help on hard starting please

[951mat]

I have a new condition of the car barely cranking and starting when its warmed up. Cold its fine. I thought maybe the starter was tired, but have replaced w/ no change.
The alternator seems to charge fine, the car runs fine, its a relatively new battery. Tonight I tried some diagnostic things, but don't know if it means anything. With the coil wire off, and it barely cranking (very slowly) the wire going to the starter is only seeing +/- 8 volts. Is this normal? Also, with each slow crank the oil pressure gauge goes roughly from 0 to 30 to 90 to 130 to 150. Could this be making the engine hard to spin? I can see a fair amount of vapor coming from the valve cover w/ the breather removed, could I be building abnormal crankcase pressure? Would this affect starting?

I forgot to try to jump it w/ batter cables to double check the battery, but maybe these symptoms I've described means something to someone.

Hope someone can give me some advise. Thanks.

Mat

[Ibr8k4vetts]

Check the timing.

[lineslinger]

If you only have 8 volts at the starter from the battery you will cook your starter. Connections tight and clean? good batt.? cable gauge from batt. to starter big enough?

[chas427fe]

I had this problem and heavier gauge cable solved it for me.

[951mat]

I'll clean up all my connections. I wouldn't think its a cable size thing since its a new problem. Will a solenoid cause any of this grief? My timing is low at 28 so I'm sure thats not it. Is that oil pressure cranking up like that normal?

Thanks.

Mat