Problems starting my new 408

sport74 said
Fellas, I have a new 408, has 10.65:1 comp, using a new tuff stuff mini denso starter. I have a good battery, and my timing is set to 10* BTDC. Stock wiring from the battery to the starter. Every time I try to start the engine, it spins freely for 3 to 4 complete rotations then begins to slowly drag. If you can get it fired in that window, evryrhever is ok. If not you have to wait for the wires to cool. Remove the plugs and it'll spin fine. Put them back in and it starts dragging again. It would spin fine prior to the first start up, but as soon as we had it running (30 seconds) then it stalled, that is when this problem started. At this point, I'm thinking the newer starter is pulling too many amps and the higher compression isn't helping the situation. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Nothing wrong with your compression ratio; in fact, if you look at the dynamic ratio, it's probably less than the stock 360.Well with a 4" arm maybe not, but the point is the same.
>But your wires are not supposed to get hot, they are telling you a story: either the starter is shorting, or the cables are too small, or not likely but possibly, your 10* advance ain't 10* advance.
>I would run a set of Booster cables in parallel with the factory cables, and if it still drags, try a different starter. I have an old Dakota starter on my 367 also at 10.9. It was well-used and ancient when I installed it in ~2000. It probably has a qtr million miles on her by now.
>If the cam has not yet been broken, then you might be in a bit of a pickle here, because by now the cam lube may all be in the pan.