Car won't turn over
 

I have a bad ass battery and two sets of jumper cables and the car won't start, just makes a click like it wants to turn over but doesn't have power. The power wire just gets really hot so I hooked the jumper cables to the starter and it does the same thing. Do I need a new starter? It stinks and starts smoking after a few tries of cranking.

Check your grounds..you should have atleast a 6ga going from the battery negative side directly to the block. Pretty good sign here is the power wire gettin hot.

I have a heavy ground going from the battery to the block, the block to the chassis, and the factory strap on the drivers side.

do u have really good ground to the block and frame?

You can never have too many grounds..I did all mine from bare steel to bare steel if it was from the block to the chassis.

I just used the factory grounds for the original motor. The starter just went up in smoke so I guess that was it. Smells so bad, I got under the car and watched the smoke pour out of it and not the power wire.

Is it binding up?

If the starter smoked and now it smells, it is toast. Time for a new one.

Thank god for that junkyard warranty :)

Time for starter number four........ :/ Best part is the car has run maybe a total of a minute.

My $.02..
 

If you are on starter #4, U have issues other than getting bad starters...:D

Engine locked up? Did the engine come from the same j/y as the starters?
As mentioned, bad/no grounds?
Poor connections on the power and/or the grnd cables you do have?

No Doubt. I still have my original 1965 battery cables and whatever 600 amp battery that was in the car when I bought the car. My engine is 10.9:1 and will spin over like there are no plugs in it.

Yes engine came from same yard, the other two broke for different reason. First one, a bolt backed out(wrong size) and the starter shattered. The second just had a bad wire inside the starter. I'm guessing this one went out from endless cranking because my car won't start between the fouled plugs and bad gas. Fixed both of those issues then the starter goes out :/. Also what would cause plugs to foul within 10 seconds of running? Bad gas? Car has stock computer with 02's and other emissions turned off.

Oil leaking from bad valves will foul plugs before you even get going.

It still won't start, idk why the motor would lock up. It cranked over the other day...

Let's get..
 

on the "same page" w/ the descriptions of your problem..
1. U now say it's "locked up"??
If so, it's likely full of fuel. That explains why the plugs fouled out. [It may have started, and then loaded up.]
It also may explain why you "smoked/broke the starter[s]".
A j/y engine may well have plugged/stuck injectors. Did you have them cleaned?
Pull all the plugs, and try to turn the crank by hand. Y/N?? If no, then stop there, and put the engine on the stand and find out wtf is going on. If yes, unplug the inj & coil harness fuses, and see if it now spins over. If yes, does it spit fuel out of the plug holes? If no, refer to above with the stand.

There's a big difference in:
"won't crank", and "won't turn over".
This is what I mean by "same page"...

Get a breaker car & 15/16" Socket and turn the Engine over by hand before you try to start it. Take the plugs out too so you can clear all the Cylinders.

What is the condition of the Engine..as in where'd you get it?

I just scratch my dog on his side when he is lying on the ground. Thats how I get him to turn over. I assume it is because of the static electricty build up that is generated by my hand against his fur. Then he turns over and I scratch his belly (hand stays in the same spot...this is KEY in getting the right turn over). If you do it just right, the leg starts to move back and forth from the energy generated by the correct move.

Seriously though, if you have parts smokin, there is something else wrong. If you are not within half a volt difference between the starter and battery, you either have a bad ground, bad cables, or starter. If the engine is not locked up you should be good ta go.

SWS

lol wtf..

I turn the key and the starter engages but the engine wont turn over, every now and then it will budge a little while making a squeaking sound.

Did you ever try to turn it over with a socket and breaker bar or ratchet with the key off?

I tried with a fair sized bar and it would barely budge. The car did have a small oil leak but it couldn't have leaked everything out plus it barely ever ran.