do all big-blocks do this?

[1971ford]

every time we start the 71 with its newly swapped in 429, the starter starts out really slow, and slowly gains speed until it starts.
i recently watched a video of another members 429 exhaust, and when he started it did the same thing but his wasnt as bad as mine.


the starter just starts out rreeeally slow, and sloowly gains speed until the engine fires. and you better hope that the engine starts the first couple times or else your going to have a dead battery. one with we will do is put a heavier guage battery cable in that runs to the solenoid because the cable part that attaches to the solenoid smokes every time.

anything to do about this? should the heavier guage cable take care of it?

[kaptnkaos]

Hey Ryan,

That sounds like a tired starter... or weak battery.
There may not be enough CCA's in the battery to turn the starter over very well
I would imagine that because it takes more power to turn over a bigger engine, especially if it's a good tight engine, that it would wear out starters fairly quickly.
I had a friend in HS that dropped a pumped up 440 in a Plymouth Scamp....
that thing would wear out about one starter a year...

KaptnKA S

[BobbyFord]

Cable smoking and getting hot sounds like the starter is pulling a lot of amps...

[SteveC]

my 352 i dont have to crank on it more than 2-3 seconds and it fires right up.... un less she is being tempermental

[two-bit]

Drop the starter and check your brushes. Then the bushings in the bull nose and back plate. Brushes can be replaced, so can bushings but they can be a real PITA!!!
If the coating on the core windings show any sign of burn/melt. Replace the whole thing.

We commonly run across this same problem with lift gate motors at work. Its usually the brushes.

Good luck,
Two-bit

[My427stang]

What do you have the intial timing set at? If its too far advanced it'll kick back on the starter.

If OK, then check grounds, all cable ends, battery posts etc for clean solid connections, if not, probably bad starter or weak battery

[RedneckTexan]

Me thinks its the starter, that almost what my starter did when it was going out, but on the 2-3 attempt to start, it would "break free" and just spin, making a "EERRRRRRRRR!" noise

[Jake11]

Try this. Pull the coil wire out of the cap and ground it. See if it cranks better. Feel the battery cables
with your hand and see if one's hot/warm. It should spin over pretty easy, unless theres resistance in the
starter cicuit or the initial timing is jacked up. If one of the cables gets hot, replace it and clean the connections
where it hooks to. If it spins ok with the coil wire unplugged, back the timing off till it dont drag.
Before anything, take the cables off the batt. and clean the terminals and cables where they go on. Get a
batt. terminal cleaner tool. That just might be all thats wrong.

Jake

[1971ford]

thanks guys, i havent tried the tips yet but..

we drove the truck to a off-road place 15min. away and drove the truck around. while i was making a lap, i realized i never plugged the alternator in

and also, the starter starts the engine in 2-3 seconds when its warm. kinda weird..

[Jake11]

Thats nice the charging sys. works. Maybee it will start more often now. Good call