well...john and i buttoned up all the loose ends tonight and other than the dam thermostat housing that i wont recieve til tomorrow, we are ready...
no thermostat housing/no coolant...
BTW...john is the man that built the motor...he is my friend and has helped me countless hours on this project...probably the best mechanic/motor builder for many miles around these parts...he is the only man i know that i trust 110% with my vette...a true car guy...

anyway...even the wheels are now down on the ground again...after 4 long months, its no longer hovering above my shop floor...
so we're standin around admiring our work and talkin and we decided that it would be a good idea to turn it over...coil unplugged of course, just to make sure everything worked ok and was ready for tomorrow...

i sat in the drivers seat and turned the key...it cranked...the sound was music...it was halflife...it begged us for fire...
you know what happened next... :D
we both looked at one another and we both knew what had to be done...
he reached down and plugged in the coil and with a huge smile he said "go ahead, just for a few seconds"
i turned the key...i swear that it no sooner sparked and it instantly roared to life.....HUGE SMILES !!!!
i cracked the throttle...just a quick little 1/4 throttle jab...
it INSTANTLY reved...a very quick RMP rise...
it came back to idle nicely and i shut her down...
it ran about 10 seconds...a very sweet and unforgetable 10 seconds...
tonight i am floating around the house on a cloud just knowing of the treat i have in store for tomorrow night...cruisin :yesnod: :) :) :) :yesnod:

so...tomorrow mornin 1st thing...i call A#A (you know who) and tell them i am broke down and need a tow...just so happens that the ONLY A#A tow guy in our small town is a customer of mine :) and off it goes to the muffler shop!!
2 1/2" pipe all the way back to Flowmaster 40's and another call to AAA to inform them that it couldnt be fixed and i want it towed home to my shop...
in the meantime UPS would have brought the housing and at 5 oclock when we get of work we will give her a drink of fresh coolant and distilled water and bring her to life...for real :cool: :yesnod: :cool:
i feel like a little kid on Christmas eve...all excited just knowing of the treat that awaits me tomorrow... :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
i am so dam excited and happy, i can barely stand it!

 

Thats great. Your guys are doing something right if it starts that easy :) Congrats and hope to hear about the first drive tomorrow :)

 

:thumbs: :thumbs:

Just think 3-4 more (or less) seconds and it could have been a quarter mile.

 

:D

 

:cheers: :cheers:

 

:thumbs: EXCELLENT :thumbs: Can't wait until you have some driving experience and can compare before and after. Curious to how the heads/cam/intake work out. They should be a good match if I recall.

I love A*A. Been there, done that.

 

Wow, it seems like it was last month you told us that you had to put it on jacks! time sure has gone by fast on this end. i bet it seems like 8 months to you though! :D

thats awesome! im happy for ya! :cheers: :cheers:


[Modified by '79ProwlerOrange, 7:51 PM 12/17/2002]

 

Congratulations! :cheers:

Don't forget to properly break in the cam.

Joe

 

There is nothing like hearing it run for the first time. Especially with open headers. We must have done something correct. Mine fired right up like yours did and I couldn`t wait to get it out and go. Took me a week or so to get to the exhaust shop though. Tomorrow I go to get the alignment done.

Break in the cam and then take her out for a nice ride tomorrow. Good luck.

 

1st of all...thanx to all of you...ill fill you in tomorrow eve :)

but now...as far as the cam break-in thing goes...
i have never heard anyone on this forum NOT using the "idle at 1800-2000 RPM for 15 minutes theory"...not one...
well...ill be the 1st to say that i wont be doing that...
my builder and i have talked about this a few times and we both agree that in our humble opinions this not only not needed but it is also something that we will NOT be doing...never have/never will...
we both are of the belief that alot of the "break-in" talk that you hear so much about is not really aplicable today with modern technologies and materials...
"break-in" was much more of an issue in the "good ol days"...

this man built me an engine that instantly fired up and ran the second that the key was turned...carb just bolted on, timing just set by eye, etc...
didnt tick...not one tick...
he has built hundreds of really awesome engines...i trust him...

