First start did not go so good.

[TonyMadrid]

With little or no oil pressure my fear is that not only the rod and main bearings may have washed out, but also the piston rings may not have gotten any lubrication.

If the rings are running dry you run the chance of fuel washing out the cylinder walls and the rings then scoring the walls. I would definitely do a compression test to give you an idea of any possible damage to the cylinders and rings.

The high exhaust gas temps (EGT's) could definitiely be caused by not enough timing. The lack of oil pressure would add to the high heat situation.

When you check your oil, in addition to looking for any metal particles, which sometimes may not be visible but will look like a silver or grayish contamination in the oil, also smell it for any traces of fuel that may have washed past the rings.

After checking the oil condition do a compression test - you are looking for consistency in readings from cylinder to cylinder. However, you want to make sure that the readings aren't excessively low. If they are then you'll have to pull the heads and have the cylinder bores measured to make sure they haven't worn excessively overbore. If you are lucky you may be able to save the cylinders with just a honing, or you may have to overbore the cylinders further. I don't know what block you have and whether or not it has already been 30'd over. If it has and the walls have been scored excessively, you may be able to go to a 40 overbore and depending on what year block, some say you can go as high as a 60 overbore.

I hope things are not as serious as above and my intention is not to scare or worry you, but it is important that you be aware of what may have happened. What is important is that the engine did not cease.

No matter what else you do, you definitely must pull rod and crank journal caps and check the condition of the bearings. The bearings are very soft metal (usually coated babbit) and they can score quite easily.

I attached two pics of washed out bearings; I hope they come through. If not e-mail me and I will send the pics to you via e-mail.

[tnewland]

When installing the distributor, it's easy to get off the mark by one tooth. This messes up timing big time!

[Xavier]

Hey everyone, I know alot of people are reading this thread with interest and I have not updated anyone because I am doing everything everyone recommended. Split apart the oil filter and took off the oil pan - no metal particles big or small, even extremely fine. Empty oil cooler and everything to find any metal and found nothing. Taking apart the engine for inspection now.

[olddog]

Xavier I'll tell you a story that will make you feel better. My son finished putting an engine together and dropped it into a camaro - 305 chevy. He got it from a friend who had assembled the bottom end. The friend had forgot to put the shaft in the top of the oil pump that connects up with the distributor. The oil pressure light in the car did not work. He drove the car around the block to warm it up, after setting the timming. His first clue was the lifters were tapping. This engine ran a good 10 minutes, with no oil pumping.

The friend had coated all bearings with assembly lube and my son had done likewise with the cam. Nothing in this engine was hurt. Put a shaft in and it ran 75K until he sold it. Hope your as lucky.

[Wayne Maybury]

olddog
Your son was very lucky, indeed.

Xavier
A couple of points to remember when starting a new engine.
Check everything before attempting to even crank the engine. That includes the fuel line, gas pump, etc., all electrical connections, set the timing by eye so that it should be very close and make sure that you are not off by 180 degrees. Check the firing order, check the rotor. Prime the carburator and pump the throttle a couple of times while looking down through the carb to make sure that the accelerator pump is giving a squirt. Start the engine, immediately bring the revs up to 1500 to 2000 RPM, DO NOT LET A NEW ENGINE IDLE DURING THE FIRST 10 OR 15 MINUTES. Watch the gauges, especially oil pressure, check to see if the coolant is flowing. If the engine doesn't start with in a few seconds of cranking, stop and find out what is wrong. DO NOT CONTINUE TO CRANK A NEW ENGINE. Set the timing and continue to watch the oil pressure and temp. After running the engine for 10 or 15 minutes at 2000 RPM, let it slow down, begin to adjust the idle, etc. Always watch for anything that is not normal, for example glowing headers, smoke, over heating, back firing, etc. I'm sure that I have missed a few points but you get the idea.

A new engine must fire up right away, excessive cranking or allowing it to run at idle speed may eat the cam and/or lifters within the first few minutes. Good luck with your engine. Let us know how you make out.

Wayne

[blykins]

....unless it's a roller cam.....

[Wayne Maybury]

I was thinking of posting an edit to add a note about a roller cam, but you beat me to it.

Wayne

[Wayne Maybury]

Xavier

What happened? Did you pull the engine apart, what did you find? Good, bad, or in between?

Wayne

[Clois Harlan]

Xavier,

How about an update to your situation. I hope all is turning out well for you. I am glad you are going the extra mile to see if you had any damage. It sounds like all is well from your last post. If you don't see any striations or heat spots on your bearings you should be just fine. I know it is a lot of work but I would sure hate to see you out some where and the unthinkable would have happened. Now, you know you are ok!

