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Firing it up

ajthreeajthreeMember
I am FINALLY close to firing my rebuilt engine. All I have left to do is add some 93 octane gas and fill the cooling system.

before connecting the plug wires I wanted to roll the engine over to make sure the starter would engage properly. It did and the engine turned over but it was really struggling. The engine has always done that (even before re-build). I think the engine was around 10.5 to one before the rebuild and it will be in that same ball park now. I was using the orignal starter so I went to NAPA and purchased a new starter. Same results. turns over real hard. But this time it turns over (barely) and then....smoke. I am not sure exactly where because I was in the cabin looking through the rear window/rear panel. I noticed in my zeal to turn the engine over I forgot the ground strap. Could this be the source? The starter/engine not being properly grounded? Or are there other places I should look?

Anson
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O osofastMember
quote:
I noticed in my zeal to turn the engine over I forgot the ground strap. Could this be the source? The starter/engine not being properly grounded? Or are there other places I should look?

Easy fix, that could be a very likely source of hard cranking. I would install the ground strap before it causes other problems too. But if it still cranks hard then you can start looking at the other issues.
Jeff
garth66garth66"When speed is the only thing that counts"
You need the ground strap(s). Also, add an additional ground strap from one of the starter bolts to the chassis (spreader bar bolt in engine compartment is a good location). Last, make sure your ground post up by the battery in the front trunk is clean and tight.

You may also want to consider getting a hi-torque starter. This one on eBay is a great deal, and has proven to be a good unit for a number of Pantera owners so far (I ordered one myself last month, but haven't installed it yet):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-FORD-MINI-PMGR-START...4QQitemZ370059627002
panteradougpanteradougMember
In my experience it isn't unusual at all for the starter to strain on a fresh rebuild.

I would expect that to continue until the engine settles in. Don't expect that to happen immediately.

Plan on running it in, in the driveway before you take it on the road. If you have like a 1/2 mile loop that you can drive the car without having to stop at a light etc, keep looping it around that circuit.

Bring the car in park it. Shut it off and let it sit until it is cold then do it again.

You may need about a dozen or so of these cycles before it normalizes.

One of the ways to tell that it is normalizing is that it gets easier to turn over.

People make these rebuilt engines sound like a plug and play and it just isn't so.
ea3528ea3528Member
quote:
Originally posted by garth66:
You need the ground strap(s). Also, add an additional ground strap from one of the starter bolts to the chassis (spreader bar bolt in engine compartment is a good location).


Garth, do you have pix of where you installed your ground straps?

I have one that runs from my ZF to the rear chassis. I bought a second one, which I think should attach to the starter bolt?

Pix of yours would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

EA
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