First time firing an engine

[Kachina26]

after a rebuild. I don't know how many you have to do before you're relieved that this doesn't happen. It never did to me, but I always wince when I fire it up for the first time.

Well shit, video is gone. How about a non-plastic version?

 

[4Waters]

It fired

 

[Kachina26]

It fired

Supposed to be suck, squeeze, pop, pooey, not blewy

 

[SoCalDave]

Supposed to be...

 

[Mikes56]

Dumbasses should have turned it over by hand first.

 

[DRYHEAT]

after a rebuild. I don't know how many you have to do before you're relieved that this doesn't happen. It never did to me, but I always wince when I fire it up for the first time.

How many plastic see-through engines have you tried to fire up?

 

[Kachina26]

How many plastic see-through engines have you tried to fire up?

Apparently, more than I can remember.

 

[HCP3]

Whole video:

 

[Angler]

First time I fired up my 428 CJ for my 67 Convertible Mustang,
no oil pressure. Forgot to prime the oil pump. It was my 2nd engine I rebuilt.
It was an easy fix.

 

[Kachina26]

First time I fired up my 428 CJ for my 67 Convertible Mustang,
no oil pressure. Forgot to prime the oil pump. It was my 2nd engine I rebuilt.
It was an easy fix.

I had low oil pressure on my first one. Didn't realize there was a gasket that was supposed to be between the oil pickup tube and the block. I thought the ticking would get better if I drove it around the block. Oh to be young and dumb again. LOL

 

[monkeyswrench]

Soooo, they used "quickstart", ether, with main caps threaded into acrylic? Beautiful amount of work, kind of sad. I've had a couple catastrophic failures, but never on initial startup. Usually around 3rd gear and on the second stage...but usually junkyard long short blocks.

 

[ltbaney1]

Soooo, they used "quickstart", ether, with main caps threaded into acrylic? Beautiful amount of work, kind of sad. I've had a couple catastrophic failures, but never on initial startup. Usually around 3rd gear and on the second stage...but usually junkyard long short blocks.

come on, ether makes everything better! every engine ive greneded ran its best right before it said "no more"

 

[Bigbore500r]

Meanwhile, at the Fiat engine plant . . .

 

[jetboatperformance]

100's of engine in 50 years , I still have to psyche my self out to this day to this day

 

[PlumLoco]

I just had the neighbor of a friend build me a 468 BBC to replace the Olds in my daycruiser. Hearing all the stories of cams getting ruined upon break in, I asked him about it. He said because I'm going full roller not to worry about it. He says hammer down after 5-10 minutes. He is an old school guy working as a diesel mechanic., but he has built a couple hundred 454's.
That said, I still think I'm going to baby it for a while. Don't want to do this a second time.

 

[jetboatperformance]

I just had the neighbor of a friend build me a 468 BBC to replace the Olds in my daycruiser. Hearing all the stories of cams getting ruined upon break in, I asked him about it. He said because I'm going full roller not to worry about it. He says hammer down after 5-10 minutes. He is an old school guy working as a diesel mechanic., but he has built a couple hundred 454's.
That said, I still think I'm going to baby it for a while. Don't want to do this a second time.

Wrap on wood only two cam failures in recent history but two too many , I went to the mat with Edlebrock/Comp over it and prevailed ............ Our profit margins do not allow for that kind of failure the last one cost me out of pocket 5K and a frustrated customer to boot , I'm however upgrading all my motor build to rollers

 

[DRYHEAT]

Whole video:

Whole video:

Episode two “worked” sorta kinda.

 

[rrrr]

100's of engine in 50 years , I still have to psyche my self out to this day to this day

Flat tappets!

I prepared for starting the 427 FE in my flatty like it was the second coming of Christ. I hadn't rebuilt an engine in over 20 years. It was perfectly static timed, oil primed, carb bowls filled, prayers made and incense lit.

It caught immediately and settled into a nice smooth 1,800 RPM idle. I was quite relieved.

