Starting issues
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Starting issues
'73 L82 - Having issues starting - both cold & hot.
New battery cables, new Powermaster gear reduction starter. Carb is probably a little out of tune since the long block was rebuilt with a slightly bigger cam. Cranks just fine when I first go to start it. Takes a few tries for it to actually fire (carb tuning, I think). Once it fires once, it cranks really slow like the battery is almost dead.
If I get it started and let it run for a while, its fine. Its when I let it stall, I'm lucky to get it restarted. And then, again when its got, it is slow to crank again - new cables, battery, and mini-starter should have helped if that was heat soak issues, though.
Please help.
New battery cables, new Powermaster gear reduction starter. Carb is probably a little out of tune since the long block was rebuilt with a slightly bigger cam. Cranks just fine when I first go to start it. Takes a few tries for it to actually fire (carb tuning, I think). Once it fires once, it cranks really slow like the battery is almost dead.
If I get it started and let it run for a while, its fine. Its when I let it stall, I'm lucky to get it restarted. And then, again when its got, it is slow to crank again - new cables, battery, and mini-starter should have helped if that was heat soak issues, though.
Please help.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Sounds like a few problems might be clouding together.
I get the idea that your choke might not be adjusted properly which is why it runs rough until it warms up.
Do some testing on the battery and the alternator. With the engine off, test voltage at the battery. Double check the battery connections, and the connections at the starter and frame. Then start the car, and again, test battery voltage. Then with it running test alternator voltage.
You want between 12V and 13V when the engine is off. With the engine running expect a small voltage drop from what you read at the alternator to the battery so it will always be a bit less.
I get the idea that your choke might not be adjusted properly which is why it runs rough until it warms up.
Do some testing on the battery and the alternator. With the engine off, test voltage at the battery. Double check the battery connections, and the connections at the starter and frame. Then start the car, and again, test battery voltage. Then with it running test alternator voltage.
You want between 12V and 13V when the engine is off. With the engine running expect a small voltage drop from what you read at the alternator to the battery so it will always be a bit less.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
R terminal wire
The voltages do check out.
I'm wondering if maybe the weak starter issue is just the result of too much cranking to get it to start in the first place. Maybe a weak ignition to start with? With a battery charger/starter in teh start mode (pushing another 100amps into the system), the engine seems to start a lot easier.
The Powermaster starter does not have a connection for teh R-terminal wire to the distributor unless you install a separate wire connection (which I apparently haven't bought or installed). Has anyone had issues with a weak ignition at startup due to the lack of the R-terminal wire with the Powermaster starter? Unless I'm mistaken, the ignition is only running on 9v at startup without the R-terminal wire. If so, was the R-terminal wire connected to the ignition switch side of the ballast resistor or directly to the + terminal on teh coil?
Thanks for the initial help.
I'm wondering if maybe the weak starter issue is just the result of too much cranking to get it to start in the first place. Maybe a weak ignition to start with? With a battery charger/starter in teh start mode (pushing another 100amps into the system), the engine seems to start a lot easier.
The Powermaster starter does not have a connection for teh R-terminal wire to the distributor unless you install a separate wire connection (which I apparently haven't bought or installed). Has anyone had issues with a weak ignition at startup due to the lack of the R-terminal wire with the Powermaster starter? Unless I'm mistaken, the ignition is only running on 9v at startup without the R-terminal wire. If so, was the R-terminal wire connected to the ignition switch side of the ballast resistor or directly to the + terminal on teh coil?
Thanks for the initial help.
