Project Muscle Truck (again!)

It sure is fun breaking in a fresh engine. And then feeling like its broke in enough to see what it will do is fun too!
Ease into it for a short period .Use a combo of higher rpm ,mid range etc until the rings are seated --Then run that puppy like you stole it .:)
 
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  • #182
I kicked it over yesterday afternoon for the first time, and it spit and sputtered for a bit. So I gave it more advance and it liked it... however I ended up turning the distributor all the way to where the vacuum advance is now hitting the intake and I can't turn it any further. So I need to pull the distributor and move it over "one tooth" so I can get about 3 more degrees of advance.

I started it again, and kept 'er runnin' by setting the throttle to about 2,000 rpm's and let it go for about 20-30 minutes to break in the cam and lifters, and to start the ring seating process... Good thing I don't have close neigbors... 2,000 rpms with open headers makes a tad bit of noise... :thumbup:

The vid I took yesterday sucked. I was by myself and was holding the camera out of the window kinda trying to point it at the engine. So the vid turned out a little too "herky-jerky". My buddy Matt is gonna stop by later tonight and help me out and take some better video. Then I will put it up on youtube and link it here.

Sorry for the tease... but this thing is gonna be a monster. Paully... that camshaft in there is one "lumpy-dumpy" mo-fo. :)

I'll be back later tonight with some vids!!!

Gary
 
Al: Use a combo of higher rpm ,mid range etc until the rings are seated

Gary: kept 'er runnin' by setting the throttle to about 2,000 rpm's and let it go for about 20-30 minutes


Well, congrats. Nothing like the feeling of seeing all your hard work pay off!


Al knows what he is talking about. Varying the rpms is essential. What it does is work the cylinder evenly. Holding specific rpms will create a worn part in the cylinder at the top of the stroke. An edge or rim in the cylinder. Not to big of a deal in your case, as the time ran barely let the engine warm up. But still, keep that engine moving through the rpms.

Looking forward to some more pictures, and congrats again buddy.

Were you scared to fire it up for the first time? :)
Many is the time that I got everything bolted up and then hesitated to turn the key- the moment of truth. Did I bolt it up right? Or did I drop a little nut here or there in some essential spot (like inside the piston hole?)
 
Cool Gary, looking forward to a bit of near stall idling, accompnied by the vroom vroom of the get up and go rpms... :)
 
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  • #188
Al knows what he is talking about. Varying the rpms is essential. What it does is work the cylinder evenly. Holding specific rpms will create a worn part in the cylinder at the top of the stroke. An edge or rim in the cylinder. Not to big of a deal in your case, as the time ran barely let the engine warm up. But still, keep that engine moving through the rpms.

Looking forward to some more pictures, and congrats again buddy.

Were you scared to fire it up for the first time? :)
Many is the time that I got everything bolted up and then hesitated to turn the key- the moment of truth. Did I bolt it up right? Or did I drop a little nut here or there in some essential spot (like inside the piston hole?)

Runnin' the engine for 20-30 minutes at that RPM is now damn near essential to breaking in camshafts. It had nothing to do with the rings. The oils that are made now days have no zinc in them... so you have to run zinc additives with old school flat tappet cams (like I have). I have seen first hand what happens to cams that have not been broke in with the zinc oil additives. It eats the lobesof the cam and dishes out the lifters... not pretty.

I will finish seating the rings later when the truck is on the road. Runnin' the engine for this short amount of time at a constant rpm does no damage to a new engine... to save my camshaft and lifters it's vital nowadays... this ain't my first rodeo when it comes to all this stuff... lol :)

Yeah... the first turn of the key always has that "butterflies in the stomach" feel to it. You are going through all the mental checklists in your head... but then when it lights off, and everything is hunky-dory... it is very satisfying indeed :)

Gary
 
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  • #191
Here ya go... Didn't get to do anything else on it today. So here is the cruddy vid I took yesterday. The engine wasn't timed all that great. But you can definately tell it has a radical cam in it... this was the second time I started it... open headers. :evil:

Enjoy... :thumbup:

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Gary
 
wicked.

Gary, your hot rod idle is set about 400 rpm too high, the mid idle is good and the gas peddle rev is your call.

Still looking forward to the bumpa bumpa.........BUMPA...bumpa cam noises :D
 
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  • #193
Yeah Paully...It is set waaayyyy too high. Actually I had my foot in it the whole time during this vid holding it there just to keep it runnin'... No choke, and since it was the second time I started it... it was still a little cold blooded... ;)

I have yet to time it and settle it down to curb idle... that vid is comin' soon...

I like it to be around 750 rpms or so at idle...

:)

Gary
 
Gary: I will finish seating the rings later when the truck is on the road. Runnin' the engine for this short amount of time at a constant rpm does no damage to a new engine... to save my camshaft and lifters it's vital nowadays... this ain't my first rodeo when it comes to all this stuff... lol

Thanks for schooling me on that. I am a mechanic about as much as a fry cook is a chef!

I know how to bolt and unbolt stuff, but dont really know the ins and outs.
Sounds good Gary
 
G, sorry, I wasnt serious about the 400rpm high at curb idle, I dont know from cars....(anyone remember Gods must be crazy?). I cant remember exactly where my old camaro idled, I think it was near 650 or 750. I do know that it redlined at 5000.

Neat project, thanks for sharing :)
 
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  • #197
Thanks for schooling me on that. I am a mechanic about as much as a fry cook is a chef!

I know how to bolt and unbolt stuff, but dont really know the ins and outs.
Sounds good Gary

G, sorry, I wasnt serious about the 400rpm high at curb idle, I dont know from cars....(anyone remember Gods must be crazy?). I cant remember exactly where my old camaro idled, I think it was near 650 or 750. I do know that it redlined at 5000.

Neat project, thanks for sharing :)

Hope I didn't come across as a poo-poo head knowitall... :wall:

Paully... from what you have told me about that Camaro you had... it sounds like it was pretty wicked... :)

Gary
 
twas a fun and dangerous (to the 19 year old punk that owned it) car but alas its long gone, now that slightly older punk is living vicariously, watching your muscle truck build. :)
 
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