hard crank (broken starter?) issues

[heavychevystuff]

hi all

i am really frustrated with a starting issue

1979 454 automatic

new battery
new cables
new starter

last starter was not shimmed correctly and the whole housing cracked.
this new starter is shimmed so the teeth engage much shallower now.

but it still struggles to turn over!!!

and the really frustrating thing is that this problem is intermittent.
sometimes you can just *cough* the motor and she fires right up.
starting and running is not an issues hot or cold.

the whole issue is: this starter sometimes turns the motor over fine.
and other times... it will engage, lock itself up - then kick over and start.

i am afraid that i will fry something electronically, or, shatter another cone and be stranded....
help?

 

[Taylorb27]

this may be out of left field but is there a chance the distributor is getting stuck too far advanced before you shut the engine off sometimes? far enough to where it will kick the starter back.
i know the bushings get wore down pretty bad on the weights and can get stuck at random times..
but youd also notice a running issues, like pinging or a high idle
new starter could also be crap, thats something to check

 

[wanderinthru]

Were it a standard push it, you wouldn't be stranded. I regress. Taylor is on the right track with either or. My wager is the starter is junk. New, now days, does not mean good. After rereading the timing issue makes alot of sense. Get in your distributer and gob the advance weights down with Never Seize and see if she goes back to starting? Wiggle them around after you do as well. Nothing else you'll look like the Tin Man in 45 minutes.....

 

[heavychevystuff]

ok cool thanks

ill check the distributor. its a fancy ACCEL high power one. so i figured its fine.....
it starts runs and drives great. no pinging or hesitation.

but yeah.... these starters now suck....

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[Ricko1966]

I've had a starter that haunted me,several starters, lots of head scratching.Well it turns out the starters I was getting from I can't remember where, it was a lifetime warranty starter put on by previous owner, and I kept exchanging them, until I finally noticed.The little mounting pads where the starter meets the block were not flat they had raised sections at each end so the starter would pull the high spot off the edge of the block and be cocked so it was too tight it would twist back when you let off the key.Fix was put on an old starter nose cone I had and put the block bracket on,17 or 18 years and the problem hasn't come back, so I'd say that was the fix.

 

[heavychevystuff]

that sounds the most plausible!!

i just checked the solenoid again and the gear got stuck in the flywheel teeth!
(i just touched the batter cable to the solenoid contact)
it wouldn't suck back without help....
so yeah it must be a alignment issue with that stupid cone... or shimmed on one side. or both issues

 

[AuroraGirl]

even though you have determined an installation and/or a mechanical issue with your starter, check out your distributor advance weights.

if they look like this or even remotely like this and dont move nice and EZ, they need attention.

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[Rusty Nail]

Might as well toss in a picture of an old tire...

 

[AuroraGirl]

Might as well toss in a picture of an old tire...

Sure thing, buddy!




Its not like ignition advance is in anyway correlated to anything this man is seeking help on or an issue many old distributors have problems with simply due to age or use, or brought up previously in conversation!

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[heavychevystuff]

no my truck is 8 lug.... not a relevant pic lol

i will try and fix this today. its annoying the fuckouttame.... stay posted.

 

[AuroraGirl]

no my truck is 8 lug.... not a relevant pic lol

i will try and fix this today. its annoying the fuckouttame.... stay posted.

That was sarcasm and a response to rusty, you wouldnt get it.

 

[Rusty Nail]

that sounds the most plausible!!

i just checked the solenoid again and the gear got stuck in the flywheel teeth!
(i just touched the batter cable to the solenoid contact)
it wouldn't suck back without help....
so yeah it must be a alignment issue with that stupid cone... or shimmed on one side. or both issues

It's not meant to be shimmed...those aren't OE.
Why did you install them?
What happens without the shims?
Hmmmm?

I vote too much advance timing also.

 

[Vbb199]

Timing advanced too far, it's easy, get a crows foot wrench, loosen the dizzy retainer bolt, turn the distributor clockwise to retard it a tad.

 

[AuroraGirl]

weld those weights and set to VROOOMMMMM

Timing advanced too far, it's easy, get a crows foot wrench, loosen the dizzy retainer bolt, turn the distributor clockwise to retard it a tad.

 

[Vbb199]

weld those weights and set to VROOOMMMMM

Weld the entire top end of the dist into a solid ball of bird ****.