Twin Crusader 5.7 270hp question

Paid a guy a ton of money to fix my 1989 Mainship with twin crusaders 5.7. He replaced both starters. Port side is running great. Starboard will turn over but won’t start. We have replaced the distributor with a new HEI, replaced carburetor with rebuilt Rochester, new spark plugs, checked valves and compression. I found the repair manual and set the plugs to the correct sequence and still won’t start. What I’m thinking is the starter on this side is not the correct rotation.

anyone familiar with this set up? I think the guy put the same starter, same rotation on both engines. I’m at my wits end with this motor. HELP!!!

Did the starboard engine turn over and start before you paid him?

If they are original engines, the serial number plate will indicate the 'rotation' of each engine...LH (left hand) is standard (default) rotation ... this describes the flywheel spinning CCW. Assuming 1989 conventions, you should have one RH and one LH...

do you have spark coming out of the starboard engine's coil when cranking? if there fuel in the float bowl of the carb?

Starboard side (right hand, looking towards the bow) engine in a boat is 99.999 percent of the time standard (CW) rotation. Port is usually reverse (CCW) rotation. Soooooo, if you are dubious of the starter on the stb side, another known good starter isn't too much trouble to swap in.
If you set up the spark plug wires for reverse rotation then, well, there you go.

Check your lead to the coil and make sure you are getting power.

missnancy said:

Check your lead to the coil and make sure you are getting power.

Click to expand...

Here’s the full story. We hired a guy to get both motors running. Both are crusader 350 5.7. He replaced both starters, distributors with HEI and carburetors. The starboard engine is running fine but no matter what we do the port engine would not start. The mechanic is no where to be found now so my husband is trying to repair the port one. In his research he found that the port engine is a counter engine and the wrong starter was installed. We ordered the correct starter and still can’t get it started. Upon more research we are find that the distributor should also be a counter distributor not a standard. Not sure if this is right but from what I can find both distributors should then clockwise when looking down on them. The port turns counter.

On a ccw engine does the distributor have to be a ccw one as well? The idiot we hired put a standard HEI on the ccw engine and it’s spinning ccw.

A CW distributor won't even fit in a CCW engine. The drive gear on the CCW camshaft is reverse cut and won't mesh with the standard rotation distributor drive gear. A CCW distributor has the reverse cut drive gear on it. A CCW distributor spins the same direction as a CW distributor which is why the firing order of the wires is different.
You originally stated the port was running ok. Now you're saying it's the stb that's working and the port is not? I would double check the wires at the distributor cap and make sure they are on there the right way.
The starter drive is the same way sort of. It is wired to spin backwards and the starter drive has reverse cut spiral gear so that the starter gear is engaged properly.

not accurate....throughout the 80's Crusader used the GM standard production short blocks and either rotation (LH or RH) will take the SAME distributor (which will spin CW when viewed from above).

Agree the 'problem engine' has swapped sides so something is missing there.

is the SPARK from the coil of the problem engine when it is cranked over? IS there fuel in that carb??

Here it is....

Your port side is running with the standard starter because you probably have a reduction gear on your transmission which means the port engine is standard rotation and your Starboard engine is counter rotation.

The 1.88 ratio transmission is output is opposite of input.

Assuming a 1984 Crusader is the same as my 1979s... The Standard rotating engine needs to have a counter rotating starter because it attaches from the opposite direction as compared to an automotive engine. The Counter rotating engine needs to have a standard rotation starter...

Again.....

Here it is....

Your port side is running with the standard starter because you probably have a reduction gear on your transmission which means the port engine is standard rotation and your Starboard engine is counter rotation.

The 1.88 ratio transmission is output is opposite of input.