OK! I’m back. Not to make excuses but I did have LASIK yesterday don’t think I wasn’t thinking about this the whole time. LOL. So I attached a volt meter to the starter and have 12 v as you mentioned. When I crank it drops down and was between 7-8.

is it safe to assume that I should try a new battery?

also when cranking of the starter has 12 the coil should also have 12 during CRANK and is reduced when not cranking?

thank you all!

 

Normally BATT V will drop down, but if it's dropping lower than 8.5 then either the battery's weak or batt cable + or - has poor connection/corrosion, etc... since you replaced the batt GND, can assume that's not it, but you still can do a voltage drop test on the GND cable- DVM connected to batt - & to frame, engine block- shouldn't have more than 0.4-0.5V during crank.
Charge your battery to FULL charge first (12.6V), watch V drop on + & then - during crank, & if after cranking your static batt V drops ,then the battery should be replaced.
Suggest research on Youtube, review ScannerDanner and/or Pine Hollow Diagnostics, South Main Auto too, search starting & charging. The time invested there will be well worth it...

 

Alright I was able to run some further test this past weekend and just now circling around to getting my thoughts down.

First, I watched some videos on the voltage drop test, repeated what I thought the process was and the GND cable was below the .5 V during crank. Just in case I messed it up, I took the battery out of my brother's silverado that was a side post and synced it up and tried again; yielding the same result in the engine turn over speed and the .5 V druing crank. So I think my grounds are good, is what I gathered, and in full transparency makes me feel like my battery is still good - i had no static voltage drop after testing it was still 12.x V

Second, I took all the plugs out and tried to rotate it by hand at the crank bolt, and for the life of me I could not do that. However, I tried to bump it since I had the plugs out and the engine spun fast and free, which surprsised me.

With that said, I put the #3 plug back in because it was easy to reach and i tried to crank it over - when it turned over, it ran fast and free until what i assume it 'hit' the #3 cyldinder and it bogged down, then spun up back to life again. Made sure I wasn't crazy so i repeated the process with the #5 plug - first re-ran with no plugs and it spun free and fast; added the #5 and then whenever it 'hit' that cylinder it would bog down.

Any additional thoughts here?

 

It isn’t super easy to turn the engine over with the plugs out using a ratchet on the crank bolt.
It can be easier with a long breaker bar.
If the belts are all on it makes it even more difficult.
With all the plugs removed there is no compression in the cylinders, but with even just one plug installed there is pressure built in just that one cylinder.
You need to check cranking voltage at the coil or distributor and not cranking voltage at the battery.

 

All - I just wanted to put a final post on in case anyone else comes across a similar problem. I went back and took out the plugs; squirted a bit of oil in each hole, let it sit overnight, and next morning I turned it over at the ignition and it spun free and fast; added a single spark plug at 3 and it didn't' hesitate like it had been when it hit that cylinder fire. Put them all in, cranked it over and it fired right up. Initial timing was set via Lars guide, if you don't have it, get it - it's amazingly detailed.

Anyways, i'm up and running - just wanted to thank everyone for their input and advice. Love this place.

Thank you

Aaron