electrics - Won't start, earth problem?

Hi, I have but of a weird Fault on my bay that's stopping it from starting,

While my engine is unmounted from the gearbox I can get the starter to spin and solenoid to engage, however with the engine in, the solenoid will engage but the starter won't turn (when I'm using jump leads to the pins). Now this gets a lot weirder here, I changed the earth strap and tried it through the main loom, now the solenoid engages and it turns however I get no spark, almost as if the engine is sapping all the voltage somewhere, so hence why i was using jump leads because i can get a spark when im using the leads but starter wont turn) is there another earth strap I'm missing, I.e to the engine itself ? Or has anyone else had anything similar?

Any help would be great, I've stared at the Haynes wiring for long enough now and can't fathom it?

Thanks
Chris

 

Which earth strap did you change? There's the battery one, and one between the gearbox and the LHS suspension arm mounting.

 

Both, the one from battery - terminal I changed and the one from gearbox to chassis/suspension.. Is there others?

 

The only thing I can think of! would be IF the coil were hooked up wrong with the power wire running to ground, like the + and - mixed up. Would that take the power through the block and away from the plugs ?

 

Have you got the right starter did it work before you took it apart

 

sometimes the strap from the battery to starter will be corroded ,you need to stick the jump lead + on the bolt of the starter ,the earth jump lead onto the exhaust...

 

The wires are correct at the mo, following the Haynes diagram if that helps?

I had the starter and it all working then it developed this fault hence the engine got taken out for me to check timings etc..

Lost en France, is there anyway I can sort it without doing that? (I've changed the battery terminal earth strap, how do I get to the one between battery and starter?

 

to put the + jump lead on the bolt of the starter you bypass the battery to the starter lead....

Can you turn the engine by hand ,ie bottom pully?

The spark is created by putting 12v to the + of the coil ,if you have to starter spinning the engine and no spark ,you can put a wire straight from the battery + to the coil ,but do not leave connected when engine is not running..