Pre Install Motor Check

[GKricheldorf]

It’s getting time to assemble the remaining parts on the motor. It was recommended to me to run the motor for about an hour on the floor to check for leaks and get it tuned. Any of you have pictures of this? I don’t have a stand with any gauges. I was just going to bolt it to a pallet to keep it secure. I’m just not sure what needs to be hooked up other then gas, water for cooling and electrical. What do you use and how do you wire the motor to make it run. I tried searching the board, but not knowing the technical term was not yielding any info. What should and shouldn’t I do while running it?

[RickR]

It is better to start the engine before installing but I figured by the time I built a stand to run it on I could already have it installed. BUT I did my own assembly.

My new engine has roller lifters, procedure is different for flat tappet.

Here was my procedure last week.

Fill fuel filter and carb bowls with filtered fuel.
Preset timing around 10 degrees BTDC
30W NON detergent oil

Started and ran between 1000 and 2000 RPMs for 10 minutes, reset timing and continued to run between 800 and 2500 for 20 more minutes.
While running have someone keep an eye on oil pressure and water temp.

Change oil to 30W Castrol and install new filter. Check old oil and filter for water and metal. It is not unusal to get a slight gray sheen to the original oil. BUT you should have NO metal slivers in bottom of oil drain pan.
Retorque exhaust manifold bolts.

Run on primaries (< 1/2 throttle) for 5 hours on the water.
Change filter and oil to 40W Castrol or Vavoline Racing.
Recheck engine alignment.
Retorque exhaust manifold and initake manifold.
Recheck timing.

If you can resist, run for 20 hours before WOT. :yes:

GOOD LUCK the new engine!

[GKricheldorf]

Hi Rick,

I’m in the same boat as you (pun intended).  I’m doing my own assembly.

My new motor has roller lifters as well.

On the oil – can I use normal automotive oil or should I waste the money on the expensive marine oil?

How did you check the alignment? Remove the outdrive and install the alignment tool?

It will be hard to resist the urge to open it up before the 20 hrs. Even though I’m doing the assembly myself I’m at $4k so far on the re-power. I don’t want to spend that again by doing something stupid.

Thanks for your help.
Glenn

[Rootsy]

if you have the materials to do so at your disposal then do it... otherwise do it in the boat.

i ahve a test stand for running all motors i put together before i ship them... if the owner so opts i will dyno the motor.

DO NOT bolt it to a pallet.. you'll end up with a motor on it's side.. steel welded frame assembly with proper motor mounts are a must... you also need cooling, gauges, starting circuit, kill switch and exhaust to run this thing... and a fuel supply...

in the boat firing i do as rick says.. cept i am a valvoline man all the way ;)

on a roller cam motor you don't have to go through a break in procedure like a flat tappet which actually laps the lifter lobe to the lifter which requires TONS of lubrication so that it doesn't guall... DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE RUN SYNTHETIC oil for breakin of your motor...

also, before you install your distributor do yourself a HUGE favor and prime the motor with oil by using a drill and running the oil pump to get lubrication to the motor before you EVER turn it over with the starter... you can purchase adapters to go in your drilll that attach to the oil pump drive shaft through the distributor hole.. or you can make one from a long old flat bladed screwdriver for a chevy and a socket and extension (welded together) for a sbf... oh yeah.. when she makes pressure you better be hanging onto that drill.. especailly if it has a HVHP oil pump.

it will actually help to run the motor a little fat in the jetting for a few hours to ensure things stay cool.. but it isn't essential... believe it or not, 3 pulls on a dyno and rings are actually seated... you have to LOVE todays materials and technology :D

[MOP]

Man after my own heart, it is good to be anal about oil. My first change is always at (1) hour varying throttle to break the rings in then change again at (5) hours, oil is cheap insurance. I don't fully agree with waiting 20 hours for WOT, after the 5 hour change I do my first 30-45 second WOT for propping and just to know all is well. I do absolutely no extended WOT until about like you 20 hours, 3,500 and under until then.

Phil

[RickR]

Hi Rick,



On the oil – can I use normal automotive oil or should I waste the money on the expensive marine oil?

How did you check the alignment? Remove the outdrive and install the alignment tool?



I use the cheap (.99) Wally world oil for the first 30 to seat the rings. Then either Castrol 40W Heavy Duty or Vavoline racing.

I use an old Merc driveshaft (with a long shaft welded on the end) for alignment. My way is to adjust engine down till I get resistance/ then up till I get resistance. Back off till 1/2 way between.

[Rootsy]

R,

You forgot to mention one important thing: Always have a fire extinguisher handy on new engine startup's.. :eek:

Me, I like to at least run em outside the boat first, check for oil leaks etc.. And it makes the first oil change really EZ :)


SORRY DUDE! been a long day! and yes i ALWAYS have the fire exstinquisher close at hand.. just in case...

