Calling all mechanics-My 428 won't start

[Clois Harlan]

I have a 428 CJ freshly built and it won't hardly turn over, feels as though the battery is low or my timing is way off. With my torque wrench I can turn my engine over (it takes about 45 pounds of torque. Battery terminals are clean.

This may be long but I want everyone to know the history so far on this engine.

I have a 428 CJ medium riser, Bored .030 over with a mild street cam w/ new 9.5 : 1 pistons. Internally balanced by a professional machine shop. New MSD 6AL Ignition box w/ MSD FE Dist., Taylor 8mm wires and new blaster 2 coil, New Holly 750 carb, new Edelbrock water pump...10w 40 Quaker State and I hooked up my drill to my oil pump and pre-oiled everything before attempting to start.

Saturday I went and bought a new 1090 amp Motorcraft Battery and hooked everything up and still it acts as though my battery is to low to turn the engine over. Re-checked my timing to make sure I wasn't 180 degrees off. Decided my new mini hi torque starter may be bad so I went to NAPA and bought there best FE starter. No change. It acts as though I am loosing AMPS between my battery and my solinoid or starter. I don't have an amp meter to test this part of my problem-yet.

What am I missing?

[Cobra20646]

Two things I would try to attempt to isolate the problem.
First, if you have a voltmeter, measure the voltage at the starter when attempting to turn over the motor. Should not drop below 9 volts under normal conditions.
Second, pull all the spark pulgs and disable the ingnition and turn over the motor. Without the compression or too early ignition, it should turn over very easily. Measure the voltage again.
Third..... tell us what happened when you did the above.
- Jim -

[Larry Hills]

Try checking the grounds. engine to frame & frame to bat.

[Clois Harlan]

I will pick up a voltmeter after work today and check everything out tonight. Also, I will check my grounds again. Now that you have mentioned the engine to frame I am wondering about the painted engine ground.

I will let everyone know tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks.

[CobraEd]

Is 45 lbs of torque normal to turn over a motor? I never thought about it before. Maybe it's too much and the starter is OK?

Ed

[hound dog]

Actually 45# sounds a little light with the spark plugs in. I wouldn't suspect the motor being too tight. Hopefully a bad ground, particularly if it's painted. Starter binding?

[CobraEd]

Clois, you do have the car in neutral, or have the clutch in?????

Ed

[K.Wilson]

Clois,
When I built my 428, I too had slow crank problems. I had -0- size cable, but I had to drill and tap the frame and add a ground strap from the frame to the outside starter to bellhousing bolt to get a good ground.
A simple way to check for connections that have high resistance is to attempt to crank the engine several times then quickly feel each connection by hand. If you feel a hot connection, that is where the problem is.
Also you can hook up a timing light and see where the timing is, it may be advanced so far that it is "fighting the starter" and preventing it from cranking at normal speed.
Keith

[CobraEd]

If you suspect the timing is off and the firing is fighting the rotation, just pull the coil wire and try it. Only takes a second.

Ed

[Clois Harlan]

I tried pulling the coil wire and trying to start it with same results. I also hooked up my timing light to make sure I wasn't too far advances. Also, the trans is in neutral. Hopefully, it will jus be a ground wire but I will check everything mentioned.

I will keep everyone posted I am sure someone else will have this problem.

[427sharpe]

Either your battery cables are too small (I always suggest 00 gage welding cable) or your ground is insufficient. Make sure that you main ground (the batt neg) is fully contacted--no paint, and to the frame (I have seen this cable run to the crossbar for the rollbar that had painted surfaces where it hit the frame!) and I would suggest running 2 ground straps (both 00) from the motor to the frame, and from a starter bolt to the frame. This is a redundant feature that will keep you from being stranded if one ground works loose!

[ERA535]

After you put the crank in and before you put the rods and pistons in, did you try to turn the crank to make sure everything was free?

At that time the crank should have turned very easily.

[Slow Dawg]

OK Clois, did you ask the parts store how long that battery has been sitting on the shelf? Those batteries are not fully charged to begin with. So put a charger on it and try it again.


Ron

[Clois Harlan]

Got it!

The first thing I tried was to take some of my extra 00 welding cable and make a short ground cable. Next I ground off a spot on my frame and drilled and tapped a 7/16" bolt hole. Attached this ground from my lower starter bolt to the frame. Turned the key and the motor started and roared like a lion (my neighbors love me even more than before-no side pipes just headers). My timing was almost perfect. Next I took my mini high torque starter and put it back on and it works even better than the NAPA top of the line starter. The NAPA starter goes back tomorrow.

I think I will wait until tomorrow afternoon to breakin the engine with a longer run and heck I might as well hang those sidepipes.

Thanks everyone for your help, I couldn't have made this quick without your input.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.....Life is good when things go right.

[427sharpe]

Happy to hear all turned out well! Now go drive and have fun!