Engine Problems!

[reverendzed]

I'm not sure whether to be worried or not but my new motor seems to be doing something a little wierd!  sometimes when I go to turn it over it only just wants to turn over (almost like battery is a little low, except it's not!) it then turns over once and then seems to turn over properly....any ideas! problem is I am already having a fight with the rebuilders who put in incorrect lashpads and rockers etc (which thankfully were fixed by a pro) but now they are saying I have voided any warranty because someone else touched the motor (would have helped if they had of explained that when I picked up the car!)  So I guess any repairs I have to make from here are all out of my pocket.....! starting to wonder if it's all worthwhile

Rev.

[Zedman240®]

Hey Rev, I'd be checking the battery with a load tester, and check the starter motor. Some batteries that are on the way out do some strange things. How old is your battery anyway? If its more than 3 years, I would suspect that. Just a guess though...

[reverendzed]

Thanks Dimitri, battery is brand new but perhaps the starter is an issue, how do I test that?

[Enzo]

Hi Rev,

        Check the timing on the distributor as this will sound like a low battery if it is too far advanced. Good luck. David.

 

[pauly_adams]

hey rev i had a problem very simmilar, ater i replaced my head it would start after cranking it for ages but would not run it was rough as guts and could not even use the accelerator. my problem was my cam it was one tooth out as soon as i did this it ran like a dream i would check this.

 

good luck with it i also have a friend that is fighting a engine builder his 202 blew up as soon as he turned the key, they didnt oil the bores or anything before assembily and tore everything apart. make sure u take them to court if wont pay you the money back.

 

cheers pauly

[Zeddophile]

sometimes when I go to turn it over it only just wants to turn over (almost like battery is a little low, except it's not!) it then turns over once and then seems to turn over properly....any ideas!

 

Very unlikely to be mechanical....  We actually have a car living at work which does exactly this.  Sometimes you jump in, turn the key, and the motor turns over one revolution, then stops.  If you keep the key in the crank position, after sometimes 5 seconds it will suddenly start cranking at full speed.  Other times you jump in, and it spins over real fast from the get go.  Somewhere in the electrical system there is a gremlin pissing himself laughing.

 

My theory is that the contacts in the starter motor solenoid don't quite make a good connection at times, then get a little heat or something into them and shift enough to work properly.

[Scando]

Could be that the starter motor brushes are getting a bit worn as already mentioned.  I assume your new engine has a higher compression ratio?  This will make it much harder to turn over and therefore exaggerate any problem that was already there.