few questions to finish up build

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

ok so fill the cooling system with just water then seal it up and brake the camshaft in. Then after camshaft brake in go with a 50/50 mix for engine brake in correct?

 

[demon seed]

ok so fill the cooling system with just water then seal it up and brake the camshaft in. Then after camshaft brake in go with a 50/50 mix for engine brake in correct?

Yup, and by that time you'll know if ya got any leaks. When you dump the water from the rad petcock drain you won't get all the water out of the block so I actually mix it 60 glycol 40 water because here in Alberta you want to make sure you're protected for the winter. I even test the coolant once it's been in the engine for a day to make sure it's good for minus 35 even though it doesn't get that cold here, at least not very often, knock on wood.

Terry

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

ok so since I dont get all the water out, how do I know how much radiator fluid to put in?

 

[ramcharger]

Demons right.

I always use tap water too. On cam break in on a hot day (over 80) I'll even stick the nozzle in (one of the brass adjustable ones) and open it just enough to keep the radiator topped off and open the petcock on the bottom to prevent any overheating. This method is best done outdoors.

Once the cam is broke in I'll seal it off and check for leaks. Like ds says, it's far better to leak water than antifreeze as it's easy to clean up, dries fast and won't kill your pets. It's cheaper too.

 

[ramcharger]

pre-mix to 60/40 like ds said. That will make up for any dilution via standing water.

 

[demon seed]

ok so since I dont get all the water out, how do I know how much radiator fluid to put in?

I mix it 2 gallons at a time, a gallon and a little of glycol to little less than a gallon of water into a 5 gallon bucket and start pouring. Whatever is left keep, it's still good.

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

ok so get a 5 gallon bucket and put in a gallon of glycol(radiator fluid) right? then little less of a gallon of water and keep doing this until the cooling system is good to go right?

 

[sheets55]

Any kind of STP?

:cheers:I always use stp on rod & main bearings

 

[moper]

I mock up every assembly I do. It allows for finding all the stupid things you overlooked, and keeps the debris of some operations out of the oil ssytem by doing it all first. Cam should be fisrt, but that's only the mockup. Stick it in carefully, make sure she turns by hand (without the timing gear or bolt...). Then follow what the book says on assembly. With the proper cylinder wall finish and moly rings, you dont need oil on the rings or cylinders. In fact, it can hurt ring seating. After wiping the bores until the towel comes out clean, I spray WD40 on the piston and ring assembly, then in the compressor and into the block. Use fuel hose to cover the rod bolt ends... it saves the crank journals. You do not want to preoil, or prime the fuel system by turning the engine. As C130 said.. it wipes off all the cam breakin lube that is so critical on first start up. I fill the carb thru the vent hole(s), and preoil with a shaft. You should be able to preoil and install the engine in the car and never need to rotate the engine more than 5 times total. And properly prepared it will fire before it rotates one complete cycle (2 turns).

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

Thanks moper that was really clear and helped me and thanks to everyone, but will just any bottle of STP work? because I know they make different kinds of things

 

[dusterdon]

put some oil in the oil pump before you mount it. Sometimes the pump won't seal good enough to draw up oil withoit a little oil on the walls of the pump. You don't want to have to take it out and redo it. Ask me how i know. Its a good idea to slowly turn the motor over when you're you're priming the oil system, that way you'll get oil up to the heads. One or two revolutions will suffice. I welded an old socket on the end of my priming shaft and spin it with an electric impact wrench. I can crank it up to 50psi.

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

ok so would it be smart to prime the motor and turn the motor over before I put the moly on the camshaft and before I put lifters in? or should I just pour some oil over heads so they have oil?

 

[C130 Chief]

It wouldn't. The heads oil through the cam bearings, and rotation is not needed. If you were to pour a quart of oil across your valvetrain before putting the covers on, it would be a good thing. If you attempt to prime the engine without a cam installed, nothing will make it to the rocker shafts. Big picture, make sure nothing is dry metal-to-metal. If you're going to prime, do it once the engine is completely assembled, fairly soon before you start it the first time.

As for the anti-freeze thing. Break in your engine with straight water if you're chicken (I don't) and then drain most of it out. Dump in 1 1/2 galons of straight anti-freeze and top off with water. You'll be fine.

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

ok kool so I will pre lube with drill then pour oil on the heads and valvtrain

 

[ramcharger]

Prime the oil pump after all assembly has been completed and you are ready to fire it up. You'll feel the drag on the drill motor when it starts to build pressure. This takes two people do really do it right. While one is holding the drill motor, the other needs to give the crankshaft two full turns (slowly).

Make damn sure you are using an additive like Hughes or the GM stuff for cam break in. I never had a problem in the past using VR-1 but I did this year. Check this out: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=40579

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

but why do some say to turn it over and some say to. Im using the brad Penn brake in oil

 

[ramcharger]

It wouldnt. The heads oil through the cam bearings, and rotation is not needed. If you were to pour a quart of oil across your valvetrain before putting the covers on, it would be a good thing. Big picture, make sure nothing is dry metal-to-metal.

As for the anti-freeze thing. Break in your engine with straight water if you're chicken (I don't) and then drain most of it out. Dump in 1 1/2 galons of straight anti-freeze and top off with water. You'll be fine.

No oil will flow to the heads if the cam bearing holes don't align to the head oil feed holes. No oil to thew rocker shafts is bad thing on start up.l

 

[ramcharger]

Brad Penn is the good stuff, you should be OK. Have a straight blade scewdriver that fits your idle adjustment screw and your timing light hooked up and ready to go. Tighten your distributor enough to hold it in place but not so much that you can't twist it with some muscle.

Don't ever let the engine drop below 2K rpm for at least twenty minutes and vary from 2800 to 2200 rpm.

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

got it, but, the thing is if i rotate the the motor and i have the moly lube on it wont some of it get wiped off?

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

I still need to 0 lash my rockers also.

 

[ramcharger]

got it, but, the thing is if i rotate the the motor and i have the moly lube on it wont some of it get wiped off?

Yes it will as it will when you first hit the starter.

I still need to 0 lash my rockers also.

Do this with the intake off as it will be easier to check your preload. 1/2 to 3/4 turn more than zero with hydraulic lifters is fine.

 

[SRT_DSTRHOLC]

ok i will set the lash before the motor goes in and I will put some more moly grease on after i rotate it

 

[ramcharger]

Good man.