Did timing chain and water pump, truck won't crank or start

[BhutJolokia]

1996 GMC Sierra K1500 5.7L L31 157k on odometer
I resealed timing cover and did the chain this weekend, did the water pump as well. I stupidly drained the battery with the hood dome light (yes, I should have disconnected the battery), charged it when everything was put back together and now the truck won't start. When you turn the key, the truck shakes as if the starter wants to turn the flywheel but clicks once without actually spinning the engine.

I was super careful about maintaining TDC on both timing gears when I replaced them, and did not allow the crank or the camshaft to spin independently before the chain was back on. The starter is pretty new, the guy I bought the truck from did it right before I bought it.

Even if I did mess up the timing somehow, I would still expect the starter to spin the engine and either not start, or start and run poorly. I also thought about the crankshaft position sensor, but I would still expect the engine to crank and not start. No stored codes, battery is charged. Could I have fried something trying to start it when the battery was dead at 8 volts?

The truck started and ran fine before all this. I appreciate any thoughts or ideas anyone has, this is quite demoralizing after all that work.

 

[R422b]

Sounds like battery issues to me. A lot of modern battery chargers are total worthless garbage and won't charge a truly dead battery. My boss actually has one that's pretty decent it is the metal case one from harbor freight I don't know if it's still available but it has three amperage settings I believe the highest is 50 amps and it has no brain so you turn it on and it's going to charge. Usually if you leave it on the 10 amp setting for 3 days it'll work wonders.
I thought the battery in my car was totally shot because I tried a couple of other chargers on it for several days at a time and they had been unable to bring it above 6 volts but he put that on there for 3 days and I have had no further problems with the battery for months now.

Talking about GMT400s using Tapatalk

 

[TechNova]

It is a little confusing when you say you maintained TDC on both gears. Cylinder 1 is at TDC and the mark on the crank gear is facing the top and the cam gear mark at the bottom. The two gear marks point at each other.

 

[BhutJolokia]

It is a little confusing when you say you maintained TDC on both gears. Cylinder 1 is at TDC and the mark on the crank gear is facing the top and the cam gear mark at the bottom. The two gear marks point at each other.

That's what I mean, I'm not describing properly. The gears came off like that and went back on like that.

 

[BhutJolokia]

It is a little confusing when you say you maintained TDC on both gears. Cylinder 1 is at TDC and the mark on the crank gear is facing the top and the cam gear mark at the bottom. The two gear marks point at each other.

That's what I mean, I'm not describing properly. The gears came off like that and went back on like that.

 

[BhutJolokia]

Sounds like battery issues to me. A lot of modern battery chargers are total worthless garbage and won't charge a truly dead battery. My boss actually has one that's pretty decent it is the metal case one from harbor freight I don't know if it's still available but it has three amperage settings I believe the highest is 50 amps and it has no brain so you turn it on and it's going to charge. Usually if you leave it on the 10 amp setting for 3 days it'll work wonders.
I thought the battery in my car was totally shot because I tried a couple of other chargers on it for several days at a time and they had been unable to bring it above 6 volts but he put that on there for 3 days and I have had no further problems with the battery for months now.

Talking about GMT400s using Tapatalk

I thought about this too, I took the battery to the parts store and it tested bad. Put new battery in, truck still won't start. Just shakes the truck as if the starter wants to spin the flywheel but it's as if there is mechanical resistance.

 

[Dropped88]

I dont remember the years but does 96 have the double positive cable at the battery ive seen multiple incidents where the connection is correded between the 2 and it wont start. Which is slightly different then what ur described

But it sounds like the bendix is getting power (small wire) but fat wire from battery isnt sending power to starter. Check cable at battery and make sure power is on big wire at starter

 

[mr_josh]

Can you turn the motor with a socket and ratchet on the center bolt in the crank pulley / balancer?

 

[BhutJolokia]

Can you turn the motor with a socket and ratchet on the center bolt in the crank pulley / balancer?

Yes, I can spin the engine with an extension bar.

 

[Medic0893]

Starter solenoid? Ground wire? 90% of all electrical issues are poor grounding

 

[stutaeng]

Hook up a test light on the starter solenoid. Get some jumper wires and put the test light near the windshield if you are doing this alone. Get inside the cab and watch the test light come on when you try to crank.

I've done this several times and have saved me from chasing my tail on a no-crank condition. If test light comes on and starter does not, then you can narrow your search.