[spinn]

With the plugs out does it turn by hand normally?

Load test the battery.

If it is amperage that is suspect, run 2 batteries in parallel circuit. 1400 amps will spin any 11:1 engine fine.

[twenglish1]

i was able to crank it with a breaker bar by hand with the plugs in, i also did try running the 2 batteries in parallel, same thing happens, could it be the starter?

[spinn]

It cranked by hand normally you say . The batteries are tested assuming you took them to napa.

What is the gear reduction on the starter? what type of starter? Shimmed?

[twenglish1]

I will have the batteries tested, and the starter is a re-manufactured stock starter for that engine and that year, the gears meshed perfectly without shims, think it could be the starter not having enough torque?

[spinn]

Its not my first guess.

If the oem type starter is good it should turn it over even at 11:1 compression.

[twenglish1]

it turns it over fine, but it seems as the starter heats up it loses power, to the point where it wont be able to crank the engine at all

[spinn]

What is your inital? Fbird told you about recurving, did you heed?

Can you twist/retard the distributor while it is cranking to a point it becomes easy enough to light.

[twenglish1]

i was adjusting the distributor between TDC and 15 or so degrees advanced, i had it fire a few times, but it would stop cranking before it fired enough to start

[spinn]

How is that verified?

[F-BIRD'88]

The stock distributor adv curve will not work.

Kinda hard to crank when the rockers and springs are binding eh.

[spinn]

Hold the phone...You set up the geometry with a lenth checking pushrod, right?

Fbird knows more than I. The information he gives is solid.

[vinniekq2]

do the battery cables get hot by the time the starter gives up?

[twenglish1]

They get a little warm, the starter gets pretty hot, i think the problem is, that it is just a cheap junky starter

[vinniekq2]

Take the starter apart and also the solenoid. turn the copper washer in the solenoid and make sure the brushes are clean in the starter. make sure everything in the starter body is clean and secure

[twenglish1]

I will do that, however my uncle is letting me borrow one of those high torque mini starters off him tomorrow, hopefully thats the problem, thats an easy fix