wont start after new trans installed

[K5dreamer]

well hell, look on the bright side, it failed at the best possible time. when the truck was alreaady down for repairs, instead of leaving you stranded on the trail 40 miles from the road.

 

[88k5blazin]

That's a very good point. With my track record of usually being towed out of the trails I may have saved myself a tow this go round. Ill find out this afternoon if that was the problem

 

[88k5blazin]

The starter failed at the store so I got a new one. After installing I think the battery is shot to. Wont take a charge and hooking up to jumper cables isn't making a big difference. I left it on a trickle charger over night till it was fully charged but it still didn't crank that hard. Is that a sign that the battery is complletely shot? Also when cranking he starter sounded much different kind of has whining noise. Does that mean the gears are meshing to tight? I have a tiny rod that came with the starter that they say to stick between the gears to measure the right clearance but how do you get the gear to stay out while not cranking. It?

 

[K5dreamer]

for the battery, you need to pull it and take it somewhere to have it checked. or get yourself a battery tester.

to pull the gear out on the starter, a prybar works pretty good. take off the dust sheild around the flywheel. you should be able to acess it that way.

 

[88k5blazin]

Does havinthe battery tested actually tel you what the problem is. I got the starter tested and it just told me it failed. Didn't give the reason for failing. Ill really think the mo mo at Autozoned f- ed something up. That's what I get for going there. I really think the starter was fine. I don't mind buying a new battery but I want to make sure somethig is actually wrong with it other then just being drained from cranking and not starting

 

[K5dreamer]

battery test is basically a go or no go. no real diagnostic. if a battery fails its normally due to a broken plate in one of the cells, or due to the chemicals inside crystalizing on the plates, blocking the flow of electrons.

 

[ryoken]

a refractometer will tell you the condition of each cell...

there are a limited number of components in a starter, if it throws the bendix and spins, then it may have dirty contacts or a short in the windings.. you can check amp draw to see how close it is to chitting the bed..

as mentioned earlier, you need to start isolating the issue.. why are you starting the truck from outside? get in, depress the clutch and try to start it.. eliminate the gearbox from the equation...

 

[ryoken]

god, i just noticed you live in clark... my ex-wife lives in clark... evil wench...

 

[88k5blazin]

I've been pushing it down with my hand and cranking and it didn't change anything. Im hopin a buddy can stop by and help me check for spark.

 

[88k5blazin]

Came home after battery has been on trickle charger all day and its cranking much harder enough to where it would normally turn over and now its still not starting. Just cranks and cranks. Is there a quick way to test the distributor or coil. Its an 88 k5 350 with tbi

 

[K5dreamer]

get nekked, stand in a puddle, lick your fingers.... ok ok just kidding.

only way to check that im aware of invovles a multimeter and a test light. dunno about a "quick" method.

 

[ryoken]

fuel pump cycling? check for spark? do the old phillips head in the plug wire near a grd trick with someone cranking it if ya dont have a spark tester..

 

[88k5blazin]

I put a test light in a plug and had no light up when cranking. I took the short plug off the col that goes to the distributor and I have no ligh at the post with the ignition on or while cranking. But I do have power at the thicker red wire that I believe comes off the solenoid

 

[Fordum]

Crap, I just had a really nasty thought.....

Is your distributor turning when you are cranking?

Pop the cap, and hit the starter to see if the rotor turns.
And if it turns smoothly.
If not, you have timing problems. Chain broke, gear stripped, something like that.

A partially stripped gear would cause a lot of these problems.

 

[88k5blazin]

I think I messed up. I could have sworn you could use a test light to check the coil or the plugs for spark but after double checking on my jeep the light didn't come on when I cranked and checked the coil for power at the top plug. Im gonna try to screw driver method and the pop the cap and see how the rotor is spinning. This truck is skating on thin ice right now and has a one way ticket to the auto crusher waiting inside.

 

[ryoken]

you can't... you should have a burned out bulb now... plug wires transfer mega voltage, 10, 20,000 usually... thats what your coil does.. you can test signal on the neg side of the coil tho.. it should flicker...

they make spark testers, but just do the screwdriver test, gap it near a grd.. just make sure it's an insulated handle...

 

[88k5blazin]

I tested one plug and have spark. I take the cap off and noti e one of the bolts is broken and the cap os loose. I get the cap off and there is shredded up plastic on re inside of the cap and on the rotor. Im thinkin I found the culprit. And as im writing this I think I just realized when I messed up. After I pulled he trans I tried to run the motor just cause I don't get to drive it often so I run it just to keep the juices flowing. I started it and as I walked away it died. It was real cold so I said f it and went inside figuring it died out cause the o 2 censor was out and I thougt it didn't have the right mixture to run properly. I now think that when dropping he trans he motor tilted back and he cap was hitting the firewall and when the pressure on it and trying to start it that's when the problem was created.

 

[ryoken]

yup, i was just gonna ask if you supported the back of the motor when the trans was out..

 

[88k5blazin]

If this is the problem y would it make the cranking act up and not consistant. Would it still crank normal but not fire

 

[ryoken]

depending on what damage was done to the cap, rotor, and hopefully not shaft, it may have been a physical binding of the motor spinning over as the rotor hung up and ground into the cap......

before putting a new cap and rotor on, grab the top of the shaft and wiggle it side to side to make sure it's got no play.. side to side play in a dizzy is very bad, up and down is ok.. then spin the motor over checking to make sure the top of the shaft spins ok and the shaft isn't bent... it should crank normally at that point if the dizzy isn't hurt...