing barely cranked. I then got it running, verified it was charging and ran it for about 15 minutes. Shut it off and the starter is still doing the exact same thing. So to be clear, ice cold the starter will barely crank it over, added the "engine start" from my batt charger and it cranked enough to start. Ran it and got to operating temp. And still barely cranks over. Verified my connections, grounds, etc didn't find anything wrong anywhere. Drivin me effin crazy! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Check your battery terminal voltage while you have it on "crank"- it should be minimum about 8.5 volts. I have seen "brand new" batteries die in the arse after a couple of days, and there was no mistreatment abuse, or charging issues beforehand.
It idled? Or did you actually drive it? Is this engine making power or is it just barely able to run? This sounds like a 289 I had that had tight bearings. You could barely start it with 2 batteries, and it ran but poorly and not for long.
I went as far as running a ground direct from the battery to the body of the starter Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
@#5, I have #2 battery cables from the trunk mounted battery, to the solenoid, then starter. Same size ground from batt. To trunk mounted kill switch, the frame. Used a #2 to then bond engine block to frame. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
@#7 seemed to run great, couldn't drive it but seemed to tourqe the car jut fine. I had a concern about tolerances so I removed the plugs and it cranks like crazy w/no issues. It seems like the load of te compression is too much for the starter. The engine is only 9.8:1 Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
@6 I explored the possibility of a bad battery and pulled a known good one from my brothers car, same issue. I will check the voltage during crank. That's a great idea. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I'm thinking #2 cable is too thin to run the distance from the trunk. Remember more distance equals more resistance. Just for kicks, put the battery closer to the starter with a short set of heavy cables and see if it makes a difference.
I agree with Mike51mercs suggestion and while doing this check voltage at starter during cranking. Might have a voltage drop or loss at solenoid on firewall If it has a remote solenoid. I think I ran a single Ot ( I believe)size wire from the trunk to my starter on my big block 55 chev and it too sometimes seems a little weak.Especially when warm. Not that it get warm here in Vegas. Finally cooling off a little and time to get with the car projects. Also you might try turning over the motor by hand on the crank bolt and a breaker bar to see if motor isn't bound up some how. Sorry worst case senerio. Might need a Hi-tourque starter but shouldn't with that comp ratio if thats correct. OK just my two cents worth. Hope it helps.YRUHOT.Doug ps Maybe too much initial timing advance. That will put a lot of stress on a starter and it sounds like things have been apart. Chevys can use shims between starter and flex plates to correct starter enmeshment issues I don't know what Fords cure for this issue is.
Ps, I don't want to beat this thing to death but were the grounds clean . You know bare metal, nolayers of engine paint,goop,etc under battery cable ground or bolt hole.Its so easy to overlook,ask me how I know.lol. Grounds are so important. Did battery cable both + or_ get hot during during cranking. Just thinking. I'll fix it in my mind. It might be like 3 am when I fix it but I'm trying.lol.Doug
PS PS also check voltage at "New Battery" While cranking I believe it should be at least 9.5 volts dc while cranking minimum. When you add the booster from the charger makes me think there is a voltage problem that the charger is curing temporarily . Sometimes "New" doesn't mean Good. Things happen sometimes even with new parts that are made in some place unknown to most of us where quality control isn't spoken there. Clean ie: no paint,grease,goop on the block or tranny where starter face grounds out on engine. Not trying to be a know it all, just sharing some of the dumb ass experiences I've over looked in the past.lol.doug good luck. I can't wait to see what is the cure.
I think the cable might be too small. Add some more wire to the + circuit (temporarily just a jumper cable might work) from trunk to solenoid & see if crank speed improves.
Problem found! By accident of course. I have a trunk mounted batt disconnect that switches the ground, I noticed when I switched back to the "on" position the switch felt as though it bound up. Read the resistance in the on position and it was very high. I bypassed the switch and vroom! Thank you for all te help everyone. This forum kicks ass because of you guys. Thank you!! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Lucky duck! BTW, because we mentioned cables: 2 Ga cable is just ~1/16" smaller than 0 Ga yet amazingly 2 Ga only carries 2/3 the amps of 0 Ga. -or- 0 Ga has over 50% less resistance. (which is another way of saying the same thing.) (0 Ga looks somewhat fatter than it really is, by comparison, because the insulation is thicker.)
Wow, that's a huge difference. I will certainly go that route on the next one. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
That.s great, I love happy endings ie: Movies,massages, and troubleshooting. My only suggestion is to say" I troubleshot the entire electrical system found a faulty electrical disconnect in the trunk that suffered from a high electrical resistance reading on the Ohm Meeter.: Not I found it by accident.lol. Just kidding Glad you found it. It's the little things in life that will drive you crazy. Every time you turn the key and it lights off you'll be thinking about all the trouble shooting you had to do to find that problem.lol. Good job I've learned something also for future troubleshooting. YRUHOT.Doug
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