I spun up the oil pump on my rebuilt 312 with a drill (CCW) this morning. I have a little over 50 pounds oil pressure, I can see oil coming out the copper pipes on the rocker arms, and there is oil around the base of each valve spring, as well as pooling and draining from the head below the rocker arms. Is there anything else I need to look for? I will probably try to fire the engine this weekend and I may have a few more questions before I do that. Any and all help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Bud

When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty

Sounds like you've covered all the bases there. Let us know how the startup goes. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Bud Man;

You probably know this, but if your motor was totally rebuilt do you have a good quality "Break-In Oil" in the crankcase?

Rono

  Ron Lane,  Meridian, ID

Yes, I am using Joe Gibbs BR-30 Break-In Oil.

When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty

If it is a new cam you'll want to follow their break-in procedures.

Any other tips on firing a y-block for the first time after a complete rebuild??

When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty

Holes in the head (on intake mounting surface, behind intake) should have short bolts in them or oil will leak. My left side had a wire clamp mounted there.

Rocker arms pre-adjusted (cold lash).

Check cam degree points.

Verify piston to valve clearances.

Initial (static) timing.

Water and coolant. Leave cap off until you see thermostat open and water being pumped. Then close.

Distributor clamp snug but just loose enough to tweak timing once started.

Fuel pump moving fuel. Fuel in tank.

Battery charged. Generator polarized if needed.

Fan belts tight.

Start, get timing right enough to run and follow cam break-in procedure.

The above is off the top of my head in random order.

make sure carb is primed/loaded with gas

read Y=BLOCK magazine july-august 2012 vol 19, no 4

put a rabbits foot in your pocket?

stuey

Thanks for the advice so far. I've been doing some net research on starting a rebuilt engine and I have a couple of specific questions. Where should the timing be set for the initial start? Is the vacuum advance to the distributor hooked up or plugged? What is the best way to make sure that I have spark without spinning the engine? I want the engine to turn over once or twice and then fire and run smoothly at about 2000-2500 rpm for at least 20 minutes, varying the rpms occasionally. I may have a few more questions before Saturday. It is nerve-racking to know that you can destroy your engine in the first few minutes of operation if things aren't right. Again, thanks for any and all help!

Bud

When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty

It is good practice to turn the engine over one complete revolution and prime a second time. On many engines, half of the oil passages from the mains to the rods are covered up at TDC#1.