smoke coming from alternator on cranking

[witchy woman]

OK, it's more complicated than that. I've installed a new (rebuilt engine) in my boat. Original engine was 1999, 305, carbureted with Alpha One outdrive (serial number 0L345352). I replaced the engine with a 350, and exact same setup - transfered all the parts from the old engine except for exhaust, water and fuel pump. After getting the engine in the boat and all buttoned up, I cranked it and got a couple of small backfires which confirmed my suspicion that I had probably set the distributor wrong. I ran the engine around by hand to TDC and reset the distributor. It huffed a couple of times like it wanted to start then the starter began bogging down and I saw white smoke coming from down where the alternator is.

The only wires I removed where the two on the distributor and the spark plug wires which I numbered before I removed. I pulled the starter, suspecting age had done it in too but all the ohm meter tests on the armature and the solenoid showed them to be good. Bench tested in on a battery and it performs fine (not under a load).

Put the starter back on and it acts like the batteries are weak but I know they are fully charged. The engine cranked fine before I reset the distributor and the white smoke has me very confused.

Any ideas what it could be or what I should look at/test?

 

[Rick Stephens]

Start by thoroughly cleaning all the connections. Brushed bright and shiny, including battery terminals and all connections to the starter and solenoid. Entirely too likely that some corrosion is forcing too much draw on the line going to the alternator.

Rick

 

[alldodge]

replaced the engine ..... white smoke .... starter began bogging down

I would start with the negative battery cable. I'm thinking it is not connected very well and your getting a ground through other smaller wires. If correct, you might have smoked a few

 

[gm280]

Are you absolutely sure you set the distributor to TDC and not 180 out? TDC has the valves closed and the piston at the very top. I'm sure you know that, but it is easy to have the piston at the top and not be TDC... JMHO!

 

[witchy woman]

Just to close this thread out, you guys were right. I recleaned and tightened the ground connection of all the wires at the back of the engine and smoking problem ceased. Luckily don't have any apparent issues with burnt wiring. And originally, I had the distributor set wrong (don't know how wrong, but wrong). After resetting it, I was able to dial it in and engine is humming right along, but have a cooling question in another thread.
Thanks for the advice.