Any suggestions on the difficulty of starting up a new crate motor. I believe the plugs and wires are correct going by the shematic. The neighbor didnt give encouraging advice...he said start it up and back off!! Wow! So if anybody can help that would be great...Thx!!

 

Umm.. tahts a good question. I just rebuilt my 305, and will be starting it in about a week and a half, 2 weeks. Will it be instant like always, or will you have to give it time for the fuel to travel, the timing to be proper, etc?

 

It's probably NOT going to start the first time. The second or third try, it probably will. Yeah, because you have to let the fuel make it to the engine..

 

pour some gas into the front vent tube on the car to fill the front float bowls. hit the accelerator a few times to make sure that gas is coming out of the carb squirters and it should blast right off.

 

^Ya, I figured you would have to purge the carb first in order for it to start right up, but I wasn't completely positive.

 

Get some fuel into the carb, before trying to start it - and keep some in a jar or something easy to handle to pour it down the carb. If you are running an electric pump or EFI, then that will make this part easier. Keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case.

Keep the distributor a little loose (just enough that you can turn it with some effort), and have the timing light already set up. If you can rough time it before starting it, that will help a little. Make sure you've got a fully charged battery, in case you need to crank it a while.

Once everything is set, crank if for a few seconds and see if it will light. If it doesn't fire in a few seconds (more than 10-15), stop and check everything before trying again. Check the timing while cranking, if it doesn't start right away. You may have to continue to add fuel / pump the accelerator.

Once you get it fired, bring the RPM's up to 2000 and hold it there. Watch for leaks or other problems. Vary the RPM's a bit, to get a good oil splash to all of the moving parts. (This is a little less critical is you are running a roller cam, but still a good idea) After about 15 minutes of running, back down the RPMs and try to get the idle and timing set.

Once you've made it to this point, you're probably ready for a spin around the block. Take it easy for the first 500-1000 miles, then have fun. Good Luck.

 

Thank you for the very informative post

 

Thank you everyone for the answers....fie extinguisher though??? Am i to expect a fire of some kind?.....I pray not....Whats the worse that could possibly happen? Thx again

 

The carb could backfire, spraying fuel upward.. if that fuel is onfire, then...

Fire..

Yeah.

 

There is always the possibility of a loose connection or a cracked / broken line or fitting when you mess with the fuel system - better to be safe than sorry.

Also forgot to mention - watch your guages closely for proper oil pressure and coolant temp. Occasionally a new oil pump will not prime properly or can lose a pickup - not a big worry though. You may have to "burp" the coolant system, to get the air out of it - put the radiator cap on loosely (so there is no pressure buildup), and check the level once the engine gets to temp. Once the thermostat opens the level will likely drop a bit, and you'll need to add more.

Let us know how everything turns out.

 

This is some great info. I need to save this thread cuz I'll need it in a month or 2.

 

Hi everyone...Well the start up was a success!! Except for some minor electrical issues...but it started and sounded mean.....Thx again

 

^Sweetness dude, congratulations :thumbup:
What kind of electrical issues did you encounter? How much cranking did it take to get it to turn over?

 

Honesty...it started right up....and with the headers and y pipe only...that baby was loud.....electrical problem is..the tach is getting the feed...but its all the way to the right....got me!!! have no clue with that one....

 

^Oh ya, I saw that thread on your tach-problem. Sorry, cant help you in that area But I am just gonna have the headers on when I start mine for the first time, and I cant wait to hear it