<VV> slow cranking and "dieseling"

[Ramon Rodriguez III]

Hiya guys,  I've been busy as heck and haven't had time to do anything with
the Vair's but drive them the past few months.  I'm expecting things will
slow down about the end of this month and I'll have time to get back to
work on my cars.  In the meantime my cars are driving me nuts, particularly
the 63 PG coupe.

The engine with the symptoms below is a 1962 84hp with a powerglide.  The
only modifications are that I'm running a late model PCV setup and the
bottom shrouds are currently off the engine.  The car had been sitting
unused for a few weeks last month. and mouse and chipmunk activity has been
unusually high this year in our area so nesting in the turkey roaster is
possible.

So here is the rundown.  The car has been running fantastic for months and
been driven a lot.  A couple of weeks ago I took two three hour trips with
the car.  At the end of the second trip when I shut off the engine it
"dieseled" pretty bad.  I thought this was odd because I had not heard a
single ping from this engine for quite some time.  I have heard this
car/engine ping in the past when I went down to lower altitude on mid
grade, I have to run premium when going to NJ to see family.  I attributed
the dieseling to being in too much of a hurry and not letting the idle come
down all the way which has happened from time to time.

The following day I went to use the car and it cranked very slowly, bad
enough I wasn't sure it was going to start.  I did some running around town
and discovered the slow cranking is worse when the engine is hot.  The
"dieseling" continued to happen any time I got th engine really hot...
usually a 25 minute run on the interstate but also half hour rides on ~50
mph secondary roads.

I checked the timing, it was right where I left it at 14 BTDC.  I retarded
the timing to 11 BTDC (spec AFAIK is 12 BTDC) with no change except a
little loss in hillclimbing power.  The engine has a solid pulley, no
harmonic balancer.  Also remember I have not heard so much as one ping.

I swapped out the battery, no change still cranks slow and hot sometimes
won't start at all.

I turned the engine with a wrench on the pulley and it felt normal.  This
test was done hot when the starter was barely able to turn it.

I went back to timing which could explain both symptoms, thinking maybe the
cam gear slipped.  I pulled off the coil wire so there would be no
possibility early timing could cause the slow cranking, the starter still
could just barely turn the engine hot.

*So here is my theory.  While the car sat for a couple of weeks mice nested
in the turkey roaster a bit causing the engine to run hot.  A couple of
three hour trips with the engine running hot was enough to cook the starter
or start solenoid causing slow cranking.  The engine running too hot would
also explain the "dieseling".  *
*
*
*If the engine was overheating enough to cause the dieseling would it be
possible for it not to be pinging?*
*
*
I'm planning to pull a spark plug from each bank and take a look when the
engine is cold.

Thanks!

-- 
Ray "Grymm" Rodriguez III
Lake Ariel, PA