alright so I just put a new starter in my 914 1.8l, I tried to start it up but it was cranking really slow and not turning over. So I took the spark plugs out and it cranked fine. So my question is what now? Also I do not have a compression gauge on hand.

Weak battery.
Old battery cables.
Bad/corroded connections (positive cable, or ground strap at transmission).
Incorrect timing (if it hasn't run before or the distributor was out).

Used a jump from my Impreza with jumper cables to start it, all the wires have been cleaned up, new distributer installed also. The timing is mad off sure, but it shouldn't make the cranking over weak, especially since it cranks fine with the spark plugs out

Spark plugs out is no compression....it is much less load to turn over with plugs out.

OK, put in all new wires, Positive to starter, negative to body, and ground at trans. Cleaned all contact points with wire brush and the problem remains. Could the valves be too tight? or maybe the alt belt to tight?

exhaust plugged?

That is 100% wrong. It may not be your issue, but it CAN cause what appears to be weak cranking. Try cranking with the plugs in with the coil disconnected.

So you are saying that a bad coil is robbing power to the starter?......makes sense to me.

That is not what Mark said, and the answer is no. Do like he said and report back.

and avoid or don't jump start the 914 with another battery or another car.

Might be a bad starter, lots of them out there.

Genius...

so the next step would be to check the coil for low resistance?

to see if the coil is within specs?

since the engine turns with out the plugs grounded the coil is not

drawing excessive amps? as the series is open?

therefore the starter receives normal amps.

just because I completed the auto electricity class last semester,

hardly means I know anything... just trying to continue to learn.

It has nothing to do with the electrics of the coil.

If the timing is off, the engine may ignite the fuel/air mixture at a very wrong time. The resulting cylinder pressure fights against the starter. I used to fight this all the time when test firing brand new motors, until I got a spare distributor and permanently locked it to the correct timing.

I think you're overthinking it. I believe Mark's suggestion to unplug the coil is to disable the ignition so that if the car isn't timed correctly, the plugs aren't firing. That way you can rule out timing as a cause of the slow cranking. Troubleshooting 101.

Timing too advanced = slow cranking

I will try tat tonight, hope to works, will let you know tomorrow.

Not coil. Could it be the valves too tight?

yes,

please dont take this the wrong way, but it really may be the starter.
many of the rebuilt starters are junk now...pretty well documented, alternators too.

If its too weak, it wont turn over the motor.

If the valves are too tight, it could be an issue.

Rich

If the valves are too tight, they won't close. If they don't close, air escapes, lowering compression and making it easier to turn over. If they were REALLY tight, you'd hear a weird hissing sound from the intake/exhaust.

I can't really imagine a way that loose valves would cause this either.

What's the voltage at the starter battery connection while cranking?