Clois

[John S Peterson]

I'm still trying to figure out the way he described the operation of the starter motor......Long distance troubleshooting of that kind when there is more than one thing going on would be hard enough talking over the phone, let alone e-mail.....Someone has to be within "road trip distance" to help this guy out. I'll bet once there problems could be sorted out rather quickly. It's the same as when your wife or girlfriend or.....complains of a noise or condition that exists, but just never quite gives you A. all the information... or B. their interpitation of the sound.

[Xavier]

Update! As I see many people looking at this post within the forum. Sorry for taking some time, it takes a while to get the courage to pull your engine apart again and then it takes a while to pull it apart espescially with the holidays.

Drained the oil and ripped apart the filters as requested. No metal fragmentation, but I did not want to take any chances. Dismantled the engine down to the crank shaft, main bearings etc. to see the damage and replace. I had a local mechanic help me, he was of immense help. And when we finally got everything apart; no damage. Nothing was even scratched and looked as it came our of a brand new box. Bearings looked like they were purchased yesterday. Everything looked brand new, so I am glad I did not purchase parts in advance. I can not explain why, this is for the engine experts to discuss. All I know is that everything was in mint condition. Inspected and re-honed the cylinder walls. Replaced the sparkplugs. Oil pressure is there. Ignition is there.

Fuel problems and excessive PSI was caused by a bad (brand new) fuel regulator. Have a new fuel regulator now sitting at 5.5psi.

Some said it was the me priming the engine correctly (before I reversed the hoses on the oil relocator) for 10 minutes and the 20w50 that saved it. Others just said it might hove not been enough time to damage anything without heavy reving. Also, it may have seen like 15 minutes to me the engine was running (without psi), but could have been 5. I am not the expert here, but there are as many great stories as bad ones and in the end, I am just glad my engine did not seize. The engine builder I used said that people reversing the oil hoses on the remote filter has been done at least 50x's with him. I am not trying to get off the hook, it was an embarassingly stupid mistake, but all new builders can take a moment to look at it again.

Now its just a case of me getting the engine timed. The friendly mechanic is too busy. The timing is immensely off. In the end if that is all I have to complain about, I am very happy.

Step-by-step initial timing instructions would still be of help though...

For the new readers to this who do not have time to read the whole post here it is again, sequence of events;

- Prime engine with oil primer with oil PSI for ten minutes. Inspecting for leaks etc. Oil pressure is there.
- Notice leak on remote oil filter assembly. Cracked AN fitting. Replaced -AN fitting. Reversed the hoses accidently. (not caught)
- Start engine. Excessive starting to get it started. Glowing headers. Excessive fuel PSI. And then, finally noticed, no oil PSI. Did not have fuel PSI problems before when engine was not turned over. And did not check oil PSI at first because I had no problems before I fixed the -AN fitting (that I swore I put on correctly).
- First thread put on Club Cobra.
- Called manufacturer of regulator. Bad fuel regulator confirmed.
- Called engine builder. "Double check the remote oil hoses." Found them reversed in discuss.
- Tore apart engine. Examined everything in detail. Rehoned cylinder walls. Put engine back together with mechanic and reviewed everything with engine builder.
- Replaced spark plugs.
- Now trying to get it timed correctly.

Happy New Year.

[blykins]

Put #1 cylinder to TDC of the compression stroke (make sure it's compression....pull a valve cover and look at the rocker arms if you have to). Pull the distributor out, point the rotor at the #1 spark plug wire and put the distributor back in. Start it up....use a timing light to time it by turning the distributor.

[289fia_cobra]

To time it, blykins is almost correct but you want to add in about 10-12 deg. of advance.

I un-corked plug #1, and using a breaker bar with the proper socket to turn the crankshaft at the dampener pulley, you turn the engine clockwise while you have a thumb covering the #1 cylinder plug hole. Once you feel /release pressure under the thumb, you know for sure you're on the compressions stroke.

Now take a long pencil and slip it down the hole. Continue turning the crank clockwise until you see it stop it's upward progress. Note your pointer; you want to adjust it to Zero. Check your rotor and it shoud be right under the #1 spark plug wire too. If not, loosen the dizzy's lock down and move it to that position. Use a grease pen and mark the housing of the distributor where it lines up with the rotor.

At this point your engine is now at TDC, distributor is at 0 deg. advance. Your pointer is now poinitng at Zero.

To go 10 deg. advance, crank the engine counter-clockwise until the pointer is on 10 deg. advance. Go back to your distributor and you'll see the rotor moved clockwise a bit from the grease mark. Turn the distrubtor housing until the grease mark lines up with the rotor again.

Reinstall the spark plug and distributor cap, but keep the distributor snug enough for starting but you can easily loosen to move it later;

Start the engine; it should start; here, you might want a 2nd person to keep the engine from dying as you time it to whatever you want the advance to be at idle (mine happens to be 18 deg. at 1,000RP for my 347).

Good luck.