I've just installed a 428 cj running 10.5:1 compression with Lots of mods. Anyways I have everything all hooked up now and I'm having a hard time for the motor to turn over properly. It definetely doesnt crank over like it should it seems to struggle. It turns consistent not like it would if the timing was way out , but it just lacks the speed. Also I dont seem to be getting spark to the motor. Bascially I run a crane cam fireball xr-i electronic igntion in the distributor with a cap spacer to run larger msd cap and rotor to suit. I ran a 12 volt power wire directly from the accessory fuse box I have mounted under dash as I know the stock coil wire will draw down to like 9 volts for a points setup. The distributor has only 2 wires coming out a yellow/black and a red/black. Instructions call for the R/B to the + and the Y/B to the negative of coil. My 12 volt wire also runs to the + and then I run a wire from - side of coil to a good battery ground. Also coil was getting very hot when cranking



What do you guys think could possibly be my issue. Is it a fresh high compression motor causing it to struggle which is also leading to no spark??
Starter is new as well. All battery cables are upraded to large 1 gauge stuff even to starter. end cable connections were filled with solder,heated toboiling point then wire was dunked in for a very good connection. Just thought of it now my dual belts on alternator are pretty tight but i cant see that being a issue... <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Also I have dual batterries one a optima yellow top the other a 975 cca interstate. I connect them in series with my painless dual battery switch for cranking

 

http://www.cranecams.com/uploads/ins.../90001700c.pdf

If you look at the schematic in there, you do NOT run a wire from ground to the - side of the coil. The coil fires when the ignition grounds the - wire (actually, it fires when it releases it from ground, but you get the idea).

That ground wire is stopping the signal from the ignition to the coil.

The coil is hot because it's energized 100% of the time.

 

Oh, and I'd follow their recommendations for the ballast resistor too. The resistor is matched to the coil. If you're using the original stock-type coil, you need that ballast resistor or the coil will overheat.

As for the slow cranking, make sure all your grounds are good and that you have a good ground to the engine block, the frame, AND the cab.

If you still have a problem, get a volt meter, put the - on the - side of the battery, and the + side of the meter on the engine block and crank and see how many volts you get.

Likewise, put the meter's + on the + at the battery, and the - directly to the stud on the starter and see how many volts you get - report back.