[azwethinkweiz]

My 1985 Caprice Classic with 111,000 miles has been starting rough lately, the carb is off and it's been running a little rich. So, when I cold-crank it, I have to pump the gas a little to force an ignition, on warm crank, she starts right up no problem. Tonight, she stopped cranking all together. The starter has been replaced in the last 7k miles, the alternator has been replaced in the last 5k miles. The wiring harness between the alternator and the battery is original, and is really suffering. I get intermittent connection between them.

When I started the car tonight, all dash lights come on, no lights dim, and the starter turns, but grinds hard. Starter issues? Ignition coil? Dead plug(s)? It's sitting in a target parking lot at the moment. Would like to know what I'm dealing with before I spend the money to tow it... if it's something easy that I can just deal with, I'd like to before I needlessly dish out the dough on an overpriced tow.

 

[Gregg-O]

The wiring harness between the alternator and the battery is original, and is really suffering. I get intermittent connection between them.

That's where I would start looking.

 

[hellboy]

i would check your timing.

 

[azwethinkweiz]

Flywheel is bad. =/ not too bad though, could have been worse.

 

[kingnutin]

Huh? How do you figure that was the issue?

 

[77Impala]

Huh? How do you figure that was the issue?

I think he got it from this quote in the first post of his.

.....and the starter turns, but grinds hard.

 

[kingnutin]

Well, for one I would think the grinding starter is probably what damaged the flywheel. But it wouldn't have a thing to do with the other issues regardless.

 

[77Impala]

Very true. Would not doubt that the starters have torn up the fly wheel over time.

 

[hellboy]

considering the fact that he had replaced the starter. i assumed it was an issue with timing being too advanced(if i remember right) and causing hard starts. but he did say grinds hard when it starts so problem could've started with the installation of the starter. too many shims or not enough causing starter to chew up the flywheel.
glad you resolved your issue tho AZ.