# Kickback when starting **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [April 19, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038 "2008-04-19T00:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cedarva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cedarva](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cedarva)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/1 "2008-04-19T00:54:21Z")
96 chevy 216,000 miles silverado 4 wheel drive kickback on starting varies light to heavy runs fine once started check dist. cap check fuel pressure check for fuel pressure bleed off over night check and replace crank sensor twice clean mass air flow sensor took off tork converter replace battery twice had starter rebuilt now replaced What else needs to be checked? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/2 "2008-04-19T04:18:12Z")
By kickback I’m assuming you mean backfire? Check for a worn timing chain. Tester ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/3 "2008-04-19T04:35:54Z")
It’s backfiring (through the intake). Besides worn timing components, cross-firing can be caused by spark plug wires, and carbon tracks inside the distributor cap, and overly advanced ignition timing. Change the distributor cap and spark plug wires, check/adjust timing. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 12:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/4 "2008-04-19T12:38:41Z")
Funny post, but please be aware that a lot of people that post problems are not very knowledgeable mechanically, and therefor don’t know if your being sarcastic. It would be helpful to add a real comment on the bottom of the post to make that clear. ---
**Author:** ![cedarva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@cedarva](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cedarva)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/5 "2008-04-19T14:35:27Z")
When I say kick back, when starting the truck the starter rolls over and you get a sound that the engine is turns over but does not start. This will vary any time from one try to lasting an hour before it starts. I will check the spark plug wires. The distributor cap was check is fine. The mechanic as check the timing and is okay. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/6 "2008-04-20T04:19:39Z")
It seems the symptom is: irregular firing during start. This could have a spark, or a fuel (injection into the cylinders) problem. To see if it’s caused by fuel, pull a small hose from the large air intake tube, and spray a two second shot of Starting Fluid into that tube. Put small tube back. Attempt to start engine. If the engine starts smoother (it may start and die), there is a problem of fuel injection (too little. only some injectors, etc.). If the fuel spray doesn’t make any difference, then the problem is spark. Do a spark check. The problem could be excess fuel. Hold the gas pedal to the floor during the cranking period. This will un-flood a flooded engine. If it helps, there are several things which can cause the flooding. ---
**Author:** ![MrPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MrPhil](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MrPhil)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/7 "2008-04-20T18:24:31Z")
You’re a moron, mmsamma. I urge everyone to click on the red flag to report you to the moderators and get you kicked off the system. If you think you’re being humorous, you’re not. Obviously you’re too stupid to do anything but sweep floors. Go play in the street. ---
**Author:** ![MrPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MrPhil](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MrPhil)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/8 "2008-04-20T18:37:51Z")
Some random thoughts: Are you sure that the engine itself is turning over, and it’s not just the starter whirring? You should be able to feel the difference (vibration). Maybe the starter pinion is failing to engage the flywheel, which may indicate the need for a new starter (but you say you just replaced the starter). If the engine itself is turning over but failing to start, it sounds like you’ve hit the most obvious points. When you say “kick back”, is the engine trying to start turning in the wrong direction? I’ve never heard of “kick back” being applied to this situation, and the fact that it starts up later means that presumably the starter is turning in the right direction. Could it be that way-advanced timing is causing the engine to try turning the wrong direction during a start attempt? I suppose that a piston being driven backwards (along with the crankshaft) early in a start could be a pretty violent affair, earning the name “kick back”. Is this engine fuel-injected? If a bad injector were dripping fuel into a cylinder, it might be possible that an extra rich mixture might detonate early and force the crankshaft backwards? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/9 "2008-04-20T21:55:59Z")
Your mechanic may have checked the spark timing, but the timing chain controls the timing of the valves. With that kind of miles, it would not be unusual for the timing chain to be worn. ---
**Author:** ![Jad2007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@Jad2007](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jad2007)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/10 "2008-04-20T22:48:06Z")
We should cut mmsamma some slack, if you read through his posts, he’s obviously high on some kind of illegal controlled substance when he types his comments. Hope you kick that habit, m&m! Be careful sweeping the streets until then. ---
**Author:** ![thomas.tebo01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cab0a1/32.png) [@thomas.tebo01](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thomas.tebo01)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/11 "2017-02-27T23:08:38Z")
cedarva Did you ever get a fix? I have exactly the same problem, exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Matthew\_Morrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@Matthew\_Morrison](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Matthew_Morrison)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/kickback-when-starting/13038/12 "2019-04-21T15:34:05Z")
I am having the same issue with my 67fe never had this problem before notice that the timing was way off but my Kickback was such that it broke the end of the starter off I agree leaking valves or unburned fuel in the cylinders maybe igniting at the incorrect time forcing the Piston backwards the engine runs great idles perfect but every once in awhile like after an hour after I’ve had the engine running I will experience a kickback on my 390 it usually destroys to starter I would love to hear a discussion and a solution cause maybe 32 and a half degrees to Advanced causes severe kickback recalculate timing 2 10 degrees supposedly causes no kickback