Remove the plugs and see if it spins better,if so check for good ground and electrical connections. What brand on the new starter? New or rebuilt?

Hello everyone, I have a question. I just rebuilt a 454 BBC. Installed mild cam, keith black forged pistons, double roller timing chain, stock crank, stock connecting rods, rpm air gap edelbrock intake, new piston rings, basicly the whole 9 yards. Now here is the issue, when we went to start it for the first time it simply will not turn the engine over fast enough to fire. It has hei dizzy, brand new stock starter, brand new battery. It has completly got me stumped. Anyone with any ideas I would most definitly appreciate it. Thank you.

 

Please tell us more about the Battery and the gage of Wire you used for the Battery Cables-how did ground everything? Do you have sufficient Grounds (from the Frame/Body to Ground)? Is this a new Battery or used? If yused, are you certain the Battery Cables are clean? IMHO, go back to basics-

 

We did take the plugs out at one point and the engine did spin a bit better but still seemed slow. The starter is a rebuilt one. The battery is brand new it is a Durabrand gold 1000 cold crank amps 800 crank amps (that could be backwards).

 

Did you prime the engine up and how did you go about adjusting the valves ?


Cole

 

We did take the plugs out at one point and the engine did spin a bit better but still seemed slow. The starter is a rebuilt one. The battery is brand new it is a Durabrand gold 1000 cold crank amps 800 crank amps (that could be backwards).

Good or new cables an good ground would be what I would be checking. You haven't fouled the plugs trying to get it to start have you? Also I would make sure the battery has a real good long charge on it.

 

Besides checking all the electrical connections which I would do first, the next thing I would do is remove all the spark plugs and unbolt the flexplate (if automatic) from the torque converter and try to turn the engine over with a socket on the crank bolt. With you saying that with the plugs out (it spins over a bit better) has me wondering if there is something going on with the bearing clearances maybe being too tight or you have gotten some rod or main caps mixed up and in the wrong locations.
You need to keep the rod caps matched to the rod it came off of, same with the main caps, keep them matched up. Some main caps are numbered so you know where they go, otherwise you need to number them yourself. If you have mixed up any of the caps, chances are you will have an immediate bearing failure if you ever get it to start. How did you check the bearing clearances when you assembled the motor?

 

Hello everyone, sorry it took so long to get back to you. It turned out to be a couple of things at the same time. The first thing was definitly binding between the block/torque conv., we fixed that, it still wouldn't turn over fast enough still, well I guess in the process of trying to start it before we fixed the binding issue we burned up the starter. Long story short, got another starter, fixed binding and bam !! That thing came to life right away !! I really do want to thank everyone for there input on this problem. All is appreciated.

 

Hello everyone, sorry it took so long to get back to you. It turned out to be a couple of things at the same time. The first thing was definitly binding between the block/torque conv., we fixed that, it still wouldn't turn over fast enough still, well I guess in the process of trying to start it before we fixed the binding issue we burned up the starter. Long story short, got another starter, fixed binding and bam !! That thing came to life right away !! I really do want to thank everyone for there input on this problem. All is appreciated.

Love it when a plan comes together. Love it even more when all your work pays off. :thumbup: