Aussie Heads Problem
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Joined: Jul 2003
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Aussie Heads Problem
I have been working on this engine for over a month now....
www.pcdevil.net/billy for pictures of the whole project
It didn't really need a rebuild but I wanted to slap a few go-fast goodies on and clean everything up. (76' Ranchero GT)
You can see from the pictures pretty much everything I've done....now my problem is I can't get the motor to turn with the starter. I have a set of Aussie heads on it and at first I thought maybe the compression was too high. I took a few spark plugs out and tried to crank it and got the same results. The motor turned fine before I put the heads on (it was on the stand) and I never tried after that but I'm assuming it would be okay. I'm wondering if I need a high torque starter or a tougher battery? When I try to crank it I hear the starter engage but the motor doesn't turn. The starter cable and the other battery cables are usually pretty hot after trying to crank it.
Anybody else have these heads with this high of compression and have to use a beefier starter??
Thanks!!
www.pcdevil.net/billy for pictures of the whole project
It didn't really need a rebuild but I wanted to slap a few go-fast goodies on and clean everything up. (76' Ranchero GT)
You can see from the pictures pretty much everything I've done....now my problem is I can't get the motor to turn with the starter. I have a set of Aussie heads on it and at first I thought maybe the compression was too high. I took a few spark plugs out and tried to crank it and got the same results. The motor turned fine before I put the heads on (it was on the stand) and I never tried after that but I'm assuming it would be okay. I'm wondering if I need a high torque starter or a tougher battery? When I try to crank it I hear the starter engage but the motor doesn't turn. The starter cable and the other battery cables are usually pretty hot after trying to crank it.
Anybody else have these heads with this high of compression and have to use a beefier starter??
Thanks!!
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,416
Likes: 4
From: PacNW
Aussie Heads Problem
I really don't think you have a compression problem. It sounds like something is 'bound up' somewhere in the drivetrain. If the engine turned over while it was on the stand but won't since you installed it then I'd guess you have an issue with the flexplate or torque convertor. It's fairly easy to 'mis-install' a torque convertor, it has to be correctly seated in the front pump drive splines or you can easily wipe out the pump.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
From: Dallas/Fort Worth
Aussie Heads Problem
I'm with Pat67shorty... I'd also check in the valvetrain department - what kind of go-fast-goodies did you put on it? what procedure did you use to adjust the valves? did you change the pushrods? Stock valvesprings with a tall cam? I can think of lots of things that may be binding things up...
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,270
Likes: 5
From: Delaware
Aussie Heads Problem
Can you turn it by hand with a socket on the pulley bolt?
I used to have trouble cranking my 400 until I changed my starter and battery and ground cables to #2 AWG. If your cables are hot it is because they are dropping voltage due to high resistance. E=IR. The starter does not like to see low voltage, so every volt dropped in the cables reduces what the starter gets and the torque produced by it. Auto Store cables are #4 AWG.
I used to have trouble cranking my 400 until I changed my starter and battery and ground cables to #2 AWG. If your cables are hot it is because they are dropping voltage due to high resistance. E=IR. The starter does not like to see low voltage, so every volt dropped in the cables reduces what the starter gets and the torque produced by it. Auto Store cables are #4 AWG.
