If I'm wrong tell me I have new vortec heads and have the big ground from the battery to the passenger head acc. hole. has anyone ever experienced a problem where this big wire does not make a good ground connection even thought there is no paint where I have the bolt screwed in?

 

Same hole for Alternator mount // bracket from battery negative?

Or is it behind the head, going to the firewall?

 

the problem is the small grounds ( batt to fender, engine to firewall) are getting really hot when trying to crank. I did some reading and learned that it could be the solenoid, a bad ground connection, the 20year old ground from batt to front passenger cyl. head needs to be replaced, or it is too small because the starter could be pulling more current to turn the tighter new 355 engine. does any of this sound at least feasible? help me out. I will be replacing the 20 year old wires anyway with a bigger gauge prolly 2awg. and new terminals

 

IMO I would start by cleaning every ground I could find. Taking them apart sanding, cleaning, maybe a new bolt, and painting. Put every ground you have and maybe some extra on. The ground from the battery to the chassis included.

 

ok i'll go and get some new ground straps and definitely new/bigger ground cables and do: batt to fender, batt to engine, engine to fire wall, engine to subframe, and batt to subframe

 

I have a: 2awg battery cable to go from batt to engine
4awg cable to go from engine to subframe
1in x 12in braided cable to go from engine to body
1/4in x 15in braided cable from engine to firewall

I will sand off paint to get to the bare metal and any dirt on the subframe and rough up the bolting surface of the ground wires before connecting. all wires are NEW. AN old starter repairman was the one who told me to stop looking at the starter either my wires were dirty, loose, or just too old and may have broken connections or corrosion. so if its not grounded by the time I get finished then I look at the starter and solenoid.

 

That should take care of it but one more thing I do is after its all back together I hit the connections with paint. Good luck and let us know what the heck is going on.

 

2awg ground batt cable fixed the prob.