 

[Mandelon]

Also, the last time starting that engine. LOL

 

[monkeyswrench]

come on, ether makes everything better! every engine ive greneded ran its best right before it said "no more"

I had a steep learning curve with bottles. It was the cheapest way to go fast. The first 6-8 months was interesting. Flying blind, and a box of pills. Once failures were under control, and a very crude "baseline" was established, then I thought it was ok to start "building" a motor. Until then, 100$ at the wrecking yard for sacrificial 5 liters...kept one on the stand.

 

[DRYHEAT]

Flat tappets!

I prepared for starting the 427 FE in my flatty like it was the second coming of Christ. I hadn't rebuilt an engine in over 20 years. It was perfectly static timed, oil primed, carb bowls filled, prayers made and incense lit.

It caught immediately and settled into a nice smooth 1,800 RPM idle. I was quite relieved.

The incense was a nice touch.

 

[Morehart]

A motor cut in half was available to explain a combustion 4 and 2 Cycle engine in multiple platforms in my local high school auto shop. Mr Kennedy was a wealth of knowledge. Sadly it's a thing of the past for that to be achoice for the new youth.

 

[coolchange]

When you pre lube the cylinders with
WD 40 (propane).

 

[Bigbore500r]

I just had the neighbor of a friend build me a 468 BBC to replace the Olds in my daycruiser. Hearing all the stories of cams getting ruined upon break in, I asked him about it. He said because I'm going full roller not to worry about it. He says hammer down after 5-10 minutes. He is an old school guy working as a diesel mechanic., but he has built a couple hundred 454's.
That said, I still think I'm going to baby it for a while. Don't want to do this a second time.

You don't have to worry about the cam going flat, but depending on lifters used, you may want to inspect those lifters after a few hundred hours, if they are link-bar / retrofit style.
Many of them out there these days don't live for the long haul, and some don't live for the short haul! Ask @28Eliminator about his link-bar lifter experience!

Rollers are the way to go, but the quality of the aftermarket roller lifters varies wildly

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Johnson lifters all the way.

 

[AzMandella]

You don't have to worry about the cam going flat, but depending on lifters used, you may want to inspect those lifters after a few hundred hours, if they are link-bar / retrofit style.
Many of them out there these days don't live for the long haul, and some don't live for the short haul! Ask @28Eliminator about his link-bar lifter experience!

Rollers are the way to go, but the quality of the aftermarket roller lifters varies wildly

That's why I use Crower extreeme duty Rollers with the pin oilers .

 

[Bigbore500r]

That's why I use Crower extreeme duty Rollers with the pin oilers .

Does Johnson Make Crower's roller lifters these days? I believe they make the Isky's.
There's a tread somewhere outhere that breaks down who's lifters (and what models of lifters) they are producing for different companies.

 

[Kachina26]

The non-plastic version. Or new Windows edition.

 

[4Waters]

The non-plastic version. Or new Windows edition.

No oil spraying out of the rockers, oil should have been everywhere

 

[HST4ME]

Can't tell you how many times I've done this. it's a lot easier when it's not 20 degrees outside.

 

[Kachina26]

No oil spraying out of the rockers, oil should have been everywhere

Judging by the puddle on the floor, it had oil. But yeah, that was one of my first thoughts even before it went bad.

 

[coolchange]

The non-plastic version. Or new Windows edition.

……..,…fuck………….
lol!
Those brutal sounds of the last 4 revolutions when a rod bolt lets go.

 

[coolchange]

Judging by the puddle on the floor, it had oil. But yeah, that was one of my first thoughts even before it went bad.

That oil, lol interesting shade of oops..

 

[Rajobigguy]

I’ve built dozens of engines and the worst thing that I’ve had on initial fire up is a dizzy in 180 out but it’s still always a bit unnerving the first time you hit the starter because nature always sides with the hidden flaw.

