charged the battery, but will only slightly crank and starts smoken from the positive connector on the battery. any ideas?
Wil
its a 1981 ranger F-150 with a 400m

 

Im not sure if i can help, but my 83 f350 is doing the same thing.
My starter will sometimes sound like it is lugging as if the battery is low and then if i hold the push start button in long enough it will turn over rapidly then fire. after the engine fires, i smell smoke and the starter is hot as well as the battery cables cilinoid and the batterie. today it wouldnt even turn over it just went CLICK. someone told me that it may have a bad ground and that i need to run a ground cable from the negative terminal of the batterie to the starter. I have not tried this yet but i will tomorrow. maby it will help you.

 

Clean both ends of both battery cables and the surfaces that they mate with. Do the same with the engine to chassis ground cable. If the cables are corroded inside the insulation, replace them.

 

Smoke from the positive connector means the connector/connection is getting hot. Heat at a connection means there is resistance. Corrosion and a loose connection can cause resistance.

 

if all connections are clean, the battery is fully charged, and it still cranks slow when cold, and burns the cables, then most likely your starter is shot.