Starting Issues - new turnkey motor

[jtinpdx]

Hi All,
I'm trying to troubleshoot an issue I'm having. I have a 71 C10 with a new GM turnkey motor in it. Turnkey, so all parts are new including the alternator. Some additional wiring was done with the install, specifically a new radiator with electric fans. New battery too. Truck runs great, but...

Sometimes when I turn the key, I just get a click. Doesn't turn over at all. Seems like it doesn't have the juice to turn the starter, but I don't think that's it. I've had the battery tested and the truck tested for electrical draws. All checks out. The battery gauge reads about in the middle.

But if I put a trickle charger on it, it will start immediately. One thing that seems odd is that if slowly turn the key left (to accessories on), sometimes it will turn the engine over.

Any chance it's just the ignition switch, even though the trickle charger symptom seems odd?

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

[HO455]

Originally Posted by jtinpdx

Hi All,
I'm trying to troubleshoot an issue I'm having. I have a 71 C10 with a new GM turnkey motor in it. Turnkey, so all parts are new including the alternator. Some additional wiring was done with the install, specifically a new radiator with electric fans. New battery too. Truck runs great, but...

Sometimes when I turn the key, I just get a click. Doesn't turn over at all. Seems like it doesn't have the juice to turn the starter, but I don't think that's it. I've had the battery tested and the truck tested for electrical draws. All checks out. The battery gauge reads about in the middle.

But if I put a trickle charger on it, it will start immediately. One thing that seems odd is that if slowly turn the key left (to accessories on), sometimes it will turn the engine over.

Any chance it's just the ignition switch? Even though the trickle charger symptom seems odd.

Thanks,
Jeff

If the starter can be made to work by turning to the accessory position I would be all for junking the switch immediately before it starts energizing the starter when the engine is running or something worse. Something has broken inside and is allowing current to flow when it shouldn't. A low voltage condition at the starter solenoid can be caused by a bad switch and the charger may be supplying enough voltage to correct the problem.

[jtinpdx]

Thanks HO455! Ordering a new switch now.

-Jeff

['68OrangeSunshine]

I put a crate motor in my '71 GMC about 19 years ago. Install went OK, and then it would turn over -- and turn over -- but not start. We then tried a squirt of ether [starting fluid] down the carb throat. It started but went out after a few seconds.
It turned out, the new engine did not include a fuel pump pushrod. Being used to L6s which have a direct cam/actuating arm link on the fuel pump, I never thought about it. So I pulled the fuel pump pushrod from the old 350 and slipped it into the new 350 and it worked just fine after that.