 

[4Waters]

I’ve built dozens of engines and the worst thing that I’ve had on initial fire up is a dizzy in 180 out but it’s still always a bit unnerving the first time you hit the starter because "Murphy" always sides with the hidden flaw.

Fixed it

 

[petie6464]

That whole Hillbilly setup tells the story. Looks like another Havasu "Engine Builder."

 

[HST4ME]

I was at my machinists a few years ago where he was running a 440 on the dyno, someone put 3/8 rod bolts in instead of 7/16 or something of that matter. That was one of the bigger messes I've seen when it said nope somewhere in the middle of a pull.

 

[coolchange]

My brother rebuilding the 300 hp 327 that got swapped into his 61 Chevy three-quarter ton truck. Four speed 456 gears
Me “ better rebuild those rods”
Him” They’ll be fine”
Month later later, him “ Motor let go”
Me” Let me guess, you’re going downhill and you just let off the gas and all hell broke loose”
Him, Blank stare
Me,

 

[Rajobigguy]

Fixed it

1. In any field of scientific endeavor, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
2. If there is more than one thing that can go wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the first to go.
3. If everything appears to be going well, you’ve obviously overlooked something.
4. You will never need an oil pressure gauge until you disconnect it, at which point your pressure will go to zero.
5. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
6. Mother nature is a bitch.

 

[coolchange]

On the subject of gauges
as my younger brother saidafter building his first turbo motor,
“ there’s no way I’m making 32 lbs of boos…..shit.”.

 

[HST4ME]

1. In any field of scientific endeavor, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
2. If there is more than one thing that can go wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the first to go.
3. If everything appears to be going well, you’ve obviously overlooked something.
4. You will never need an oil pressure gauge until you disconnect it, at which point your pressure will go to zero.
5. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
6. Mother nature is a bitch.

7. If it's going to happen, it will happen to me.

 

[rrrr]

No oil spraying out of the rockers, oil should have been everywhere

I noticed that too. Someone should have been yelling "Shutitoff, shutitoff, shutitoff!"

 

[Clank123]

Gotta set’em up out of the Biden zone!

 

[Sherpa]

others already said it.... no oil out of the pushrods...... nada. I build my motors and do a "pre-set" of lifter load. then fire it up and back up the rocker nut till she
ticks, then tighten slowly to 3/4 turn each valve. slow, and it makes a fricken MESS>.......... but every motor I've built lasted a long time. there's no oil mess anywhere.

I even cut a set of old valve covers to allow access to the rockers to do this. still messy though. these guys don't know what they're doing.

--Sherpa

 

[lbhsbz]

I noticed that too. Someone should have been yelling "Shutitoff, shutitoff, shutitoff!"

We put a big block in a geo metro on a K5 chassis for a glammis rig for a buddy of mine....fucker wouldn't oil the rockers to save it's life. We tried everything. At the end of the day he cut slits in the valve covers and kept an oil squirter in the car....he'd peel the duct tape off the slits every morning and squirt oil all over everything...then put a new piece of tape. Did this at lunch and before dinner. Ran it for years without issue.

We pulled the lifters and ran the oil pump with a drill...oil dumped outta the lifter bores. Put the lifters/pushrods in and nothing. Got new lifters, could see daylight through the pushrods....still nothing up top. Said fuckit. Never blew up.

 

[coolchange]

We put a big block in a geo metro on a K5 chassis for a glammis rig for a buddy of mine....fucker wouldn't oil the rockers to save it's life. We tried everything. At the end of the day he cut slits in the valve covers and kept an oil squirter in the car....he'd peel the duct tape off the slits every morning and squirt oil all over everything...then put a new piece of tape. Did this at lunch and before dinner. Ran it for years without issue.

We pulled the lifters and ran the oil pump with a drill...oil dumped outta the lifter bores. Put the lifters/pushrods in and nothing. Got new lifters, could see daylight through the pushrods....still nothing up top. Said fuckit. Never blew up.

Bet the timing chain lasted a long time with that missing lifter galley plug.