just my 2 cents.....when I put my 455 all back together few months ago.....with new rings, bearing etc and after honing the walls.....I too thought it took too way much effort with the tq wrench to turn the motor over. spun easy prior to pistons being installed. Felt crazy tight after. It made me quite nervous. None the less, once in the car, and ready for first fire......she cranked with ease and spun to life in seconds. Video shows how it was to spin.
I know mine feels tight till I remove the rockers.....mine is all in the springs. Pull plugs and rockers she turns over ss expected
update... i removed my inner springs and adjusted the rockers a bit on the lite side (1/2 turn after zero lash, i usually do 3/4 turn). i still cant get the motor to spin fast enough to get the EFI to recognize RPM to get spark.
around 80-120 i believe the msd tech told me. Bill Bell.. im using a RobMc starter.. should be enough? im thinking of jumping it as i try to start it? that may help it spin faster, im guessing
Hmmmm - yup! Jumping it will give you more amps. Doesn't hurt to try. More voltage will spin it faster but I don't know what the RobMc will take. Maybe call him? Once the engine runs and the rings start to break in it should loosen up.
If the only thing causing the engine to crank too slowly to start is the "new" piston rings, the engine wasn't assembled properly. How many foot-pounds did it take to turn the crank when you had it on the engine stand? The last short-block I built (Chevy 5.7L) required ~15. Ring drag doesn't increase when the heads are bolted on; if the block was honed with a torque plate it might even be lower because the cylinders have less distortion. Of course, put the spark plugs in, and it'll take more torque to overcome compression. Install the valve train, it'll take more torque to overcome friction. "i still cant get the motor to spin fast enough to get the EFI to recognize RPM to get spark." " around 80-120 i believe the msd tech told me." seems entirely unreasonable. The engine would crank audibly slow if that were the case. So either it's actually cranking that slowly, in which case you need to verify battery condition, battery cables, starter motor, and engine "stiffness"; or it's not cranking slowly, and you have a fault in the EFI /ignition system. Pull the distributor, leave the wires connected, turn the ignition on, spin the distributor by hand. Should be easy enough to turn it at least one revolution per second, which would be 120 engine RPM. One flick of the distributor gear with your fingers. Either you get a shiitload of sparks, or the EFI/Ignition system is faulty.
