short in the system starter related

[Handsonmaxima]

pulled engine with wire harness still attached. dropped back in, i go to start it today. starter clicks, but doesnt turn over. so i went to autozone, got it tested and got a new connector for the wire to the starter because the stock one was fraying. now when i went to connect the battery terminal its got so much of a short its melting the lead.
so my question is why wont the car turn over now which it always has and why does it now short?
replaced lead connection with copper end bent the same way as stock,wrapped in rubber.
everything else is stock.
the 2 grounds next to the dogbone are connected, one ground to tranny bolt, one to the engine lift bracket, one to the strut tower.
also the battery is out of my DD caliber and is an optima, so i know that is good because i just drove to autozone with it.
just looking for some obvious insight, i think im done for the night now that its below zero. the autozone test rules out a short, and the fuses are all checked, i was diagnosing the no start using perkins sticky but then this came up and im backed up father than i was when i started..