327 Marine engine won't crank over...

Hello everyone,
I completed my boat after 4 years. Engine was short blocked by a local machine shop, and I finished the engine. It is sluggish and won't crank over. I have two new batteries andshipped the starter to two starter shops at great expence and they said it was a good starter, however the will just inch over and once in a while get part of a stroke while attempting to turn over. I don't know if it's the starter or batteries or the starter gear too close. I have the 4 inch nose cone on the starter (3 bolt). Starter cables are cleaned anad bolted tightly (on the starter)... I'm wore out tired and frustrated. Anyone that can help me get this running will earn a free boat fishing trip off Tallahasse once she's running... so close yet so far...


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Pull the plugs and disconnect the coil and try and spin the starter and engine with a GOOD known battery, the one out of your truck !!

after u pull the plugs, try turning the eng over by hand.. using a lever of some sort.. if your having a very hard time then the shop may have not used the correct main bearings.. wayyy toooo tight... but i would get a feel of the motor first...

I will do this today. The lower end was rebuilt by an expert in Texas who is a specialist in rebuilding engines (Machine shop). While I had the engine on the stand it would turn nicely. I placed rebuilt 400 heads on the engine and seated all the valves. Replaced the Cam,lifters etc... The transmission is hooked up but disengaged, as the block is such that it must be installed to run the engine (open bell housing).This model engine has the flywheel in the front. I will get back with you later today... I'm a disabled vet so I am slower than most folks due to disabilities...

What did you find out?

Removed all the battery wiring which may have been partly the problem. These #2 cables were from the original vessle which were old and the covering was violated in some spots. I'm going to replace all the wiring with new cables, but this will take a few days (I'm a DAV in a wheel chair so mobility can be a challenge). Will also change the starter to one of those new starters (high cranking). The present starter has a 4 inch nose cone with a three bolt flange (1966-69 327 small journal), which pretty much determines the seating of the starter (shims don't seem practical unless it's the flywheel that needs shimming), and finally I will take the batteries to a local shop (although they are new) and have these checked out. I will let you know the results as they occur. I am determined to replace everything if need be, but it will be costly. I've worked on this vessle for 4 years now and once this is corrected, I can use the boat, and retire.
Cordially

Jn

It sounds like these two guys should meet because I think they have the same problem.

crankshaft3rd crankshaft3rd is offline
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crankshaft3rd
bent pushrod explenation????
so i finaly got around to firing my 327 last night and while cranking i heard a slight knock!!! so i pulled intake off and there were more bent push rods than there were straight! i pulled the head and there was absolutely no contact between the pistons and valves! and also the hydraulic lifters seemed as if theyd locked up there was no movement in them almost as if they were solid! even if the lifters pumped up something would still have to be hitting in order for the pushrods to bend. right? it seems incredibly unlikely that the valve springs are strong enough to bend push rods! i think the heads have been milled to far because every intake iv had to put on the motor iv had to enlongnate the bolt holes! but still i dont see milled heads as the culprit since there was no piston to valve contact! if anyone has an opinion or advice im in debt to you!
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I hope we're not facing the same problem... I did take some chances, as indicated below... I also installed roller rockers, and new lifting rods, lifters and a Marine cam... nothing unusual...

Inclined to think that I am experiencing a bad starter because I read where old starters (and this one looks fine inside and out) perform well on the bench, but under load it may be a different story... I have no way of identifying that at this time. So I welcome everyone's comments in hope to find someone that knows this problem and can advise me.
While being no expert, I have had the opportunity to rebuilt a few engines in my lifetime successfully. Surely do not claim to have anything but novice experience at best. I know where things are, and sometimes what they do.
With this engine however, I did place the original valve springs (those which came with block and don't know actually where they were previously applied) when I resurfaced the valves edges and seated them. The machine shop owner (having examined the heads) told me that I had heads off a 400 engine which I was not happy with (I had read that this model heads crack a lot) and marine head gaskets are not cheap... They had polished intakes so I decided to use them... being it is what it is, I would need to keep an eye really close on my temps while in operation. I am having Promasters review my starter design to see if I can get a high torque starter to replace it, and will have the two new batteries checked out locally. Hopefully by the end of the month...