Another Timing Question
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 649
Likes: 8
From: COOKEVILLE TN
Another Timing Question
ok......My timing is set at 36 degrees total, it runs and idles good. It starts right up when the engine is cold, but really lazy when its hot, yesterday it fried a battery cable end. Is the starter getting heat soaked or is it the timing? It always starts back, but I have a 1000CCA battery! '73 in Tennessee !
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 330
Likes: 3
From: Wellington, New Zealand
Sounds like a starter issue, if you fried a battery cable you must be drawing a big current to the starter which means its either had it or as you say it is over heating and is partially seized.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 649
Likes: 8
From: COOKEVILLE TN
It's a 350 with a 292 cam,edelbrock intake and carb,hooker sidepipes and Turbo 400. The initial is off the tab. People say you can't have max performance and easy starting. That makes no sense! How can you adjust the initial and not change your total?
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 1
From: North Bend Ohio
You need to get a dial back timing light so that you can see how much initial you have. If the initial is way advanced it can drag the starter. You need to set it at 12 to 16 BTDC. If you can't get to 36 after setting the initial you will have to open up the distributer and find out why.
If the initial is within the 12 to 16 range then you may have a grounding problem. You may want to try a ground strap from the frame to one of the starter mounting bolts. Maybe from the battery to the starter.
BigBlockk
Later.....
If the initial is within the 12 to 16 range then you may have a grounding problem. You may want to try a ground strap from the frame to one of the starter mounting bolts. Maybe from the battery to the starter.
BigBlockk
Later.....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
If it fried a battery cable end the cable was not making good enough contact under load, thats why they get hot, a loose connection disipates power. Make SURE all the battery connections are clean, mechanically sound and tight with a conductive grease on them before screwing around with the starter.
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
I run 36 total with an initial of 22 degrees. I have no problems at all starting and with the mini starter it spins the motor hot or cold. I run a big solid cam so that is why the 22 initial.