This is what I was asking about. The engine is on a stand, not in the car. So I should go ahead and put the oil and filter on it and prime it ? The reason I was asking this is because the engine has sat there for a couple of weeks and I don't think the lifters are pumped up enough to really move the valves/rockers enough to set my TDC. I wanted it set before I installed the engine, I will drop in the dizzy after the engine is installed... So then after I find TDC, then I rotate the balancer slowly to 10*BTC ? Thank you for all the advice..
update,,, I went out this morning and gave it another shot. I think I have TDC now, and both valves are closed on #1 and it pushed my finger off too... So now I should turn it slowly to 10* BTDC and leave it at that setting until engine is installed and dizzy on ?
I'm sure baddad will eventually reply back with good advice and I'll toss in my dirty penny in the meanwhile. Here's how I prefer to do it using the tool linked below. You can also gut an old spare distributor and steal the bare shaft for use with a 1/2" chuck drill to achieve similar result. Be sure NOT to "capture" the pumps drive shaft and lift it up when removing the priming tool or the pumps drive shaft can come loose and slide into the pan on you. That cheap little anti-backing spring clip installed at the top of the pumps drive shaft doesn't always do its job very effectively and they can sometimes slip. Prelubing the end of the priming tool can help reduce "drive shaft capturing". The main reason that priming in this fashion is superior to just cranking the engine/spinning the oil pump with the starter has to do with wiping prelube off all the machined surfaces before startup. Especially with flat tappet cams since there is not sufficient oil splash to relube it prior to first startup. Unless I'm needing to rotate the engine for valvetrain setup/checking purposes.. I always leave the disty out till the very end to do final prelube just before startup. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/oes-27062?seid=srese1&gclid=CMGw8qG27LwCFc9AMgodUHwA3w Because the oil bands of the lifters are in various locations at any given crank/cam rotation.. you'll also need to rotate the engine through 2 full revolutions with about 1/2 turn at a time to supply oil to all lifters/pushrods/rockers. Always best to have oil running over the rocker tips before moving the crank another half turn and continuing on. Good luck with it and go slow by triple checking everything valvetrain related to avoid potential "lobe wiping" issues. What oil are you running for break in? PS. Unless you have an electric fuel pump?.. ALWAYS PRIME THE CARB BY FILLING THE FLOAT BOWLS. That will prevernt "dry starts" which can prolong cranking during first start attempts. Which wipes the prelube off the lobes/lifters yet again.
You can leave it at TDC for now, makes no difference with the distributor out. I would prime the engine with a drill. I do them without rotating the crank, just takes a bit longer to get oil coming out of the rockers. Once oyu have oil coming out of all the rockers, the engine's oil system is fully primed. The reason for putting the balancer on 10*BTC is to "pre-time" it with the distributor in, and everything hooked up just prior to firing it off.
Good info, My builder said to use a good quality 10w30 oil for start up. He said because it's a roller cam I don't need high zinc break in oil, just no synthetic oil first. I will be using a mr. gasket 7psi electric fuel pump on the car.
OK, Prime the oil and just before I stab in the distributor set the balancer at 10* BTDC then start it up and set my timing to around 14* BTDC with a timing light.. I know there is other steps to do when timing, I will read up on these steps before I start... Thanks for the lessons...
No, once you stab the distributor, hook up all the wires, leaving the #1 loose, and using a Phillips screw driver stuck in the end, turn the ignition "ON" (don't crank it) and while slowly rotating the distributor back and forth, hold the screw driver next to a ground and watch for the spark. Once it sparks, stop rotating the distributor and lock it down. If you do this correctly and the balancers marks are lined up where you want it timed, the timing should be dead on when checked with a light.
What is a good starting point at the balancer ? I'm thinking 12-14* or do I set it at 10* and use the dizzy to advance it ?
anything in that range is good. Just don't try and start it at the factory's recommended 6*BTC, THAT is retarded.
stuff a bit of tissue in the spark plug hole. You should have enough compression that will blow the tissue out on the compression stroke.
