another starting issue thread. 76 T&C

cuda hunter · May 11, 2023

I have a low cranking amp battery installed at the moment.
I hooked up my 73 satellite and it's bigger battery to the T&C's little battery.
It cranks but doesn't seem to have the umph I am used to.
Has gas, Has spark at the plugs.
Just cranks with no actual ignition fire.
Blinkers work, lights do not.
I have yet to get one actual cylinder ignition. Just cranks.
Replaced both battery cable ends as they were both swollen just a little. Only about an inch of the cable had issues.

There is this box and I am unsure of what this is or if it is supposed to even be there.

Starter relay?
Ballast resistor?

cuda hunter · May 12, 2023

100 views, but no advice?
I have no friends that are mopar guys. They are all Cheby and ferd guys. They all say get rid of all that crap and put a one wire distributor on every mopar I own.

I do understand that every time I get a mopar that it doesn't want to start. I have replaced parts over and over again until I find the correct part that doesn't work.
But this one has way more wires than any mopar I have owned up to this point.
There were obvious problems with the original positive and negative battery cables right where they connect to the battery but I have fixed that so there is a good connection to ground and battery mounts.
Again, there is spark at the coil and spark at the plug. In turn I would think this would just start up but I can't seem to get it to do anything but turn over. Never catch's a combustion explosion. It doesn't seem to sound like most 440's I have owned. Sounds slow and dull. Then it runs the battery down pretty quickly even if I have another car and battery hooked to this battery.
I have usually just bought a new battery but with batteries being over 200 bucks now I would like to buy one when I get this thing moving. I doubt the battery is the problem since I have it hooked up to another running working vehicle.

War Wagon2 · May 13, 2023

Hi The "Box" you are wondering about is a battery isolator , inside are a set of two Diodes that ensure that power flow is from the battery / Alternator to the load (the car electrical system ) . The other Diode feeds the trailer tow wiring. This item should cause no issues as long as the connections are clean and tight and on the correct way! By your description about the 440 cranking slow and "dull" I would say check the starter. The starter is designed to operate at a nominal value of 11 volts , with a current draw of around 90 amps.
Two starters are available a 1.5 Horsepower (standard) and a 1.8 horsepower... I would go for the 1.8 horsepower starter. Believe it or not the starters are being produced new from Bosch. What I figure is happening is your starter is dragging , reducing your cranking speed and once the battery starts to rundown you have a reduced voltage at your ignition system (it needs a minimum of 9.5 volts to keep working) ...so at that point you have reduced cranking speed and probably a weak or no spark. That's what I get from your description.....

thethee · May 13, 2023

Okay I'll bite. Have you pulled the spark plugs at any point and if so, how do they look?

This being a 76, does it have lean burn? Or regular ignition?

cuda hunter · May 13, 2023

Awesome. Will start there. @War Wagon2

I am unsure of lean burn or regular ignition. What am I looking for to understand that? @thethee

Triple Pickle · May 13, 2023

You could take the starter and have it tested for free at a parts store like Advance. If it checks out, the next thing to check is the compression and timing. Getting familiar with the Chrysler electronic ignition system is pretty simple and a distributor, wiring and ECU is about $200.

cuda hunter · May 14, 2023

Quick update.
Changed plugs and oil. No wires available in the county so I left the old ones on it.
A little gas and boom, she starts right up. Runs smooth and quiet.
I can't push the gas much or it dies.
The starter is having an issue with about 40% of the time if just spins instead of engaging.
I have to assume the carb needs a rebuild as I can't get the 4 barrels to open easily without it wanting to die.
But I only ran it for about 10 minutes. Just long enough to get the motor smokin warm.

Even though this was a very simple thing to get running I really do appreciate yal just talking to me about it.
I have no one to discuss this stuff with and talking sure helps me understand the directions I should go.

Thanks guys!!

thethee · May 15, 2023

Excellent. As this has sat for a long time it might've just needed a little something to free up the passages in the carb (and still does for the secondaries?). Does it have the thermoquad on it? If so and you want to rake it apart for a rebuild, don't forget about the two screws inside the choke tower!

Disregard my previous about the leanburn, believe that's something for 77 actually.

cuda hunter · May 15, 2023

Since this was indeed the issue I had better post pictures of the problem.
These accel shorty plugs are the worst plugs I have ever purchased and installed on my 440's in the past.
the lead that connects to the wire ALWAYS come lose. The only way to get them to not come lose is to squish them before installing. Even then it doesn't seem to work.
These were very very dirty.