Just dumped $3000 into rebuilding the motor and trans (see sig). Dropped the SOB back in, got everything hooked back up and I get this: Turn the key foreward, get all the indicator lights to cycle, headlights are very bright and fuel pump cycles to prime the injector rail. Turn key to start and I get VERY slow cranking and everything dims out so bad you can barely see the indicator lights in the dash and the headlights almost turn off. I also tried without the headlights but wanted to see how bad the draw was. So I assume battery is dead. Try 3 different batteries, a jump-pack and jumping it to another truck while running, no good. Took the starter in and had them bench test it, starter tests perfect, wire wheeled the started and trans mounting location to ensure good ground for the starter, still no good. Bought a new starter relay for the fire wall, still no prob there. Try jumping the terminals with a screwdriver on the starter relay and it does the same. I then thought it may be bad/insufficient grounding. Check and retighten/clean all ground locations and add one straight off the negative terminal of the battery straight to the block with 4ga wire, still no good. WTF? Iam gonna go buy my buddies Chevy and leave this thing on the railroad tracks....

Try pulling all the spark plugs and see how fast it wants to spin without any load from compression. See if you can turn the crank with a 1/2" ratchet on the dampner bolt. The only thing that should be providing the resistence is the rings in thier bores. If oiled up properly nothing else will provide any significent drag.


Eric

They dont put a load on your starter when they test it do they?Just cuz it spins doesnt mean its gonna turn your engine over.I cast another vote for see if it turns over by hand too,that will tell ya alot :D

What kind of compression did you build the engine with? Stock?

More than 10.5:1? Stock starters start having major problems around that point.. (sometimes, especially if you cam it to have major cranking compression)

Before you get pissed at your Ford, remember Chevy's tend to have alot of problems with heat-soaked starters and crappy wiring...

I had it rebuild to stock. Which is like 8.5:1 compression I think. I will pull the plugs and see how freely it spins that way.

Yea, I can't tell you how many "bench tested" or even new starters I've seen crapped out. Your problem sounds electrical rather than Ford related. Cranking the engine by hand is a good rule out, then check to see how many volts are making it down to your starter. You'd be surprised how much drops off in common set ups. All your main wires should be 0 or 1 guage. Good luck...and having run both Fords and Chevies....you'd end up with more problems like this with a cheby, them and their infamous heat-soak. Why they ever mounted their starter solenoid down there is beyond me...

Pussy :flipoff2:

Go get an AMP meter and put it on the + lead to the starter.

screw it go chevy!!!

actually chevys are the worst when it comes to starters, 3 flex paltes, 4 starters (in i blew into three pieces), cracked the wing onthe bock.... chevys and starters are not a good thing

but i will say that starts do go bad even though they bench test fine. sound like its drawing a huge load from the wiring, get a new starter and try it again

if you did pull the plugs and it still wont crank by hand or after a new starter then talk with the person who rebuilt.. there is a problem there

Should also add a 460 starter from napa is about 35$

This may sound stupid but, are you sure you got your plug wires hooked up right? You could have a couple of cylinders firing against each if the firing order isn't right:eek: Don't ask me how I came to this conclusion:emb4:

We had the same problem on a boat. With the plugs out it cranks at full speed put it back together and it does not want to work. The timing chain was shot to shiat.

Dimitri

I am retarded. :rolleyes: Turns out I could crank it by hand when I installed the torque converter bolts to the flexplate, but after much cranking the fuel in the cylinders washed down the cylinder walls and allowed the pistons to freeze to the wall. :eek: So I pulled the plugs and wd-40'd the inside, let soak and cranked it by hand again, got her all loosened up and tried again. Then found out the Dizzy spins CCW, not clockwise, so I redid the wires for the 20th time last night, and she fired right up. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by rabidranger
I am retarded. :rolleyes: but after much cranking the fuel in the cylinders washed down the cylinder walls and allowed the pistons to freeze to the wall. :eek:

This cannot be good. After you put the 500 mile brake in period and change the oil, have it compression AND Leak Down tested!



Eric

No shit, that doesn't sound good here either. Change that oil ASAP and check it for abnormal amounts of metal..

So, you're saying you DID have the firing order screwed up?:eek:

and he blamed the ford......

No matter how bad the situation its never time for a chebby! If you want more starting problems then by all means go buy one. :flipoff2:

Yes I did have the firing order messed up, not order technically, just direction. Now I have a fuel injection issue... Once it fires up (hafta hold the gas pedal to the floor) it won't idle, and runs terrible at any rpm. My mechanic and i think it is in running way too rich. You can smell fuel in the exhaust. For some reason the injectors seem to be staying open or something. Need to measure the pulse width from the injectors and see if that is the case, anybody know how to do that?

Was this a running setup prior to rebuilding the motor or is it a transplant?

If its a transplant then pretty much go thru 100% of everything you transplanted and 50% of what is original.

Is the fuel plumbing correct? (you might of hooked it up backwards too...hehehe)

Ceck the fuel rail psi.

Get it hooked up to a diagnostic system and make sure all the sensors are correctly adjusted and working.

BTW, I am not sure about this but I think that a shuvy woldn't run right with the firing order oppisite form correct either!

Originally posted by rabidranger
Need to measure the pulse width from the injectors and see if that is the case, anybody know how to do that?

After blaming Ford from the beginning I think you deserve no help:flipoff2: