Why wont my engine crank fast?-FIXED!:D

[WHITCHY]

I have just put another 4AGE in my car and it has been running fine for the last 2 weeks, I decided to put some bigger cams in and now it won't crank properly?
I thought it was the starter so I have put a relay on it to boost cranking power, that had no effect, so I replaced the starter and still the same thing!
It can't be timing, I have made sure that is spot on, I put the engine to TDC, aligned the cam timing marks with the marks on the cover, and aligned the rotor button tip with the #1 point on the dizzy cap?
It's not the battery, that still reads 12v across the terminals, and just to make sure I tried jumpstarting it and still no change?
The engine was running fine the night before I put the cams in.
I don't think it is anything to do with the motor, as I can turn that by hand no worries?
Someone please help me out! this is really pissing me off!
Thanks in advance for any help!
Cheers.
-Whitchy-

[gianttomato]

Earth strap is bolted to what?

[oldcorollas]

instead of the timing marks, tried checking the cam lobes/valve movement itself?
the cam might be groudn out of time with the mark perhaps?

cams with longer duration should crank faster, not slower...

tried timing light on it?

tried with the coils off? (ie, no kicking back)

double check and triple check the piston position and the cam movement (by lobes/valves, not the marks)

[oldcorollas]

Earth strap is bolted to what?

where's Cool1 when you need him

[MRMOPARMAN]

what old corolla said.
arent some/all? hot cams aligned different to factory marks anyways?

also when ya jump started it, im assuming ya just jumped it on the battery terminals?

try jumping it onto the main starter lead itself. that will tell ya if the main power lead has too much resistance, or the connections are crap.

is it trying to fire when cranking?

[2jzhilux]

do your cam gears have two slots in them on a 4age?
if so do you have the pin in the right slot ?
i have seen this a few times marks will line up but cam is in wrong position in relation to the gear
just a possibility

[Cuzzo]

do your cam gears have two slots in them on a 4age?
if so do you have the pin in the right slot ?
i have seen this a few times marks will line up but cam is in wrong position in relation to the gear
just a possibility

I have experienced this both pins were up and not one up and one down. All that happens is it wont start at all however still crank correctly.

But a quick check is the knock pins one should be up and one should be down.

[BradW]

As OC said, disconnect the coil lead and try cranking. This is an easy way to check if it is spark timing. If it cranks OK with the coil lead off then spark timing is incorrect.

[WHITCHY]

ok, thanks for all the quick replys!
I have cranked it with the coil and dizzy disconnected and still the same slowness.
I ran jumper leads from the -ve on battery to bellhousing bolt near starter, and from +ve on battery to the starter lead bolt, still slowness!
Checked the cam timing, one lobe is up, one lobe is down. couldn't remember if the cam lobes for cyl 1 on opposite sides were meant to point towards each other >< or away from each other <> so I have tried both and its still the same!
I even took the timing belt off and turned the engine by hand to make sure there was no interference and then tried cranking it and still no luck!
This is seriously so messed up! All I have done is taken my old cams out, put the bigger ones in, set to TDC, lined cam timing marks up and pointed rotor button to #1. exactly the same way I have done it all the other times before, and it has always worked!
I don't have a timing light to get on it.
Anymore suggestions?
Thanks again!
Cheers.
-Whitchy-

[TurboRA28]

Hey dude, when we were talking on the phone, you were saying you can hear the starter motor spinning, but it isn't engaging and turning the engine over? Is that still the case? Or is it just turning it over very slowly?

[WHITCHY]

Shit sorry man, I thought I had said it was turning it over!
it was/is engaging, just not turning the motor over fast enough!
cheers.
-Whitchy-

[Pure_In_Sanity]

Maybe the battery is doing something funky. Might show 12v accross the terminals but have an internal fault as soon as it's loaded up. Jump starting it with the original battery disconnected might be worth a shot?
Cheers
-Phil

[o_man_ra23]

What are your valve clearances like??

At TDC No.1 (when No.1 is firing) both valves should be closed, with the lobes facing away from each other, and the rotor button should have already hit the No.1 lead contact in the dizzy cap.

Cheers, Owen

[WHITCHY]

Valve clearances should be stock, it is a stock motor just with quads and ecu?
But the valve clearance specs for the cams are the same as stock so it shouldnt be an issue?
I am about to have another fiddle and see if anything changes.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
-Whitchy-

[o_man_ra23]

If the cams are a regrind or dont have the same base radius as the originals, then they will require larger/smaller shims to get the same clearances, so even if the specs are the same, the cams wont be.

If your clearances are too open, then the valves could be closed for too long, giving too much resistance and causing it to be hard to crank. It will also affect your ability to run the engine. Just ask anyone who has rebuilt an engine with hydraulic lifters and didnt know to fill the lifters with oil before assembling them.

Cheers, Owen