Please help v8 weak start?!

[chevymadness]

Need help v8350 weak start
I have a typical v8 350 on my 82 SILVERADO truck and right now I'm afraid to take it anywhere because every time I turn the ignition there is a awful static sound in the engine bay and the lights in my dashboard have dimming and a dieing look as if it doesn't have enough muster to get the engine started and turning.It sounds like a awful static almost like clear plastic is being crushed in the engine bay.Im lucky it started as I was at the store.This truck this month has had some problems first there was a fuel distributing problem which shorted the battery or alternator and I replaced both paying 500$ for alternator and battery! And a fuel distributor thing.Now the mechanic says the carburator looks terrible and is "leaking"gasoline and has a bad "seal".So now I'm wondering can this static problem crap possibly be from a carburator?!.I don't see any other problems the v8 is solid enough I mean everything else is fine the spark plugs etc etc.

now say it is the carburator which I think it is I don't have time to take it to a mechanic period.I want to replace this carburator "seal" my damn self and let me tell you I'm no mechanic lol.But I'm going to do it tell me about this seal please!

[chevymadness]

I need to know what the seal looks like :/ how much

[Tx Firefighter]

First step is to clean and tighten all battery cable connections at both the battery and the engine block and starter. Then make sure you have ground straps from the battery to frame and engine to frame and frame to body. That's the most likely culprit. I suspect the sound you're hearing is arcing from a poor connection.

Carburetor, can't help you without further pictures and details.

[chevymadness]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

First step is to clean and tighten all battery cable connections at both the battery and the engine block and starter. Then make sure you have ground straps from the battery to frame and engine to frame and frame to body. That's the most likely culprit. I suspect the sound you're hearing is arcing from a poor connection.

Carburetor, can't help you without further pictures and details.

alright man I will do that but I just don't see that as the problem I just think my wires are clean.Now that I think of it I sense it could be the starter?? Because when the truck was repaired yet 3 weeks ago the mechanic put a new starter in because it was old.Can a starter short within 3 weeks?from a bad carburator eh..the starter is brand new the alternator and I have a interstate brand slacking new battery everything is clean.I don't know what else to do..

[chevymadness]

When I turn the ignition is has a loud embarrassing stuuuuter sounding call it the crackle sound but it's like a stutter.I have enough gas in the truck.

[chevymadness]

Carburator is just a stock carb and original

[chevymadness]

It's just a continue stuuuuuuter as long as I hold down the ignition so I dot think the new starter is bad

[Tx Firefighter]

If someone recently put a starter on the truck you should certainly be suspicious of loose battery cables. At both end.....check them.

[cr92]

sounds like a starter problem or loose connection between starter terminals and battery. i've had that problem a few times and its always a loose connection

[chevymadness]

I checked battery lines guys and it was overall basic the lines seem to be clean as hell.I took off the air cleaner to check carb and the only suspicious telling thing I saw.Was there are of course little hoses that connect to the front of the carb right a total of "3" and on the very front 1 was connected but one was off what the hell does that mean or do.Im literally driving the truck fine right now and it seems to be starting good every time.....

[chevymadness]

Will try to get pics o add to this story

[cr92]

well if it starts good every time now it sounds like your good to go

[chevymadness]

Originally Posted by cr92

well if it starts good every time now it sounds like your good to go

NO It did start good for a while but now it seems after the truck is used threw out the day for me )like 2 hours) it takes a **** and nearly didn't start I had to take it home.Its back to its old self now I'm I'm the engine bay looking at this loose hose which leads down to me right below the engine coolant container and into some container.I don't think that has been plugged for some time I could be wrong but I don't know **** about what to do.The battery is brand new ,lines good etc etc

[chevymadness]

Eh,, that hose has no operation probably for years I would imagine it doesn't have anything do do with this problem I guess it's the carb crap

[rich weyand]

Something no one has mentioned: battery cables. On another forum we had three sets of bad battery cables among forum members within as many months. They rot out inside the insulation and the resistance goes up and up. Not a problem for normal operation, but when you put heavy starter loads on them, the voltage drop gets excessive and everything dims and the starter struggles. These failures can also be intermittent.

If the battery cables are more than ten years old, replace them.

[chevymadness]

Originally Posted by rich weyand

Something no one has mentioned: battery cables. On another forum we had three sets of bad battery cables among forum members within as many months. They rot out inside the insulation and the resistance goes up and up. Not a problem for normal operation, but when you put heavy starter loads on them, the voltage drop gets excessive and everything dims and the starter struggles. These failures can also be intermittent.

If the battery cables are more than ten years old, replace them.

Wow I think your on to something here it probably is wiring and I have many suspicious signs like just today I was playing the radio and I switched the headlights ON the radio cut out and then jumps ON again.And that never happens.Also ever since this truck came from the shop with the new starter now that I think of it also when I rev that gas and speed up the truck in a frenzy the radio will shut off some weird stuff like that.

[chevymadness]

The problem was the battery negative cable it was pretty shot and zapping as I took it off a little bit.I baught both cables and hooked them up and boom! The truck runs so solid even better then when it had a stupid tune up.I plan to further replace wire in the future but thanks to rich for suspecting the problem he was right on and saved me a ton of hassle and stress the truck is not going to be towed

[chevymadness]

The wiring I plan to replace is this long cable that comes out of a hole right in front of the passenger area and the wire is encased in what looks to be a hose and leads right down near the starter area.When I was replacing the positive cable on starter the damn thing melted from touching hot pipe and was smell of burnt it quincadently fell off right by my head when I was under the truck like it told me to replace the damn thing.At he end of the wire is like a fuse box thing I have no clue what this wire does.

[rich weyand]

Originally Posted by chevymadness

The problem was the battery negative cable it was pretty shot and zapping as I took it off a little bit.I baught both cables and hooked them up and boom! The truck runs so solid even better then when it had a stupid tune up.I plan to further replace wire in the future but thanks to rich for suspecting the problem he was right on and saved me a ton of hassle and stress the truck is not going to be towed

Excellent. Glad I could help.