78 k10 starter problem

[iamtherealJayy]

I’ve got a 78 k10 bonanza and the starter has given me hell. Most of the time it works fine but sometimes it will be turning over and clunk and disengage. I’ve tried different shims. Could it be timing? Flywheel destroyed? The truck sat for over 10 years before I bought it non running.

 

[DanMcG]

have you checked for missing teeth on the flywheel?

 

[iamtherealJayy]

There is no obvious damage to the flywheel

 

[AuroraGirl]

if you say it clunks, that sounds like advanced timing to me. but it would probably be more... frequent than periodic at least I think. How is the wear on the starter gear and the flywheel. not just missing but wear.

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It aint obvious at a quick glance but you see the individual teeth, look at them from side to side, there is irregular wear on my cars flywheel where the engaging starter is starter to wear a pattern.
that isnt the best photo but its something to pay attention to

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I know the timing isnt100% I never dialed it in it’s a project truck but I figure since I’m doing timing on my main truck might as well dial in the project truck. As far as the flywheel all teeth look there and the only wear is the front of the teeth are sightly rounded instead of straight down.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I know the timing isnt100% I never dialed it in it’s a project truck but I figure since I’m doing timing on my main truck might as well dial in the project truck. As far as the flywheel all teeth look there and the only wear is the front of the teeth are sightly rounded instead of straight down.

Im not sure what would cause that other than slight collision from being juuust a little out of sync? I’m guessing on that. But the abrupt stop to me sounds like valves something, firing order, power balance, timing, or starter mesh stuffs.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

I’m going to tweak on the timing a little bit and see if I can get it right. Right now it’s just by ear, pulled number one plug and cranked until compression stroke and and went from there. Truck originally just backfired out of the carb after I put a quadrajet on it so the timing was way off, it’s now got an edelbrock 1405 4 barrel. I need to get the timing set at the sweet spot and start tuning the carb and sell the truck.

 

[AuroraGirl]

I’m going to tweak on the timing a little bit and see if I can get it right. Right now it’s just by ear, pulled number one plug and cranked until compression stroke and and went from there. Truck originally just backfired out of the carb after I put a quadrajet on it so the timing was way off, it’s now got an edelbrock 1405 4 barrel. I need to get the timing set at the sweet spot and start tuning the carb and sell the truck.

Is your distributor stabbed 180 degrees out. CAN it get started? Also, do you have a manual choke hooked up to that(1405 is a manual choke, i think?)
also it sat for 10 years, pull your valve covers and turn it over with spark plugs pulled and fuel unhooked. I have a feeling you possibly are looking at a situation thats common from sitting where a valve or three (whos counting anyway) is sticking and youre getting something from an exhaust valve sticking open or something. Likewise, your distributor being stabbed right is important.

And is this distributor new or is it original?

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this is a pre-HEI distributor but the important part is the top. seee the two weights? They kick out. When turning faster, they go out farther the springs keep them in to a set amount. Then they are supposed to glide back to rest when not spinning. they get dirty, rusty, and stay kicked out, that would advance your timing potentially at random if not resist coming back down after spinning up causing weird issues. check em.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Yes the truck starts, fairly easily most of the time. When the starter acts right atleast. I think it’s timing being off due to the occasional pop from the exhaust. No choke hooked up the wuadrajet that came with the truck wasn’t original as far as I could tell there is no choke anywhere on the truck. I need to run a manual choke cable sometime since it’s getting cold, when it was warmer it didn’t matter as much. And the distributor original? No idea I believe it has a grey cap. Yep centrifugal force to advance timing, the distributor looked clean inside other than a spider came out and spooked me a little lol. I can take the cap back off and take a peep at how it’s looking now

 

[AuroraGirl]

Yes the truck starts, fairly easily most of the time. When the starter acts right atleast. I think it’s timing being off due to the occasional pop from the exhaust. No choke hooked up the wuadrajet that came with the truck wasn’t original as far as I could tell there is no choke anywhere on the truck. I need to run a manual choke cable sometime since it’s getting cold, when it was warmer it didn’t matter as much. And the distributor original? No idea I believe it has a grey cap. Yep centrifugal force to advance timing, the distributor looked clean inside other than a spider came out and spooked me a little lol. I can take the cap back off and take a peep at how it’s looking now

When it was warm that choke was staying closed. its possibly "rich" when it should be open at times that is dumping fuel which may just cause a hydro-jerk or a fire off that snaps back at you lol

Those weights are under the rotor

 

[iamtherealJayy]

Do you know off top of head what factory timing should be around?

 

[AuroraGirl]

Do you know off top of head what factory timing should be around?

no. this should be listed on the VECI on the air cleaner

 

[Snoots]

10 BTC is a good start.

 

[iamtherealJayy]

@Snoots thank you, it doesn’t have factory air cleaner. Well it does but it’s all rusty and in the bed of the truck.

 

[Snoots]

Disconnect the battery.
Take a pic of the starter solenoid wiring.
Remove the starter.
Remove the solenoid from the starter.
Take the solenoid apart.
Remove the lug where the battery was attached.
Turn it 180 degrees and re-install it.
Hook the wires back up and reinstall the starter.
Hook up the battery.
That should end your starter woes.