Initial Start-up

[FreeBeeTony]

Ready to wake-up the "new" Vortec tomorrow......

Used bondo's method of priming the oil pump by turning the engine over with the starter and the plugs removed........primed the oil pump and the carb at the same time..........

Once it's started plan on letting it run at ~ 1500RPM's for ~ 10 min in the driveway.......any other suggestions on the initial start-up?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Initial Start-up

Personally, I`d prime the motor using a spare dist shaft and a drill untill oil came out the rockers, also rotate the crank a few times.
Priming the pump is good but what about the main and rod bearings? You want to avoid a dry start up on the bearings even with assembly lube.(if it was used at all)
Also install a mech. type oil pressure gauge on the engine to monitor the pressure during run-up.

 

[fendersfender]

Re: Initial Start-up

using the starter with no plugs is fine...engine has assembly lube which will protect bearings until oil reaches them.....on another note, my cousin, a boat mechanic here in lower michigan....runs all his "new" engines on the ground, with water supply, battery, remote start button, and oil pressure gauge...this ensures that "new engine" is ok before the install.....

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: Initial Start-up

Any other thought before i fire it up?

 

[MikDee]

Re: Initial Start-up

IMO it should be run for 20mins to 1/2hr at 2k rpm for proper cam break in. Watch your temp, keep it cool, new engines have a tendency to run a bit hot at break in because of all the parts being tight. Good Luck, Mike

 

[QC]

Re: Initial Start-up

This is not a recommendation, but a reference that is probably useless. I still find it interesting . . .

I ran the truck shop for the Los Angeles Caterpillar dealer for 5 years in the early 90's. When we did a complete overhaul, in or out of frame, the techs would start them on assembly lube only, idle in their bay and check for leaks and pressures, maybe rev up a few times. Drive it over and on to the Chassis Dyno (25 yards), run up to hi idle RPM (2150ish) in highest direct gear (No OD) say 65 MPH. Get it up to operating temp with no load but still full speed (there is the load of the drivetrain and the tires spinning the rollers, but no load on the rollers), and then while still holding the pedal to the metal, pour on the Dyno load to drag it down to full load RPM (1800 or 2100) in a matter of 30 seconds, then drag her all the way down, 100 RPM at a time, to peak torque RPM (usually around 1200), back the load off slowly until it hit hi idle again, idle down and ship it. We would tell the owners to run them as hard as they could, do not baby. See ya. Same thing basically at the CAT factory with a brand new engine, but on an engine dyno of course.

I still follow Owners Manuals on car and boat engines pretty close to the letter, but that is always in the back of my mind. Again, probably useless info . . .