I'm still attempting to degree my camshaft,but I would like any and all info for the first start-up of a new engine.The engine is a 300 with a Poston 110-A cam,10.25:1 compression,rebuilt heads,dual valvesprings, 750cfm Edelbrock carb.I'm really just looking for ANY advice since this is my first time and I don't have the money to screw anything up. Thanks, Philip
start up Hi, Guy, First make a check list like ; Check the oil check the coolant prime the oil pump with a drill motor before installing the dist. :Smarty: basic ign. timing. [ crank at tdc on the compression stroke] Install the dist. with the rotor pointing at no 1 spark plug terminal in the cap. make sure the plug wires are in the firing order and in the correct rotation. hook up the exaust system. [then you can hear if there are any unusual eng noises.] :Brow: make sure there are no fuel leaks, coolant leaks, ect. hook up the timing light on no 1 spark plug wire and have the dist hold down bolt just tight enough that you can move the dist. with hour hand and firm effort. ck battery cable connections and clean and coat the battery terminals with a mixture of wheel bearing grease and baking soda. [ prevents corrosion] :Brow: either rebuild the starter or replace it with a new one because the new engine with the higher compression will quickly knock the old one out. :Smarty: Install a new thermostat of 180 deg. or more. If you havent already, get a radiator shop to check out the rad. before starting it up. [dont destroy a new engine with a old clogged radiator] :Smarty: when you start attempting to start dont turn the motor but about 30 to 40 seconds at a time because it is easy to burn the starter up. :Smarty: The hydrolic lifters will have to load up with oil before it will begin to try to fire. Untill they do the valves will not work properly. Usually the engine will begin to hit a few cylinders at a time and gradually more at each attempt untill all are hitting. Just keep working with it untill it begins to smooth out and then bring it up to a brisk idle untill it warms completely up. [about 20 mins.for the average v8] Keep a sharp eye on the temp and oil pressure guages all the while. p When the eng will run on its own then you can set the ign timing with the vacume advance line disconnected. Then tighten the hold down bolt to lock the timing. Let the engine idle for a while to loosen up. while the engine is loosening up, set back and congradulate your self on a big achievement. :laugh:
Everything Doc says... Also, DON'T rev the motor too high until it is broken in. Many guys (or their buddies) want to know "how it sounds". This can wipe out a new cam in seconds. Use plenty of cam lube (too much is just enough) and make sure to break the cam in according to the manufacturers (sp?) recommendations. Expect the engine to use a little oil until the rings set-somewhere around 500 miles to be sure. Go easy on it. Video if you can-everyone loves to watch that stuff.
After initial start keep the RPM's between 2,000 and 2,500 for the first 20 minutes, if within that time you find a problem,overheating,gas,oil or water leak etc. you can turn off the engine and fix the problem then restart and continue the break-in procedure. It helps to have a few friends around to assist. Good Luck :TU: I usually make sure everything is OK after break-in I change the oil and filter. Change them again after the first 500 miles :Smarty:
Phillip You have a great list of things to do and not to do during the first 20 minutes of life on your new/rebuilt engine. Now some advise to keep it that way: Change the oil AND filter after about 200 miles. It will seem a shame to through out what appears to be perfectly good oil, BUT that oil AND THE FILTER have trapped about 80% of the debris they ever will during those first few dozen miles. Get the small bits of metal and wear from the cam, pistons and whatever else away from your new engine. Drive another 300-500 miles and change oil AND FILTER again. During the first 1500-2000 miles do not lug the engine and keep it under 3,000 RPM. Craig
Thanks for all the info guys,Keep it coming!So what are the things I need to do to help my engine start as fast as possible?Put gas in the carb? Thanks, Philip
Startup The only thing else that I can think of is to leave the spark plugs out and then whirl the engine with the starter untill the fuel pump primes the carb and the iol pressure begins to come up ect. :Smarty: You can also take a timing light and set the initial timing at this time. :Brow: With the fuel system and the oil system charged and the initial timing set it should fire right up. Some of the hydrolic lifters probably will rattle untill all the air gets out of them, but they will soon settle down and get quiet. This is entirely normal. :TU:
Wow! lots of great advice on this post, like Doc was saying about building up oil pressure with a drill motor, you can gut an old Distributor and remove the gear from the bottom of it. I have one I made for my Buicks many moons ago, and it works fine. The other alternative is to buy the tool for this which is pretty much the same thing but more expensive than a junk distributr. I tried to make one for Dodge but they do it differently. Good luck, TomI
Is it really necessary to keep the engine under 3,000rpms for 2,000 miles?I have a 140 mile trip home from where the car is, then it will only be driven 5miles a day besides the ocassional date trips out of town
break in Like the other guys were saying, it would be best if you kept the speed down for the first 500 miles or so. Also when I bought my LAST new Buick in 68 I was advised by them to just drive normally and watch the temp guage. If the temp started creeping up to slow down and if it continued,to stop ,shut the engine off , let it cool down naturally and then determine why it was getting hot. NEVER,NEVER,NEVER pop open a radiator on a hot car, shut it off and let it cool down. :rant: [ I still have scald burn scars from doing this when I was young] The fire inside the engine is what that is making it hot and when you shut it off the fire is gone and the engine will cool its self down eventually. :Smarty: If you put any new rods in the engine, you need to run it up to high rpm BRIEFLY to stretch the new rods. Also like the other guys were saying, change the oil and filter after the break in to get the crud out of the engine. Dont run too thin oil in it, if you live in a cold climate, run thinner when it is cold but still not too thin. Personally i wont run any thinner than straight 20w eaven in the winter. In my time I have seen two things destroy more :Smarty: engines than any thing else. 1 - busted heater & by pass hoses,freeze plugs ect. and 2- running too thin oil in a hot climate. 20w, when the temp is a 102 deg. outside,the a/c is on,and you are stuck in a traffic jam for an hour, just barely will get by. I have an oil temp guage on my performance cars and that guage will really open your eyes as to what is going on inside the eng. :eek2: On the Interstate or in a traffic jam the oil will get up toward 200 deg. or more. Oil lubes best at 180 deg. The oil cools the eng as much or more than the coolant does,so change it and the filter often. :TU:
oil pressure problem Can anybody help me I cannot get the oil pressure to come up on my 69 electra 225 with a 430. I replaced the timing cover and the timing chain. Can anybody help thanks ou:
