New engine, won't stay running/ won't start (1 Viewer)

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Removing an alternator cable from the battery while the alternator is spinning will fry it.
 
Second time the engine started, back on Monday, I pulled the cable off the battery and it kept running. Took the belt off of the alternator today and with meter on the battery used a rope the spin the alt the meter showed slight increase in voltage.just tried using a jump starter and no go. I am thinking it must be the starter or the engine is binding. I don't think it's the engine as it does move slightly when the starter is bumped and it did actually start for a moment earlier today.
 
Try starting in gear, and move the truck a bit?

Check for back pressure in the fuel tank, then Flip the charcoal cannister hoses?
 
Borrowed a starter and it started it twice, didn't seem to line up exactly based on sound , wouldn't turn it over again. Have a call in the the shop that did the rebuild, seems as though the engine is binding or something
 
If you want us to troubleshoot something over the internet, you are going to have to be more descriptive than the average Facebook posting.

You say it won't start. Does it fail to turn over or just crank and not fire up? There is a big difference.

Does it crank, then stop like it hit something. The starter will groan then it stops turning over.

Does the starter not engage the flywheel, you know, grinding etc? Does it just click or does it engage the teeth with a clang, groan then stop? There are brushes inside along with windings and the solenoid can burn up. They are all field serviceable with some elbow grease and some scotch brite or emery paper. If you ran with bad cables, you can burn the contacts in the solenoid. If the starter is full of grease or it sat outside and got full of water, it will not work.

If you pulled the battery cable off while it was running, you probably fried several things. You will need a FSM and a "Good" not Harbor Freight, voltmeter. The $79.00 one at O'Reilley's is pretty good. You could have fried the ignitor or backfed into the coil or fried the distributor pickup. The fuel solenoid is also a good thing to check voltage on. Keep a test light or something on that wire and see if it goes out when the motor dies on you. Or, you can hardwire it with a fused jumper. Don't want an unfused wire going into pressurized container of gasoline..



When it runs, then dies does it make any weird noises right before it cuts off, like popping, banging and clanging?

When it fires up, does it sputter to life, or kick off like a well tuned machine?

Any backfiring or popping out the exhaust or intermittent firing till it cuts off?

When it dies, does it labor away then finally sputter to a stop? You said it's like the key was turned off, is that accurate every time, or just the first time or two?

Not trying to be a dick here but your posts leave something to be desired with the descriptions.
 
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I would definitely check to see if the engine is seizing and try to turn it over by hand. Even a good starter and electrical system is no match for an engine that is physically binding. This check would point you towards either a mechanical issue with the engine, or an electrical and/or a mechanical problem with the starter and associated wiring.

:wrench:
 
Details about the rebuild would be helpful too. And the shop that did the rebuild.
 
Alright, a brief over view of the situation as it stands, when the engine starts it starts as it should, cranks around a few times then runs when it stops it is as if the key is switched off, no rattles clangs etc. . When it doesn't work the starter seems to engage properly but not turn the engine. While it is running all gauges read normal.

Trollhole cruisers built the engine and i think the crank and rods were ok, Pistons, lifters, and other internals were replaced, anything that needed to be. They are picking it up in the morning.

As some back ground on me, I have had about 40 cars and trucks of my own over the last 40 years, I've worked on most of them (1990's and older), I've swapped probably a dozen motors over the years. I guess I've been pretty lucky, but this is the first time I've run into a vehicle not running right away. This is also the first "new" engine, all the others have been used. Hopefully it's something simple that I missed.

I do appreciate ALL the comments and advice. I will let y'all know how it turns out.
 
look forward to the diagnosis.
 
I had a boat that was doing the same thing. Had a cracked manifold and it would hydrolock itself. It was high compression so it only took a few dribbles. Let it sit overnight and it would leak the water through the unseated rings and fire right up till it would stumble 2-3 times and lock up.

Just about burned it to the ground before I figured it out.
 
I'd put a charger on the battery so I started with a fully charge battery. And while I hate taking pot shots at troubleshooting, could the distributor be 180 degrees out?
 
This is a stretch, but I has a similar scenario years ago. There is a plug on the underside of the intake manifold that actually has NO use on your cruiser. However, new manifolds do not come with it (alternately, if someone tanked the manifold and removed the plug) then you have a gaping hole in the intake manifold. The engine will start but you cannot keep it running. Check for that plug!
 
Trollhole Cruisers picked it up and called today, engine would not turn, pulled plugs ( head gasket problem?), no, drained some oil and found metal shavings, further investigation pending. Hopefully I will know something soon.
 
This is a stretch, but I has a similar scenario years ago. There is a plug on the underside of the intake manifold that actually has NO use on your cruiser. However, new manifolds do not come with it (alternately, if someone tanked the manifold and removed the plug) then you have a gaping hole in the intake manifold. The engine will start but you cannot keep it running. Check for that plug!

Vic? is that you?
 
I wondered if maybe there was a clearance issue once things started to warm up and expand. Like the wrong size pistons or bearings.
 
Wouldn't metal shavings in the oil constitute either rings or bearings? If there was an expansion issue and the piston was physically hitting something wouldn't it be heard/felt? @Hank6760 said nothing sounded out of the ordinary for him...
 
Wouldn't metal shavings in the oil constitute either rings or bearings? If there was an expansion issue and the piston was physically hitting something wouldn't it be heard/felt? @Hank6760 said nothing sounded out of the ordinary for him...

Really hard to say. Bearings or rings would be a likely source for shavings but it could also be timing gears or rockers or push rods etc. Its possible that pistons were expanding enough to sieze the engine and prevent a restart but once cooled they allowed for enough movement...however I'd think that you would see oil smoke in the exhaust or some other sign but without knowing anything about the engine rebuild its really hard to guess....so many possibilities.

as far as heard/felt....its a maybe. We seized a race engine once and aside from the rpms dropping and the engine shutting off there was nothing to hear or feel. But when you run an engine at 8000 rpm for 10 miles without any coolant these kinds of things can happen
 
It would seem at this point since we know this was a trollhole rebuild and the owner found metal in the oil maybe the poking and prodding should cease? I imagine stuff goes wrong easily w/ any of us backwoods mechanics but a known vendor.... not so good. Fingers crossed it’s something simple for both the builder and owner.
 

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