Not starting UPDATE SHE LIVES!!!

[mopar_madman]

My engine isn't starting and its cranking slow and very erratic. its a older rebuild that ran fine before, it was cleaned up and I replaced all the ignition parts as follows, new orange box, volt regulator, coil, ballast, cap and rotor, wires, plugs, alternator, new mini starter and relay, new battery. Anyone have any thoughts? I'm not sure where to start and what would cause the erratic cranking. Thanks, John

[dodge freak]

Maybe a bad battery cable. I would change both the positive going to the starter motor and the negative going to the block.

[mopar_madman]

Both battery cables are new still having trouble cranking, I have spark at the coil, any other possibilities?? Would something at the distributer cause the hard cranking? I'm lost.

[dodge freak]

Yes it would if the wires were on at the wrong places or the timing to far advance. Pull the coil wire and crank it, if its better its the timing or plug wires are mixed up.

[mopar_madman]

pulled the coil wire, cranks much better plugged it back in went back to hard cranking. Now I can narrow it down, thanks for the help.

[dodge freak]

When your replaced those spark wires on the cap you might have jump over one space and now the timing is off. I would not try to start it until you make sure every wire is in order if so and if you have room to turn the dist. I would turn it the other way the rotor turns to retard the timing turn it a good inch and see if it start might be too much but better to have not enough timing than too much. If there is not enough room and you are sure all the wires are in the right order then move all of the wires back one post cause thats might have happen. You might want to do that even if you can turn the dist if you think the timing was right before.P S I did that one time..

[71440charger]

is you distributer wire going to the positive side of the coil and also make sure nothing from the coil is jumping the park to something else around it

[Nacho-RT74]

I'm agree with dodge freak... even I will add it could be also EXTREMELY delayed timming

[dodge freak]

  The plugs are not firing at the right time or order or even both.

[mopar_madman]

Tried, both suggestions, checked firing order all is correct, tried to retard still same problem. Talked to my mechanic buddy on phone and he listened to the cranking and said the same that you guys did. When i told him it checked out ok he suggested it could be a bad starter, even though its new and i had it tested he said under load it might not be up to par so I'm gonna try to swap another starter in. He also mentioned cause the engine has sat a while that the lifters might have bled down. We will see tomorrow.

[dodge freak]

But when you pulled the coil wire it crank fine you said. I would think if the timing was right it would not make much of a difference. Good luck with the starter but not sure if thats it. What you could do to get the lifters pump back up it to take all the plugs out and crank it until the oil light goes out. Funny though I leave mine motor all winter inside with out running it-for 4 months and all I do is fill the carb up by the vent tube-its a holley- and pour some gas down it and it starts in 15-20 seconds. But maybe you have a bad starter,it happens but not to offen. I have the Mopar mini and it seems to spin it faster that the stock one.

[mopar_madman]

It cranked better with the coil wire pulled but not as fast as i would think, this is a mini starter also. The engine hasn't been ran in two years thats why he suggested the lifters being down. Hopefully it just is the starter, my buddy said he woulld look at it if nothing else works. I'll update when I swap the starter.

[Nacho-RT74]

Tried, both suggestions, checked firing order all is correct, tried to retard still same problem.

I'm perosnally not talking about bad firig order... I' talking about what DF said... JUMPED ONE SPACE BACK. Maybe you have spark wire 1 where 2 must be plugged, 8 where it must be 1 plugged and goes on OR timinmg DELAYED like wires are located one space back not advanced... if you RETARD the timimg you are getting EVEN MORE delay on timing.

Make a test... advance the dist  A LOT... maybe 1/8 turn.

This could be some obvious but maybe... are you sure you have rotation good on wires firing order? BB rotates CW and SB CCW.

I have been able to start on my engine with bat FULLY DISCHARGED when my stock starter motor is able to make JUST ONE TURN and engine starts.

[RD]

no offense, but are you getting fuel?  You didnt say anything about replacing or rebuilding the carburetor.  Just a thought.

[TylerCharger69]

It sounds like an ignition timing issue to me.   The symptoms you are describing is something I've seen someone do before......wires in the wrong direction.  On small blocks  and B/RB engines,  the firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2, however.....the small block distributor  rotates clockwise, and B/RB engines rotate counterclockwise.   I've seen this mistake made a few times, hence the erratic cranking.  I would first, to make sure everything is correct, bring the engine to TDC  (on 0 )  and restab the distributor aiming the rotor at number 1 cylinder.  ( Or number 6 cylinder depending on which stroke you are on.)   Then rerun the spark plug wires.   Once that process is eliminated, that will REALLY narrow it down.   If that doesn't solve the problem,   make sure you have positive and negative on the coil in the right order and not switched backwards.   If still nothing,  you may have a bogus ballast resistor.   After that...if still nothing....you have a short, bad ground, or a loose or broken wire somewhere.      I still think the rotation is going backwards....but I can be wrong.    Hard to diagnose over the internet but  we will all try to help as best we can!!!

[mopar_madman]

She started today, you guys were right I had the firing order correct but was one off on the cap.Moved them all one and she fired right up. Big Thanks for all the help guys!!!!!!!!

[TylerCharger69]

glad to hear that!!!!  We knew it was a firing order issue!!!