Need some help here!!

[Link85x]

Problem - Car will not turn over now that i have headers on.

Badnews - Car will not run

Goodnews - I just saved 15% on car insurance .

Details - What i did before i installed them was:
1: Disconnected battery
2: Took off smog
3: Took off alternator
4: Took off spark wires
(A/c compressor and everything else that has to do with a/c is gone, found no a/c box "1le" at junkyard for $5, not bad1)
5:Took off manifolds, along with y-pipe and spark plugs.
6: Changed old plugs
7:Snaked the headers in somehow, don't know how we did it but we got them in there properly
8:Bolted y-pipe up to headers properly
9:Put new wires on
10:Put smog and alternator back on
11:Connected battery
12:Tried to start but it just woudn't turn over.

Those are the steps that i did it in, but it just wouldn't turn over when i tried to fire it up. It's catching fire, but it won't go over. What would cause this? Did i miss something? Btw, this thing sounds real good. even though i haven't got it started yet, sometimes it would catch for like a second and then die, but for that one second, it's sounded like a damn monster!!! The 305 is capable many things people! But i'm kinda sad i can't get it to start, it was a 3 day project, and my brain is kinda tired, so i couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. I need help guys, help.

[wrightz28]

OOPS!

All I can say is retrace your steps.

you shouldn't have had to take any grounds off, but double check that you didn't maybe crack one?

Other than that, double check your work. Wires in the right order, spark gap and what not. OH! And watch the wires around the headers, they get hot in a jiffy and burn right through.

[Rally Sport]

Make sure you connected the battery correctly, if you dont tighten em properly like it wont start, lol. also you might need gas, get that, lots of it with some STP. STP takes care of everything

[Link85x]

Yeah, battery is in there good. I'll retrace everything once i get home from work. You know, it looks so funny in my engine bay, clean wires, ceramic headers, and alternator, and everything else is just dirty. Damn i need to clean it. Btw, as far as sound goes wrightz28, the headers make a huge differnce over the manifolds, huge!! Can't wait to see how it performs!

[Link85x]

Also, before i put the headers in, last time ilooked at the starter, it looked like it was about to shit the bed anytime soon. Do you think it shit the bed? I tryin to find out all possibilities here on why this thing ain't crankin.

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by Link85x

It's catching fire, but it won't go over. What would cause this? Did i miss something? Btw, this thing sounds real good. even though i haven't got it started yet, sometimes it would catch for like a second and then die,

Wait, did I miss something? You started off by saying it WAS cranking but the motor just would run or continue running.

NOW you say you have nothing. I know I'm starting to get a hangover here, but let's get the problem straight.

So, at the current time we have a no start, no crank, right?

[wrightz28]

Oh, one thing that dosen't make much sense,

you keep saying it sounded like a monster, I'd hate to burst your bubble, but exhaust tone should not have changed much, only the flow. That said I'm really not sure what to tell ya.

[Rally Sport]

Bet it sounds louder though, like my Maro did whenever I gave it a complete tune up, sounded like John's Lt1.

But anyway if it's cranking it should be alright, you sure you got everything in order though?

[Link85x]

Well, i don't have the cat connected as of yet, i have to take to shop to get put on with some extended pipe. So it pretty much stops and the y for now. Sorry for confusing you, i kinda frustrated. When i turn the key, it acts as if it wants to start, but it just won't start, like it's tryin to turn over all the way, but it won't. I was asking do you think it was possible that the starter crapped out or is crapping out, becuase the last time i looked at it, it didn't look too good. You should have seen where the manifolds were leaking from. All the way where spark #7 is there was black sut all over and the manifold bolt back there, i took off with my hand. Pretty bad. Any idea what going on? My bad for mixing things up.

[wrightz28]

Gee, nothing from the collector back, ya I guess you left out a little detail there. That would cause an issue but not too majorly.

BUT, what is occuring when you turn the key? You're not clearly describing, you are my eyes and ears here, and right now I'm not getting a clear picture.

[Link85x]

Whats happening is it's tryin to start, like the crank is turning, but in increments, not completely turning over and start up the regular way. Sometimes it will catch, but for a breif second only, it would not idle, and when it would catch for that second, i tried giving it alittle gas, and giving it gas kills it completely. It's tryin to fire up completely, but it's not. Far as sound goes, when i had the manifold on there, it never sounded like that at all, although it does, for now, stop at he y-pipe collector, you can say it did the same before ii installed the headers, becuase there were so many holes in the y-pipe and the cat, you could say they were open.

[wrightz28]

Now I got ya.

So the crank speed is really slow. If you already anticipated a starter prob, you're probably right, but all things being equal i'd check the battery voltage (not with the dash guage) and connections at the battery and alternator.

[88camaroproject]

if i were you i would check timing and make sure you got the wires hooked up right and be sure the distributer is in he same spot, like if you remember it being spun a completely different way or something.

[1986Z28]

Originally Posted by Link85x

Goodnews - I just saved 15% on car insurance .

Those commercials are the best

[Link85x]

Naw, the distributor is alright, never touched that. It's gotta be the starter, it was all cruddy and really old looking when i last looked at it, it was definitely on it last leg. I'll check the battery voltage aswell, the dash can be decieving sometime (gas anyway).