Why does it crank so slow...

After the Lifeliner has been sitting for a week or so when I go to start her it initially sounds like the batteries need a charge. It cranks slow then it takes off. My batteries are 850 crank power and fully charged. Now once it is started for the day it cranks strong. It has never failed me but thought I would ask.

Ideas?
 
Long story made real short, all batterys made since 1990 SUCK.
The old cell to cell connector bar was replaced by a barely adequate on its best day wire that is prone to failure in the parked condition when the battery isn't working. It's a problem that can drive you nuts finding.

You can buy a digital plug in voltmeter on ebay for a few bucks that can plug into the lighter socket and watch the voltage as you crank.

Quick and dirty, if you don't have a meter, pull the headlights on for about half a minute before attempting to start engine. That will generally work the battery enough to give you good starting current.

Another quick and dirty, put a charger on the battery, even a 3 amp charger, for 5 minutes before attempting start.

All the above presumes you do not have a parasitic draw on the battery in parked condition. Vehicle batterys do NOT respond well to small parasitic loads, such as the wonderful GE two way radio "memory draw".

You can also develope a parasitic draw from corrosion, but usually that doesn't happen in collector cars, except in some battery switches.

About the 850 amp rating, it's a lot like the horsepower ratings on box store air compressors and power tools.
 
You should have batteries with at least 1100 cold cranking amps. With dual batteries, you should be able to get along with what you have.
 
If this rig still has negative cable connected to the front cross member on the right side remove the bolt and clean cable lug and frame where it attaches this may help. What I have done in drastic cases is to add a longer (heavy gage) negative cable and run directly to a starter bolt from the battery. Then add a cable from the back of the engine to the firewall for a good ground to the body. This may not be needed if the original ground strap from the engine is still there. Also check positive cable has it been replaced with a smaller gage (lighter) cable than original this will cause voltage drop under load remember that starter draws heavy. NO gypsy terminal ends either they drop voltage under a load. If you have dual batteries check connections between them.
 
The car should start good on one battery. What I would do is after letting it sit. Assuming you shut the batteries off when you do that. Is check the with a volt meter and see if your getting a drop in voltage when she sits. If the batteries are still at 12 volts after sitting. Then clean all the grounds. Both batteries. The problem will most likely be the starter going bad. But usually your first indexation of a bar starter is hard starting warm.

We're the 850 batteries are a little light the two of them should be will over the nessary amps to crank the car. But if one of them is going bad you will not get the power you need.

All you need to do to test that is try to start it on one battery if that works the try the other one.

Does yours have the cole hearse switch or the selonads? The selonads will burn out the contacts you should have full voltage on Either side with it closed. Same for the rotating switch.

But I would suspect that the batteries are dropping when parked the only current draw with the batteries shut off would be the clock. That should not bring down the battery it's hooked to.
 
Got some great ideas and appreciate in the input. I have a cole switch and always turn batteries off when car is not driven. Batteries are less than a year old and had new cables installed about a year ago. I tried to install a 950 cold crank battery but it was too big for the space.
 
If you changed the cables did they put in ready made #4s. About the size of your little finger?
Have the change the power cables to at least a #2. You will most likely have to have them made up as stated all ready. As I said the starter will normally give you trouble with a hot start. Spin fine when cold but drag when the heat swells things up.

If you batteries are at full load after sitting and the starter drages think power to the starter.

The cold start is were it will draw the most current.
 
Russ Dalziel and his 71 M-M had the same problem, wonder if he ever sorted it out rode to Milwaukee with him and often wondered if it would ever start but it always did. slowly but surely.
 
I had a guy tell me to disconnect the coil and try to crank it. If it cranked strong it certainly could be the timing. He also said if that is the case I could hook up a on/off switch so when cranking the car turn the coil off then once cranking flip the switch to start her. Seems like a lot to go through.
 
If it has done it all along​, try the jumper cable trick. Put one end of the cables to the negitive post on both batteries and clamp the other ends onto the engine. If it cranks good put a ground strap on the engine to the frame. A good place would be one of the starter bolts right to the frame. As suggested up a post or two.

Alwise done it is the clue. You have done a lot all ready suggested and it has made no difference.
 
If it has done it all along​, try the jumper cable trick. Put one end of the cables to the negitive post on both batteries and clamp the other ends onto the engine. If it cranks good put a ground strap on the engine to the frame. A good place would be one of the starter bolts right to the frame. As suggested up a post or two.

Alwise done it is the clue. You have done a lot all ready suggested and it has made no difference.

I haven't done anything as yet have not had the time.
 
How many miles on the engine? I had to replace the timing chain on my engine at 70,000 miles. If, when they did the tune up, they didn't check for a jumped tooth on the timing gear, then the timing would be too far advanced, and cause the hard starting problems. One way to check this, is to turn the harmonic balancer in one direction, with the distributor cap removed,, and keep turning until the timing mark is located at the 0 degree mark on the timing tab. Then, turn the harmonic balancer in the opposite direction slowly, watching the distributor rotor pointer, until it moves, and then stop. Compare where the timing mark is in relationship to the timing tab. If you find that it has moved more than 1/8" to 1/4", the timing chain has stretched, and most likely has jumped a tooth.
 
How many miles on the engine? I had to replace the timing chain on my engine at 70,000 miles. If, when they did the tune up, they didn't check for a jumped tooth on the timing gear, then the timing would be too far advanced, and cause the hard starting problems. One way to check this, is to turn the harmonic balancer in one direction, with the distributor cap removed,, and keep turning until the timing mark is located at the 0 degree mark on the timing tab. Then, turn the harmonic balancer in the opposite direction slowly, watching the distributor rotor pointer, until it moves, and then stop. Compare where the timing mark is in relationship to the timing tab. If you find that it has moved more than 1/8" to 1/4", the timing chain has stretched, and most likely has jumped a tooth.

80,000 miles and not aware of having the timing chain being changed.
 
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