[BUIZILLA]

40W Heave Duty
:puke:

[MOP]

One thing we all forgot to mention was to soak the roller lifters in mineral spirits to get the grease out then soak in 30wt oil, if not done many times they well not roll and develop flat spots and be junk.
When setting the motor in it is important to leave the front mounts loose at the bases lower the engine onto the bell housing mounts and install those bolts first then lower then engine down moving the front mounts side to side until they line up. Lower it down until the tool slides in easily run the nuts up to hold it. Do not do the final check until the engine has sat on the mounts for at least two days mounts unless of the solid type will sage down a little. Setting it in this way will keep you from having the engine cocked off to one side and driving you nuts trying to get the alignment right on!

[RickR]

OOPS, not enuff "r"'s in that crack.. I really meant it for RR :D

Yep ALWAYS KEEP A FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY(and a box of baking soda/ easier clean up) also leave the hatch OFF .
I had a couple of carb fires over the weekend. None escaped the flame arrestor but "The BOSS" sure had an itchy trigger finger on the Extingushier :eek!:

I agree with MOP, alignment was correct after engine was in for 24 hours but 5 days later (tonight) it was off 1/3 turn :banghead:

Buzilla
Sure wsh we hd spllcheck :propeller:

[MOP]

A tad off subject but a real goody, I can not remember the fellow that posted the link for ieSpell. I down loaded a copy, its free and saves you from cutting and pasting to your word program to correct your posts. I love it works great.

www.iespell.com/

[rayjay]

...on a roller cam motor you don't have to go through a break in procedure like a flat tappet which actually laps the lifter lobe to the lifter which requires TONS of lubrication so that it doesn't guall... DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE RUN SYNTHETIC oil for breakin of your motor...

also, before you install your distributor do yourself a HUGE favor and prime the motor with oil by using a drill and running the oil pump to get lubrication to the motor before you EVER turn it over with the starter... you can purchase adapters to go in your drilll that attach to the oil pump drive shaft through the distributor hole.. or you can make one from a long old flat bladed screwdriver for a chevy ...

it will actually help to run the motor a little fat in the jetting for a few hours to ensure things stay cool.. but it isn't essential... believe it or not, 3 pulls on a dyno and rings are actually seated... you have to LOVE todays materials and technology :D

These, along with MOP's recommendations as to how to prepare roller lifters, are definitely the way to go if you want a motor that runs good and lasts a long time.

Definitely pre-lube!! I have friends that do this as soon as they finish assembling a bottom end to prevent anything from happening to the bearings or cam. But do yourself a favor and buy an adapter. Decent Chevy adapters are now readily available and are only $20 - $30 on ebay. Unless you have a screwdriver that fits perfectly into the oil pump drive or can be made to fit perfectly and an extension sitting around that you do not need plus the skill to weld and fettle the spacers / guides, it will cost you more $’s to make it than to just buy one. I still have my homemade adapters but have just purchased an adapter with perfectly machined parts for around $30, which is less than the parts to build it would cost me without even adding the value of my time and it helps to minimize the risk of damaging the pump's slotted drive when the oil pressure builds up.

There is nothing wrong with synthetic oil, I run synthetic oil in my vehicles and recommend it, but you can’t break in a motor on synthetic oil. Nothing will seat, it is just too slippery. Also, I start and run the engine between 2500 – 3500 (constantly varying rpm’s) for one minute and then change the oil and filter. I’m anal, but this does get rid of any dirt or contaminants in the engine from assembly. The money this costs and the time it takes are way (way!) less than what it takes to build another engine. Also cut the filter apart and examine it for anything strange like metal, sand, or silicon. I’ve seen loose silicon from assembly plug the passages on a new motor and ruin the crank and cam.

Everyone has their own tricks for installing and seating rings. Read the information that comes with the rings you are using and follow it for assembly, i.e. with or without lube, and for cylinder wall finish. To seat the ring without glazing the walls you have to run the rings under pressure to force them against the walls, which happens when the engine is under load. Running the engine on a dyno is a great way to do this provided you do not hold a constant rpm for any length of time. Also backing off occasionally to allow the walls to be washed with raw fuel helps, just do not completely back off at a high rpm. This is easily done by a good dyno operator, which is why I usually have my engines broken in on a “brake” type dyno by someone I trust.

I’m not trying to step on anybody’s toes, just like MOP and some others I am trying to pass on some of my experience. One of my favorite quotes, “Good judgment comes from experience and most experience comes from bad judgment.”. I try to learn from other’s experience, i.e. someone else’s (or sometimes my own) bad judgment. Like MOP, BigG, and a number of others on the Board I have been there. blowed that up and hopefully learned how not to do it again. :smash:

rayjay :boat: