Slow cranking when trying to start

[elky70]

I have a 79 K5 blazer with a 396 crate motor from blueprint. I have a brand new battery, I’m on my third new starter from Napa. When I go to start it, it seems like there isn’t enough power getting to the starter. When I try to start it using a remote starter switch (by passing the ignition) it seems to have about 10-15% power but is still cranking over very slowly, once it finally starts to turn over. My question is: is this another faulty starter? Or is there something wrong with my ignition wiring? Did I possibly lose a ground wire on the ignition switch or is it it something else to do with the ignition switch? Been trying to solve this problem for months and months. New batteries, new starters, good grounds from the starter, battery and engine block. What am I missing? I have not swapped out the ignition switch or got up under the dash to trace it out. It worked great for a few months, then it didn’t. Putting a new starter and it worked good again. Then replaced the battery after it went dead trying to start it one day. That day it seemed like it was drawing a lot of power and I ended up finding one of my ground wires to the frame had heated up. It was too thin of a wire that the previous owner used.
That’s what I know. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Will compensate the person that helps me figure this out.
Thanks for reading.

 

[legopnuematic]

Where do your ground wires from the battery go? To the frame? Engine block? Alternator bracket?

 

[Sad Sack]

Recheck all grounds (battery to body, battery to frame, battery to engine and whatever other ground point those models have) and use proper 4-gauge battery cabling, copper straps, fresh metal contacts - no shortcuts.
Replace the positive battery cable with a new 4-gauge cable (no cheap CCA crap). Use a battery around 850 CCA.
Research say a 4hp hi-torque performance starter. You are more than likely pushing over 10 to 1 compression on that 396 and you're going to need good clean energy to turn it over.

 

[elky70]

Recheck all grounds (battery to body, battery to frame, battery to engine and whatever other ground point those models have) and use proper 4-gauge battery cabling, copper straps, fresh metal contacts - no shortcuts.
Replace the positive battery cable with a new 4-gauge cable (no cheap CCA crap). Use a battery around 850 CCA.
Research say a 4hp hi-torque performance starter. You are more than likely pushing over 10 to 1 compression on that 396 and you're going to need good clean energy to turn it over.

All grounds are good, clean and proper gauge wire. Battery is one of the best you can buy plus I tried my new battery from my truck, both of which have 850cca or more. I’m starting to lean towards the timing is incorrect. Unfortunately it runs the best where it is currently set, which is between 10-11 degrees. Any lower and it doesn’t like it. Trying to find a more powerful starter that will fit. So far I’m 0-2 on starters. First one the gear stuck out to far, the second one the house only cleared the fly wheel by a sheet of paper.

 

[legopnuematic]

Since it is still yet to be answered:

Where do your ground wires from the battery go? To the frame? Engine block? Alternator bracket?

10-11 degrees of timing is not likely going to cause poor cranking unless if you have extremely high static and dynamic compression.

 

[Ricko1966]

Do a volt drop test,engine to battery negative post and battery positive to starter positive. Volt drop turn your meter to voltage,put the negative probe on the battery,ground the positive probe to the engine block,have a friend hit the ignition switch. If you read more than .4 volt on your meter you have an in sufficient ground,maybe how you have the ground hooked up,make a bad cable. Same with the positive,but now do positive battery post to positive starter post. Use the posts on each test,not the ends of the cables. By the book if you have more than. 2 volts drop you have a problem,but being it's not a perfect world I would be.ok with .4 volts. Also the starter gets its ground through its attachment to the block. Is there paint or anything else between the starter and block or starter and starter bolts?