If the timing is too far advanced there can be starting problems. Check the timing.

 

SCT dealers nearest you. The closet one is more than 50 miles away.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=650 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left background=images/DLocator/DBG.gif bgColor=#eeeeee><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top align=left><TD align=middle width="20%"></TD><TD width="30%">SCT Dealer</TD><TD width="30%">Address:</TD><TD width="20%">Details</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=650 background=images/Contact/Boxes_r8_c2.gif border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left> Timing is usually adjusted at the distributer. The timing could also be off if the timing chain set was installed incorrectly.

He had to replace your Throttle Position Sensor, hmm. Hope it didn't cost much, that is a quick fix.
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Thanks guys, yes videos should be happening tomorrow. The exhaust deff got louder wth the new cam and headers, but to the average ear it was loud as hell before, so it will be sort of hard to notice the extra decibal difference. Yeah they whacke me for $172 including the price of the sensor, still pretty upset about that. Damn, 50 miles away...thats not to bad, I will call those guys tomorrow and get a general quote on how much it would be to do a retune. Thanks again guys for listening to my 1 month long saga.

 

Should get that starting problem fixed before you get any kind of tune. A dyno tune will not fix starting problems, they only fix drivablility problems and fine tune air/fuel for better power and safer operation (less detonation, etc).

If there is a fuel or electrical problem thats causing the hard starting, it could throw off the varuables when your truck is getting tuned. Once the problem is fixed, it may make your tune invalid.

 

Good point kens, yeah the starting problem seems to have gotten better, just wasnt as fast or strong as it was before the job. I will continue to monitor it over the next couple days as well. May even be a bad ground or something or maybe they screwed something up when they were in there, because they did forget to hook some simple things up when they were done like the coolant overflow lines etc..

 

I agree 100% the truck should be in good order both mechanically and electrically before atempting any tuning to it.

Once everything is ironed out though tuning will optimize the performance.


I figured there could be a chance something was not hooked up or broken during the install. One bad connection can make the truck run like shat.

 

I cant seem to get a break guys, the hard starting problem is one I have had before in the past, where it just growns and moans until it starts, so I had once replaced the starter and that fixed the problem 100%. But now since the work, I strangeley am having those problems again. I am pretty ticked off, I just want to drive my truck and not have to keep bringing it back to shops to make them fix their mistakes. I am beginning to see a trend now in the hard starting, it only does it now when its warm, not on the first start up, tho the first cold start seems very week compared to what it was before the project. I went to start it and it cranked over like it was -50 degrees outside, and it was 50 degrees out, I was very disimpressed. I also smell a burnt coolant kind of smell coming from the outside of the engine when I parked her. So I sort of have a feeling its overheating or something, I guess i should bring it back to that damn shop again and make them look at it.

 

How close is the starter to any exhaust components? That can kill a starter pretty quickly. Also check for any starter related components that may be too close to engine or exhaust heat (wires, solenoid, etc.). It sounds like a weakened battery or starter. Dont just replace the starter if its not the culprit. Dont be a parts replacer, be a troubleshooter. Its much cheaper. A battery is weaker when hot (like in your case) or cold, it can give those same problems.

Is it really overheating? If you dont have a temp gauge, get one, they are cheap insurance. I love Stewart Warners, but get what you can afford.

First thing to do- STOP TAKING THE TRUCK TO THAT SHOP. A throttle position sensor is $28 from Autozone, that means they raped you on labor when they replaced it. Anyone with a phillips screwdriver and 10 minutes can replace that part. Its only 2 screws.

No offense, but it seems like you randomly guess at what the problem is and you rely on others (these so-called mechanics) to diagnose it for you. Its time to read, and do some research and learn how your truck works so you dont get taken to the cleaners anymore. If you just type "hard starting" on this forum alone you will probably find lots of info, mabye some you havent thought about yet, and you may be able to fix things yourself, and save a ton of $$.

I think more people on this site will be willing to help you and you will get better help than that garage will ever give. And here its free

 

Yeah I know man, I wish I had the time and equipment to start tackling jobs on my own. I feel the need to bring it back to them because after all that money speant I really dont feel like gving some other mechanic more $$ if it was someone else responsibilty. I am going to give the truck to that schmuck mechanic shop one last time, and they are not going to charge me anything, and if they do things are going to get ugly really fast.

 

You could be getting some heat soak from the new headers. It's fairly common problem with header equipped vehicles. The headers tend to be closer to the starter than the original exhaust and when everything is warm, the starter will absorb the heat from the exhaust causing a weak start. If you can't find anything else wrong, you might look into getting a heat shield for the starter or some exhaust wrap for the headers. I have the same problem on my 351 with long tube headers sometimes, usually if I let it idle too long before I shut it down it will be slow to start again.

 

hmm theres a possibility, I think you nailed it

 

Starter heat wraps.
http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?Ntt=starter+heat&searchinresults=fal se&Ntk=KeywordSearch&DDS=1&N=700+115

Don't wrap the headers with anything.

 

thats some really cool stuff dfk. lol yeah I think that would void the header warranty if i did that. Has the starter been damaged if it has taken on heat, or will it be fine once it gets protected?

 

Depends how hot the motor got. When an electric motor gets over-temp power output will drop and it will start being less efficient and drawing more amperage.

If the starter got really hot to the point it started to burn up the paper seperating the windings, it could be shot.

You don't know for shure if you have a starter problem or if its even overheating at all or if the headers had any affect on it.

Your starter may be going bad, your battery could be weak or you could have a bad set of batterry cables or bad wires going to the starter. Could also just be a bad connection. A tiny bit of corrosion can screw things up. Both the battery and the starter can be load tested to see if there good.

You could fab up a temporary heat shield out of a piece of alum or steel. A local auto parts store might have starter heat wrap. If you had the starting problem before the headers it might not be heat related at all. Its also fairly cold outside right now and the header would have to be right up against the starter to heat it up good.

 

Yeah I crawled under there, the nearest header tube is about 3-4 inches away from the starter, so that rules that out of being a factor. i think they forgot to reground a wire or something. There taking it back tomorrow, so far today it hasnt had any starting problems, but i keeping an eye on it. The other thing that is annoying me is the truck is having some irregular idleing every 20 seconds or so, it will dip down to 600rpms then back to 900 where it usually likes to idle. So that aint normal either, and it doesnt seem cam related, to tell you the truth, I really havent scene much a power gain at all from either the cam or the headers, sort of dissapointing. I guess that jock mechanic last month was right, that it wasnt worth messing with the headers because the gains or minimal and your run into problems like a cracked head. This is a good lesson for anyone who tries to to put headers on an older truck or any truck for that matter, it really aint worth all the hassle unless you really have a truck that need sthem.