Battery/starter question

[chevyman0429]

So my chevelle has a bbc 427 in it. I bought the car with the motor already built so I really have no specifics on the intervals as far as compression ratio! The car started fine when I bought it. I had to replace the frame so I completely dismantled the car for some reason or the other I took the starter off. After I put it all back together it started like the starter needed to be shimmed but life got in the way and the car has sat for around 6 years. I did start the car every so often. I’m currently picking away at it and want to get this starter sorted out. Problem is now it turns over once or twice (sometimes a half turn) still sounding like it needs to be shimmed. So I put some shims in it got a bit better but still the same cranking problem. This morning I pulled out the spark plugs and it turns over great with a hair bit of starter grind but it does turn over quick! The battery I was using is a 600 cca battery could this battery be to small or is something else going on! I did pull the starter off and tried another I had laying around and the same problem! I did notice with both starters the starter gear remains touching the fly wheel just barely but we completely release itself if I tap the starter with the palm of my hand! Thanks

[John Brown]

You might want to try 1/2 of a shim on the side toward the crank centerline. That works sometimes better than a whole shim.

[PeteLeathersac]

'

Sounds like two problems?
Shim issue aside, load test the battery if you haven't already.
Confirm all grounds also try a secondary ground w/ Booster Cable Neg. Battery to Starter body.
Any chance your timing's too advanced?
Best of luck!

~ Pete

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[chevyman0429]

Originally Posted by PeteLeathersac

'

Sounds like two problems?
Shim issue aside, load test the battery if you haven't already.
Confirm all grounds also try a secondary ground w/ Booster Cable Neg. Battery to Starter body.
Any chance your timing's too advanced?
Best of luck!

~ Pete

.

Pete I was getting alittle smoke from the ground wire at the battery when cranking and the fenders are currently off the vehicle so the ground from the battery cable to the fender is not hooked up! This car has got the biggest battery cables Iv ever seen probably the diameter of a quarter! I’m gonna shim one side of the starter as Mr Brown suggests because it’s definitely grinding but I think u might have the answer with the ground!
Yea know I wasn’t thinking I had messed with the timing but now u bring it up I did have the intake off to restore it so that’s also a possibility! I’ll get back after it in the morning and report back! Thanks

[Lynn]

Although, if the Neg cable is connected to the engine, the fender ground is a non issue as far as cranking goes.

[chevyman0429]

Yes Lynn the negative is hooked directly to the side of the head!

[Lynn]

If it hasn't run since you had the intake off, I would SUSPECT that the distributor is out of time. However, you still need to address the starter adjustment before you cause more damage.

600 amps is a bit weak for a big block, especially if it is very high compresson.

A load test would be a good place to start. From there I would do the following:

1. Pull the starter and make sure the bronze bushings on each end have a TINY amount of lube. I like red synthetic grease.

2. Leave the plugs out for now; install the starter, and get the starter shimmed as needed so it does not hang up at all.

3. Once you know it is perfect, put the plugs back in, remove the wires from the + side of the coil and see if it cranks OK. If it cranks slow, you know you either a. just don't have enough battery, or b. you have too much resistance somewhere in the battery cables. I know you said the cables were huge; but you need to check that they are in good shape at each end of each cable. I have seen cables that had started coming apart at the ends, and effectively only a few of those many strands were carrying the whole load. The other thing to check for is internal corrosion. If the old green "fungus garden" has grown up into one of the cables, that can corrode a lot of the wiring causing a lot of resistance.

4. On the other hand, if it spins nicely with the plugs in and no spark, it is time to hook up the spark. I would "snap" time it at NO MORE than 10 degrees advance before trying to crank it with the + wires hooked back onto the coil. I have seen more than one big block snap off a starter nose because the timing was too far advanced.

Hopefully it cranks fine and starts right up.

[chevyman0429]

Lynn And Pete
Thanks the cranking problem is corrected ended up being a bad ground cable! Now the starter shim is a whole nother problem. Iv put the shims in took them out put half shin in took half shim out still grinding and sometimes starter turning and not even turning over the engine. Started to get irritated so I had to walk away.

[earntaz]

Maybe this will help ... Craig

[earntaz]

Another item just occurred to me -- make sure the starter mounting bolts are knurled bolts ... not just pick-a-nut bolts.