It's the older, plunger style. I didn't really follow that sentence about conducting paste...Quote:
Originally Posted by 92SupraComp
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It's the older, plunger style. I didn't really follow that sentence about conducting paste...Quote:
Originally Posted by 92SupraComp
Hmm, hope it's not the starter as I also have a DB Electric starter in mine. Check and clean all battery cable connections, if cables are ratty it may be time to replace them. Check voltage at batteries vs at starter. First step is making sure the starter is getting all the power it wants. Low voltage will result in pulling more amps, heating up the starter and wires more, etc... and of course slow cranking.
Could be vapor lock as someone else mentioned. Check if fuel is dripping from carb boosters at idle or after shutdown when hot. This will cause hard starting and can cause slow cranking. If dripping it could be float level too high, adjust it down a hair if so... Leaky needle and seats, if so clean or replace if required... Or could be heat soak heating or boiling the fuel. I had this problem, resulting is hard starts and sometimes slow cranking when hot. Fix was a phenolic spacer between carb and intake. Helped prevent heat soak of the carb.
Also check timing, I have mine at 10* and that's generally where I set my stock(ish) engines for initial timing. More and you can have hard starting as the engine tries to kick back against the starter particularly if cranking is slow. Generally not an issue until around 14* though. If your timing is set in the 6*-10* range it should start easy. Just make sure it's still where you set it and your mechanical advance isn't sticking. If the advance is rusty or not lubed it can hang and not return to base timing, causing hard starts and slow cranking.
Thanks guys. I'm fairly sure that the hot starter is causing the issue, I just don't know why the starter is getting hot. It's either the starter's fault or how's it's being wired together.
I have basically brand new cables from the batteries to the engine. Less than a year old. No fuel dripping/spilling issues at all and I've had vapor lock before and it just wouldn't start - never any not "turn over" situations. It doesn't behave like a vapor lock to me.
I've got the timing set at 9 degrees per factory specs. The advance seems to be working as it should, and it comes back down (it's sticking).
So how should this thing be wired? I have it setup as it's been since I've owned it, but that doesn't mean it's right. I just replaced the 3 wire alternator with a one wire - 105 amp alternator. This hotter alternator might be creating some issues. So my battery cable comes back to the solenoid on the starter and the main wire bundle from the breaker attaches to the same post. There is a small wire that attaches to the ignition post on the solenoid. That's it. I have a remote solenoid next to the breaker that isn't doing anything. Someone has by-passed it at some point. And while the distributor is electronic (no points), the ballast resistor is still wired in. What is the suggested setup based on these facts?
Pretty sure that you don't need the ballast resistor with the electronic dizzy, but you'll want to double-check that based on what dizzy you are using.
I'd check the starter wiring to make sure there isn't a short to ground somewhere. A continuity tester should make this pretty easy. Sounds like there might be some power flowing through a shorted out starter. Easy part is determining if that is the problem -- hard part is figuring out where you've got a cable shorted.
I don't think they make a new-style high-torque starter for the 454. I've not been able to find one for my bell-housing, anyway -- and I suspect yours is the same. Generally I've had good luck with DB starters but it is possible that they can go bad. I did have a Ford starter in my truck that they replaced 3 times before I gave up and just threw it in the trash. But I've had 2 marine starters from them in 10 years (seems like a good run.)
Mine has the electronic ignition and is also wired through a ballast resistor. I looked at installing a MSD ignition box on it and the wiring diagrams indicated that some of Mallory's ignitions do wire with a resistor for some reason. So it probably is the way it should be on the ignition.
I'm pretty sure that the electronic distributors don't need the ballast resistor. It's exclusively for protecting a points based system.
I'm convinced at this point that it's either a faulty starter or something to do with how it's wired. Again, I haven't changed the wiring setup since I purchased it. If it ain't broke...
So one theory I have is that the new 105 amp alternator is heating up the starter with the wiring setup the way it is. Basically I have a solenoid on the starter and a remote one next to the main circuit breaker. The one next to the circuit breaker wasn't being used at all. Everything was connected at the starter which meant that the alternator was sending the charge through the solenoid on the starter. I've rewired it like the attached diagram, which includes bypassing the resistor. This may not be the problem, but I think this is a more accurate setup and isolates the starter from the alternator. So if this isn't it, I'm thinking something is wrong with the starter.
Attachment 13963
If it's not a Mallory Unilite distributor disregard this but if it is read the statement on the attached diagram. I would agree that your alternator is causing the problem. It sounds as though that is all you have changed. If everything was working correctly before the alternator change to a single wire then it sounds like that's what's created the issue. I just want to point out the warning from Mallory on the ballast resistor so that you don't possibly cause yourself another problem trying to fix another. Either way good luck with it. Attachment 13964
the wiring looks standard...
Use NEVER SEIZE on the starter bolts and the face of the starter that sits against the bell housing. This is the starters ground. Many times a slow starter is caused by a bad positive feed cable or poor grounding to the engine. Also make sure the engine is well grounded. Make sure all connections are clean!
When we bought our CC it came with a HUGE RV/Marine Deep Cycle/Starting Battery. The guy thought the old battery was no good but the starter was actually just crap. You only had 3 attempts to get it cold started (super slow idle, and carb needed to be rebuilt) and then the starter had no strength. When out cruising, if you stop the motor. You have ONE attempt to start hot and then you had wait half an hour. The starter would get very hot each time. So we stole the mini high torque starter from the Supra and never had a problem since. The old starter would drop the voltage gauge almost to its resting point, the mini high torque, barely reached 10 volts :D
For our Supra and relatives boat whose starter literally blew up inside somehow, we bought 2 $60 Marine starters on ebay. They are aluminum bodies instead of steel but for the past 2 years crank just as fast the $200 steel starters...
Electronic pickup distributors almost always take full 12v, no ballast to the pickup or any ignition box. You may still need a ballast resistor, depends on what your coil requires in your application.
With 105A alt wired through that 50A breaker you will trip the breaker if you work the alternator hard from load or discharged batteries. Also be sure all wiring between alternator and battery is at least 4 gauge. 2 gauge is better for the long run to the batteries. Check voltage drop from batteries to starter both running and not, if you haven't already.
Only 4 gauge? CC used 2 gauge and Supra put in #00 (2/0) from the battery to the back of the motor and then #2 gauge to a Mini High torque starter which draws less amps than the old style. Now he has a a 454! That is a much bigger starter! I would use #0 from the battery to the motor and at least #2 from the solenoid to the starter.... 4 gauge is too small for a BBC...