First start after ''top end rebuild''
 

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As some of you have seen from my other thread, I started the head gasket job a little while back and I ended up digging deeper...
I am just about done putting everything back together and I am wondering about the starting procedure with the new cam (and unprimed oil pump).
So far, I have done:
-head gaskets with ARP studs, and everything above that needed done
-injectors
-front cover with new gears and chain
-oil pump
-camshaft
-cam bearings
-lifters and push rods
-water pump (used high tack on the gasket)
-rebuilt PAS pump with ebay kit


I have break in oil and I will be ready to start it this evening or tomorrow night.
I was wondering, do I remove all the plugs and crank with fuel pump and ignition fuses removed until the oil light goes off?
Then do I start and go right away to 2500rpm or do I go to 1300rpm until coolant warms up?
Thanks for any help.
It will be a stressful moment!!!
David

Congrats, my only tip would be to make sure you don't use synthetic break in oil. Best of luck!

Did you pack the oil pump gears with vaseoline and/or assembly lube?
That's the only way you can prime it.

I didn't do oil pump but I did all the top end like you. I just started mine up and let it idle for 5-7min before I drove it.

As sixpack said, as long as you used some assembly lube and/or vasoline in the oil pump, filled the oil filter mostly full, and used cam lube on the lobes and lifters, you can just fire her right up. Mine built pressure within a second.

Start it up, let it idle for a second to make sure nothing bad is happening, then slowly bring it up to 2500 rpm over a few seconds and hold for 20-25 minutes to break in the camshaft

Ideally hook up an oil pressure gauge during this process

alright, I filled the oil pump with both Vaseline and assembly lube. All cam bearings and lobes received good coating of assy lube so I will see!
Might even have time to fire it up tonight!! I will pressure test the coolant system first and put the fan and shroud on and go from there!
Thanks for the help thus far! Of course, I will rig my phone to make a video, in case it all goes to crap, at least we will have something to laugh at once I stop crying :)

I would/did put thread sealant on each of the 3 plugs on the new timing cover.

It's not a new timing cover, I just replaced the oil pump gears... I didn't dare touching those plugs or the oil pressure switch.

Good luck!

Fun!

You won't feel sleepy or bored when you first turn that ignition key!

Change the oil before you start it

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I'm sure I won't be sleepy or bored tonight!!!
I was all ready to start it last night but I am short a couple pints of the break-in oil so it will be this evening! Exciting times!
I pressure tested the cooling system, it held 1.7 bars for 30 minutes after I replaced the clamp on the throttle-body warmer plate, and nothing came out the oil drain plug or oil filter housing when I opened that so the front cover seems good :)
I even have the hood back on otherwise my garage door can't open with the hood sitting on top of the roof of the D2! (Crazy how much darker the engine bay gets with that hood on!)
Now it will be for the oil pressure and the rest of the engine to be good to go! I filled up the oil filter and will put the VR1 oil in.
One more question, after the initial break-in and oil change, should I do the first fill with that high zinc break-in oil for 500 to 1000 miles or do I go straight to my synthetic regular running oil?

After the initial break in of my Turner, I did a regular oil change for 500, then regular again for 1000, then regular again for 3000, and now I do synthetic Rotella T6 every 5000. Cheers!

It lives!
 

Sweet!

only thing, I rebuilt the power steering pump with the ebay kit. There might be air in there. I will have to see to bleed that if it doesn't go away in the next few rides... or maybe the PAS pump rebuild didn't go that well ;)

Excellent!

Awesome! But why would you go and put synthetic oil in a flat tappet pushrod V8 from the 60's?

Hi Dave03S, not sure really, I have been a big fan of top quality oil and I think synthetic stuff makes sense with the cold starts we get up here. I use liquimoly with zinc additive in it. The PO was using the regular castrol fills from the dealership at 12000km and he sometimes went a few years without a change as far as I can see from the receipts that came with the car and I believe that might have contributed to the lifter wear as there was coked up oil deposits on the sides of the lifters. The oil debate is always a good one but I can't say I have facts to back up my choice to use synthetic. Any specific reason not to you think?

Yeah I don't want to get the old oil debate going again here in your thread, sorry. I follow the belief that these are old designed loose tolerance engines. The molecular structure of synthetics is designed for tighter tolerance newer design motors. While the weights might be the same the intended use is different.

But mostly I shy away from them because when I got a factory fresh replacement 4.6 the dealer broke it in with synthetic and it consumed a quart of oil every 900 miles for 160k miles even after I switched to conventional oil.

And because both of the highly regarded independent LR shops I frequent use conventional 20w50 in all of their customers Buick 215 based V8's. I trust their decades of knowledge on what works best.

Conventional oil will cook off to ash, while synthetic is still fluid and working normally.
Being an older pushrod design is no reason not to use synthetic.
The only arguement against synthetic in a 4.0/4.6 that I have seen is that it tends to leak past the cruciform seals.

How long do you have to leave it in there to cook off to ash? Seems like any normal 3k oil change would prevent that.

Another issue is like the PO said, people put synthetic in and don't think they have to change the oil for 12k miles.

Maybe in a Toyota but not in one of our trucks.

Yes, normal oil changes prevent that, but synthetic doesn't break down from heat like conventional does.
I always use synthetic...but put Rotella in my D2.

I could be wrong and I don't care, but I change the oil every 3k and I use cheap conventional oil.

I was told that synthetic oil maintained its molecular shear strength ability for 6,000+ miles, whereas conventional oil begins to slowly lose shear strength (the ability of an oil molecule to resist metal edge to metal contact/pressure) at 2,500 miles and conventional oil is dang near useless for preventing internal engine wear by 5,000 miles.

Like I say, I don't care if the above is wrong, that's what I go by. Pretty minimal wear to be expected changing at 3,000 miles each time, and the conventional oil is cheap.

No need to worry about what leaks out needing replacing or what burns off needing replacing because the conventional oil refill is so cheap whenever needed.

Totally agree with the change intervals.... I use synthetic but I still change at slightly above 3000 miles (5000km, easy round number here)
Most likely overkill but it's cheap insurance I think as I do the oil change myself.

This is my findings with my 928's. One's a 78 and the other is a 84, if I use synthetic oil, any weight configuration...they leak like the Exon Valdez. Dump old school oil in...not a drop. Also, oil with a zinc content was crucial with them. Flat overhead tappets would clatter like a mother on start up with synthetic.

Brian.

Interesting, I might try going back to non synthetic... not sure yet but I'll see. No leaks now though :)
I have been running synthetic in my 85 930 too, it has always leaked a bit from the oil cooler but nothing else.