Technical Sbc help please! Wont turn over with plugs in (figured out, dumb mistake).

Help!!!
I have a "ran when pulled" 350. Last time it was in a car it was driven home.
Double hump heads, been rebuilt somewhere along the line as rod caps are all #ed.
When i got it, I installed a new camshaft and geardeive. And roller tip rockers

Now, I've got the motor in the car, valve's set to tdc, no flash the. 1/2 turn.
I can turn it manually by crank.

Put a starter on and it will only turn the motor with the plugs out. Plugs in and it really struggles to turn.
Battery is fully charged, used 2 new starters, 1 later model factory small style, and 1 factory high torque.

I've disconnected the torque converter just to be sure. Same thing.

I'm not a motor guy, I'm trying anything I can to not pull this motor, car has show quality paint job on everything and I hate to risk it.

Please, any ideas?

 

check the ground to engine connection first. are starter cables getting hot when trying to crank?Hot cables would indicate high draw.How easy does it turn by hand? 3/8 drive ratchet or 4 foot breaker bar?

 

With the plugs out does it spin freely with the starter? Or does it feel tight. Your gear drive mightn't have the right lash between gears.

 

If it struggles, but you can turn by hand, maybe remove coil wire and see if it cranks easier maybe it's fighting itself - too advanced. Recheck static timing?

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I was going to suggest the earth to engine cable as well but assumed it would already be done.

 

A weak battery will charge but still be weak. How old is it? Got a load tester? Jump it, or try another.

 

How does it spins with the plugs out. How long did it sit. Why the gear drive?

 

By hand I can turn it with a 1/2 drive ratchet, about 12 inch handle.
No distributor in the motor. No coil.
Jumping starter via battery on bench and jumper cables, yes, they get hot.
Running external battery and jumper cables.
Plugs out it spins pretty well. Some resistance, but not bad.

Gear drive, because noisy.
Battery age unknown, kept on charger during this use.
Motor sat a year or so, always in a garage complete and covered.

 

Battery and grounds and grounds


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Should I rush your rush job or the rush job I was rushing when you rushed in?

 

There was another thread just like this in the past, wonder if you searched if you could maybe find his solution.

 

Did you check the starter drive to flywheel clearance ? Too tight can bind the starter ..

 

I haven't checked starter to flywheel. How would I do that?

I'm used to Ford, starter just bolts in.

 

Load test the battery and get some battery cables.


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There are numerous tutorials on checking clearance. If I knew how , I'd send you a link..

 

If the motor has sat awhile have you done anything to get some oil up into it? Cranking it dry isn't the best thing for it. What is the purpose of cranking it without the distributor in it? So the thing ran fine before you changed out to the gear drive and now it won't crank. I'd start looking there.

 

If those are some cheap jumper cables they are probably too small to crank the motor by themselves. It sounds like you are getting ahead of yourself by not having it ready to fire when you start cranking on it. Get the battery in the car with some proper cables and I bet it makes a huge difference.

 

Primed oil pump before turning over. It has pressure, and had put a little pile in each cyl.

I think my next step is starter shims.
Did a little reading on that and I'm betting, hoping that's what it is

 

Are you certain that the valve lash is set correctly?

 

Review the work you did..thats where you will find the problem

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This. And a known good battery.

 

How about cam timing to crank? What gear drive have you installed?

 

"Carnac the magnificent" says ," I see a cam drive change in your future " LOL

Simply because the " noise" will become annoying !

 

Cam drive would have nothing to do with it if you can turn it easy with a 1/2 drive ratchet, the plugs are out, and the starter won't turn it.

Starter weak or shimed wrong, cables and grounds, battery are all that can be in play if you follow along the above information.

If cam drive accuracy was off or valves adjusted so tight valves hit pistons you wouldn't be able to turn it with a breaker bar either.

 

I’ll put money on it (not literally) that it’s electrical. Three stories from my own experience...
1.) I helped put a 283 in a ‘34 ford pickup with a friend. We put an old starter on it and it did exactly what you are describing. New starter, still same thing. Noticed my jumper cables we were using for temporary wiring was crimped on the insulation so it was making poor connection.
2.) I had a 283 in a ‘62 corvette that wouldn’t crank over. Noticed I forgot the engine ground straps. Put them on and it cranked fine.
3.) I was rigging up a plug in battery setup for my dragster. Brand new battery, and brand new mini starter. It cranked very very slow.. I noticed my $18 jumper cables that I used as my wires was getting hot.. I rebuilt my plug in system with some welder extension chord wire and that fixed that issue.


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I'm going to say battery voltage to low.

 

Flex plate on in the right direction, maybe the starter is jamming there if it's not ?

 

????

 

Crazy ass question, but it comes from experience. What spark plug are you running in those double hump heads? Yeah my dumb ass stuck a set of tapered seat plugs in a new build once, i got it to turn with the breaker bar. After it embedded all of the electrodes off the plugs into the tops of the pistons. Genius i tell ya, pure genius.

 

Lloyd, short ones. I was afraid of the same thing. I cant work on it again till weds after work, going to start by checking starter clearance and getting some shims. After reading, I feel that might be what it is.

 

Try the easy things first. I think Greybeard is right also. I have never been able to crank any car with a battery off of jumper cables, I've tried and it never works...