Engine Start Up
In this article I would to talk to the average Joe about initial engine start up. Are there better ways? Sure, but here’s how you would want to do a home build in your garage.
Before you start, are all the wires hooked up right? Remember, the hardest thing about wiring is getting the smoke back in the wire. If you’re running an electric ignition, triple check your wiring on it. If you’re wrong you just smoked an expensive part. If you have the wires hooked up right then go to the battery, hook up the negative side, then take the positive and just tap in on the terminal. If you see or hear a spark, guess what? Something is shorting or something is on. Things that could be on are the dome light or stereo memory. I would like to see you disconnect anything like that or turn it off. Once that’s done that, go ahead and put the positive cable on.
Now push on the clutch. Is the cable adjusted right? If you have lots of free play it’s not a big deal because we can tighten it later. If you have no free play you should back it off so that when we do get it running the throw out bearing is not just running on the pressure plate.
Turn the motor over by hand and pop the distributor cap off. With the motor on TDC the rotor should be pointing towards the number one post on the cap. If you’re 180 degrees off then turn the motor 360 degrees (The crank goes around twice for every time the cam goes around once). If the rotor is at the number one post it should be close enough to fire. We will time it once we get it running. If you are not sure if the distributor is in right, pop off the number 1 and 2 valve cover. With the rotor at the number one post turn the crank back and forth about 20 degrees. If the rockers are moving when you do this on number one then yes your distributor is 180 out. Fix that before you go any further.
Find the black wire that feeds the positive side of the coil and disconnect it. Make sure the wire doesn’t hit any metal. By doing this, the motor can’t start. WTF, isn’t this article about starting the motor? Hang on, let’s get oil pressure first. Check your dipstick and make sure your motor is full of oil. If your motor has been full flowed disconnect the return line (the one on the top above the oil pump line). Let it hang and put an oil pan under it. Make sure your filter is full of oil too. Now phone a friend or get the wife out here. We need someone to turn the engine over while we watch to see when oil comes out of that hose. Have them turn the motor over for while, if you see oil come out of the hose tell them to stop. If you have turned it over and see nothing, we might have an air lock between the pump and the filter. If this is the case, disconnect the pump hose and turn it again until you see oil come out of the pump fitting. It wont take long. Hook that back up and keep turning the motor over until you have oil coming out of the return line. Once you have that, hook it back up. LEAVE THE COIL WIRE DISCONNECTED. Now check and refill your oil again. Turn the motor until you see the oil idiot light go out and if you have a gauge it should start to read pressure. Recheck your oil level again. Now hook up the coil wire. Now is a good time to make damn sure we have it hooked up right. If you are running points, the only thing that should be on the negative side of the coil is your condenser wire (if you have a tach then that’s there also). If you have an electric ignition, make sure it’s hooked up right. If your motor is not full flowed, you can skip all the hose stuff. Just turn it over with the feed wire to the coil disconnected, until your light goes out or gauge starts to reads pressure if you have one.
At this point you’re ready to fire. Before you do, hook up your timing light. With you at the back of the car, have your partner turn the engine over. If you have gas and spark it should light right up. If it doesn’t, here is what you do: First, look down the throat of the carb(s)and pump the linkage. You should see gas squirting down. If you don’t, start tracing your fuel system backwards. Common issues are: Needle and seat stuck close, fuel lines hooked up to the pump backwards, bad fuel pump, plugged fuel line, and my favorite, no gas in the tank.
So you have gas, let’s check the ignition. Take a test light, put in on the positive side of the coil, turn the key on, do you have power? If yes, then put the probe on the negative side of the coil and have your partner turn the motor over. The test light should flash. If it comes on and stays on you have a problem. If it doesn’t come on at all you have a problem. What I have seen here is: Points are closed up, bad condensers, electric ignition hooked up wrong and smoked, bad coil. If your light flashes and still nothing then take a spare plug and take a wire (I use number 4) and set it on the tin screw. Turn the motor over it should spark.
Ok we got it all working and the motor is running. Have your partner keep a hand on the key and an eye on the oil pressure light and or gauge.
First thing here is to time it. With your gun, time the motor where you want it. Rev the motor up a little and make sure the marks on your pulley move. That tells you the advance is working in your ignition. Once it’s timed, adjust your carb(s). Once you feel you have it where you want it I usually rev the motor to around 2K for ten or twenty minutes. I use a stop to hold the throttle open that far. Time to shut the thing off and have a beer with your partner. Let the motor cool down all the way (and I mean all the way), then adjust your valves. If they are off (they pretty much always are) adjust them to your spec. Fire the motor again and drive it around the block a few times. Let it cool off and adjust the valves again. If they were close, drive if for a day and adjust them again. Keep adjusting them with your motor driven farther and farther each time until they find a home. Things are breaking in and stuff moves, each engine is different. I have had to do them three times and other times I have had to do them ten times before they found a home. That’s about it for start up. I would change my oil sooner rather than later on this as to get all the assembly lube and break-in bits out.
I have seen too many times people just popping in a motor and just firing it up without taking these steps. Some get away with it, some don’t. You don’t want to be the guy that doesn’t.