tomorrow we will start her up...
adjust the timing and idle etc as she warms up at her own speed...
im sure we will be gently goosing her a little along the way :)
we will bleed the power steering and fill it upwith fluid...
we will make sure everything is cool and then drive her out of the shop for her maiden voyage...
we will take her for a little spin watching gauges real closely etc and pretty much drive her the way that i intend on drivin her for the rest of her life...
and tomorrow night that where ill be...cruisin :)

 

I have done this. It is no big deal. Seemed to work for me. Im sure you will be fine no matter how you do it :chevy

 

I would contact the cam manufacturer for their opinion, as that recommendation comes from them and no offense, but they probably know abit more about proper break in procedures for thier cams than anybody here, your builder, me or you.
http://www.cranecams.com/instruction...in/camfail.htm

Last thing you want to do is skip a crucial procedure only because you know better. :jester

I agree that break in is no longer required for 99% of the rings that are out there, but the argument about modern materials and such doesnt hold water regarding cams, they are made today of the same materials they were made with then. The purpose of the cam break in is to work harden the lobes of the cam. You can certainly skip the break in, however you may experience shortened cam life.

I guess I dont understand why you want to skip this step, it certainly doesnt hurt, and if the mfr. reccomends it why wouldnt you.

In any case I would just hate for you to have a problem in future, I wish you the best of luck and congrats on completing a fun project - I look forward to building mine soon.


[Modified by fauxrs, 10:09 PM 12/17/2002]


[Modified by fauxrs, 10:24 PM 12/17/2002]

 

Ah, the sounds of a new motor -- only thing better is the sounds of a woman in the throws of an earthshattering orgasam.

Well, A man can dream - and we can ALL get the sound of a new motor ........

 

Congrats. :cool: I built a LOT of engines before I ever came to the forum and always used the break in procedure you stated you are going with, and everything always worked out just fine. (except once I had one burn up a piston after 40 miles ) Since I heard the idle at 2000 theory I have done that on the last 5 engines I rebuilt. Don't know if it matters or not but I did it anyway. I think your break in procedure will work fine.

-Justin

 

thanks for the link fauxrs...i went there and read it...i had read it previously...
basicly the "break-in" procedure is pretty much common sense...

lets focus on...
"The engine should quickly start and be run between 1500 to 3000 rpm. Vary the rpm up and down in this rpm range during the first 15 to 20 minutes, (do not run the engine at a steady rpm)."
i think this is really the part that we are all talking about....correct?

i totaly agree with..."Vary the rpm up and down"
and..."do not run the engine at a steady rpm"
the only thing that i have a problem with is..."run between 1500 to 3000 rpm"
personaly i dont want my brand new engine spending alot of time at 1500-3000 RPM in its first 15 minutes of life while sitting still with no resistance...
going down the road is a whole lot different as im sure you will agree...
and it will get plenty of that when we pull it outside and down the road after about 30 minutes !!! :yesnod:
yes it will hit those RPMs during that time...but briefly...
i have heard alot of guys say that they KEEP them in that RPM range during that first 15 or 20 minutes...THATS what i disagree with...
i personaly do not think that is a good idea...
that engine is brand new to the world in those crucial first few minutes and i think that 3000 RPMs is a bit radical for that period of time...

i think that the main focus should be on "Vary the rpm up and down"
and..."do not run the engine at a steady rpm"...

this brings us to the next can of worms...
changing the oil after that 1st 15 minutes...
NOPE...wont be doing that either...
1st oil change will be after 500 miles...
Castrol 10-30 and a Mobile 1 filter...
thats what it will be getting for the rest of its life...
used to use Mobil 1 oil...never will again...but PLEASE, PLEASE...lets not go there! thats a whole different discussion! LOL

how will i run it for the 1st 500 miles?
just like i will run it for the duration of its life...
some guys baby them during this period and some beat them but i am of the opinion that those 1st 500 miles should be pretty much like it will be driven...
if you plan on babying it then "break it in" that way...
if you plan on beating the crap out of it then "break it in" that way...

i personaly do neither...i dont drive like theres an egg under the gas pedal...
and i dont beat the crap out of it either...
i love bringing it up through the gears (occationaly banging them :) )
feeling that "put you back in your seat" feeling... :)
never really abusing the car but rather enjoying what the car was built to do :) :)

well...its time to shower and head out to work...
1st stop...my friend the tow guy and then the call to A#A...
hopfully by 9am she will be sitting on the rack at the muff shop :)
hopfully the next time i check in here it will be after a very delightful cruise this evening :)
thanx again ya'll!!





[Modified by SIGNGUY, 7:17 AM 12/18/2002]

 

Just a few questions I have for you, why would you use a filter that is designed to be used with synthetic oil with regular oil? I personally dont see a reason to spend the extra cash on the filter if your going to scimp on the oil (which a new motor shouldnt have synthetic in it during break in anyway). I just dont see any of your logic in all of this. I have been building motors for years now and have done everything from the stock 302 in my bronco to my 850 hp mustang I had a few years ago and while I break them in differently, I see no rhyme or reason to your methods. With the Bronco I just broke in the cam according to manufacter specs and took it easy the first 500 miles and with my mustang I built it then unloaded off the trailor and That motor was inhaling GOBS of nitrous after 1 minute of initial start up. Im not saying your method doesnt work but what I am saying is, if breaking in your motor according to the manufacters specs and spending a whopping 10-15 minutes doing it will POSSIBLY help get more life out of your motor and POSSIBLY save you from having to changes your pistons rings or cam after 1000 miles, isnt it worth it? Anyway I am in no way bagging on you I just felt I had to say something, I hope your car turns out as nice as you are expectings. CHEERS! :cheers:


[Modified by lason, 5:15 PM 12/18/2002]

 

well first of all i want to use the best oil filter available and i believe that to be the Mobil 1 filter...no matter what kind of oil your using...
see... http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/oil_filter_study/
as far as the oil goes...i dont feel as thought using Castrol GTX is scimping...
by ANY stretch of the imagination...in my opinion IT IS the best oil...we both know that if you ask 5 people what they think the best oil is you will probably get 5 different answers...i happen to like Castrol...
i have tried Mobil 1 oil in 3 of my vehicles and simply do not like it...
i have had nothing but problems with it...mostly leaking problems...

now on to the more important issue...the so called "break-in"
on my way home from the shop last night i was thinking about that and had to chuckle to myself...
we did what i had descibed that we were going to do and you know what???
as it turns out...its the same dam thing!
we fired her up...played with her a little as we tuned this and adjusted that...
and when all was said and done, we had been running the engine just as suggested by Crane! it would be hard NOT to run it as they recomend! you would have to start it up and either...
let it sit and idle, or
rev it to the max, or
start driving it IMEDIATELY on start up...

all told...any of us that has starated a new engine knows that when you start it up there are adjustments to be made etc...and while doing those you are...
turning the engine between 1500-3000 RPMs...
not letting it idle or stay at the same RPM for extended periods of time...
not over reving it...
all of which are Cranes recomendations...
so if you start a new engine like most intellgent people do...it is really a non-issue IMHO...it is the same dam thing...
OH AND BY THE WAY....the engine ran awesome... :)


[Modified by SIGNGUY, 8:00 AM 12/19/2002]

 

:cheers:
That oil filter study (from previous post) was an eye-opener for me.
Delco, Puralator - and all the derivatives of these two - NAPA, Mobil 1 ....
these are what I'll look for from now on.
:seeya

 

Man, that looks tight...Enjoy!! can't wait to hear about how it ran..

Good luck, don't blower all in one day :-)

 

what is your reasoning for liking castrol? i have always used valveoline synthetic because i was told it was the best by a relaible source with lost of experience. i now know buy Mobile 1 filters. that study was very informative. im glad ive never bought a FRAM. they looked too cheap. guess my instics were right.