Hi guys I've got a 350 tpi motor that has been rebuild and modified, I've got edlebrock performer heads, hooker long tube headers, a pretty big cam, accel super ram intake, 1.6 rocker arms, hardened pushrods. Now the motor turns, I know were getting fuel, there is smoke that comes out of the headers. We just got a new red top battery. I'm thinking that the starter isn't powerful enough to turn the motor on. The motor turned on before and we had it on for about 15 minutes when we tried to do the timing. Then the motor would just turn slowly after that, I got the new battery thinking that the battery may have something to do with it. But now that I think about it maybe the starter got too hot due to the headers when it was turned on. We tested the starter we have with a heat gun and it read 220 degrees. Is that normal or not so much? Again it does turn the motor slowly it's like it's trying but can't get it up in the rpm range to start it. On my tackometer it reads the starter cranking the motor between 100 -200 rpm's. Again were getting fuel, spark, oil, the damn thing just won't start, if anyone has any suggestions what starter I can use. I was using a csr light weight starter, were thinking that the motor is an 11:5:1 compression ratio engine. Do you guys think its the starter or something else. Help Please

 

Check the ground wires. The battery needs a good ground to the engine.

Air, fuel, spark and at least 150 rpm is all it takes to fire the engine. You have enough rpm, air and fuel are simple enough. You have spark however is the plug firing at the proper time when the piston is almost at TDC?

Pull the #1 plug, put your finger over the hole or stuff some tissue in the hole. Bar the engine over until the compression pushes out the hole. Keep baring the engine over until the timing mark on the balancer lines up with the pointer. Pull the distributor cap and look to see where the rotor is pointing. It should be pointing to the #1 plug terminal.

 

Too much advance will do that to you. Retard the dist timing back to where it started or at least to the point where the starter can turn the engine faster.

 

Hey im having the same problem with my engine.(carbed 350 bored 30 over with all fresh intenals) had 2 well experienced techs come look at it and they couldnt figure it out. I replaced the starter 3 times, and used a brand new battery. In addition we've hooked up another running car w. jumper cables to it to see if it would introduce more power. No luck.....Engine will spin over over fast once and then will turn super super slow.

Sorry if u feel like ive hijacked your thread but i feel we might have the same problem.