[Nova1963T]

I'm a little nervous.. Been working on this car for almost a year. I have just the stock setup since I'm trying to save $$$.

The engine is a 67 2bbl 283 in front of a powerglide. I'm just trying to make sure I have everything right..

So this is what I'm gonna do when I go to pick it up at the shop. Tell me if anythings wrong.. I know this sounds stupid but I'm nervous and its my first breakin.

I filled the radiator.

Filled crankcase and oil filter with brad penn

Prime with a tool for 1:30 clockwise stopping half way through to turn the engine over

I was told to put 5qts trans fluid in since the thing is bone dry.. It all leaked out when it was sitting for a year. All over my floor The pan was loose and no yoke..

Got all the spark plugs in.. I gapped to .040 since I have the pertronix flamethrower II (HEI version) I do NOT have the resistor wire in place anymore.

I set timing mark to 8 degrees BTDC and pointed the rotor at #1 in the dist.

Fill float bowl in carburetor.

Fire it up immediately rev to over 2000 RPM. For 20 mins to break in cam. Prolly gonna shut it down after 5 mins to check for leaks.

Change oil and filter.

Top up trans and rad. Bleed the air out etc.

Set idle speed to 475rpm

set timing to 8 degrees btdc

set idle mixture screws to highest vacuum.

Drive home?

Is this right am I missing something? All the specs I found on google 8 degrees and 475 rpm.. I'm hoping thats right.. I do not have AIR.

Any suggestions?

-Tom

 

[frogman68]

Couple things that jump out at me..

Get some zinc additive, Napa by us has it..
When priming the engine there is no set time. Should have two people one to run the drill and the other to turn the engine , do quarter turns. keep going till oil is coming out of all the pushrods.

 

[Nova1963T]

I was also told to put it in first and drive like an idiot on a desolate road for a bit after 50 miles.

I have a 6 cyl air cooled trans and the crappy first gen rear but I'll accelerate slowly.

I was also told to change the oil again after 500 miles.

 

[Nova1963T]

Couple things that jump out at me..

Get some zinc additive, Napa by us has it..
When priming the engine there is no set time. Should have two people one to run the drill and the other to turn the engine , do quarter turns. keep going till oil is coming out of all the pushrods.

The brad penn break in oil is designed with lots of zinc and phosphorous for our engines. So I was told. I will ask the dealer if its necessary though.

 

[batman09]

get lots of fans pointed at your motor.....I use a zip tie to hold the rpms at 2500.....watch the temp gauge

 

[sbc1320]

Prime the carburetor thru the carb vent and she will squirt gas when you work the throttle. No need to pour gas in the carb throat to start it. I prime my engine by myself, stop and rotate engine 90 degrees and then prime again, rotating 4 times. I do this on the engine stand with an oil pressure gauge hooked up to it.

After start up, let idle and have a timing light hooked up and verify timing(too retarded will overheat) and then go to high idle 2000-2500 varying throttle revving higher slightly.

 

[Tom Griffin]

Man I don't care if it's a 283 two barrel or a blown hemi I still get excited for the first startup :yes:
Tom

 

[Bob V]

Man I don't care if it's a 283 two barrel or a blown hemi I still get excited for the first startup :yes:
Tom

Nothing like bringing a fresh motor to life...................

 

[Nova1963T]

As long as it works!! I'm getting more and more nervous as the time comes for me to head over to the exhaust shop to pick her up.

I will bring plenty of fans. I wasn't gonna pour gas in the carb throat I was gonna pour it into the float bowl. But pouring it through the vent hole is a much better idea than having to take all those screws off. I think I have a tiny funnel somewhere..

I upgraded to a 5 blade fan and shroud and new rad. So hopefull it won't over heat.. I don't have a temp gauge so I'm relying on the idiot light. But it has a new 210 degree sender so that should give me some advanced warning.

I did however put an oil gauge in.

PS I just got a call as I'm writing this that hes having some trouble getting it (exhaust) over the rear end.. He told me tomorrow. Guess the wait continues!

-Tom

 

[63AzureAquaSS]

Stock idle is somewhere around 850-875 RPM.

My brother in law's father in law (one of those things) was a Chevrolet mechanic for 40 years. Great guy to talk to full of little bits of knowledge; shared this with me.

Not sure what priming tool you guys use, but I had always used an old screwdriver chucked in the drill since my first rebuild at age 15.

The oil passages in the small block chevy rely on those extra machined fat areas on the distributor shaft to block the straight line drilled oil passage holes on the block to send oil to all of the components. I realize that it can be a little confusing, but the initial oil line is an open ended loop until one leg of the T is blocked to pressurize additional passages by changing the path of least resistance. If you are simply spinning the oil pump, it will look good on the gauge but you are only actually oiling half of the engine .

I am guessing if you spin it long enough and fast enough, some oil will make it further due to it being viscous, but at little to no pressure. The best primer is an old distributor with the the cam gear removed or ground off. I picked up a U-Pull-It special and just took everything off the top and tapped a blind hole in where the rotor would be and ran a bolt in the top so a 9/16 socket on the drill works great. Cost was $10 and took about 15 mins to make. You will be able to tell there is more load your drill, just make sure your rocker covers are on.

 

[Nova1963T]

I have an old 6 cyl distributor.. Could this be made to work? I already ordered a primer tool from the auto store.. I haven't picked it up yet.. I'm kinda at a time crunch since tomorrow is the day.

I'm kinda worried b/c I spun the motor by hand a few times counterclockwise when I was under it bolting the torque converter to the trans and I bumped it with the starter to find TDC.. I hope I didn't hurt it any!!

850-875?? The idle is really that high?

 

[64IIGolfLover]

Good luck tomorrow. Don't forget to take a video if you can. Use zip ties to hold the carb at 2000rpm and vary it to 2500rpm also.

This is a flat tappet cam right?

Also, make sure your grounds are good from your dizzy to a good place, or else you could get backfire through your carb and hard cranking.

Heck you don't need the exhaust to be on, start that bad boy open header style.

I'm with Tom any time you bring a engine back to life is great.

Good luck!!!!

 

[the FLYER]

you'll need a gutted V8 distributor for the priming tool... the sixer unit won't work.

best of luck to ya. i agree that 475 is too low. double check all connections etc and you'll do fine.

 

[Nova1963T]

More delays.. I'll try to get a video when it happens. The car is back in my garage though.. Just gotta work out the priming tool and I need another quart of brad penn.. Which in my area is difficult to attain.

The exhaust system the guy put on looks amazing though. Hope it sounds as good as it looks.

-Tom

 

[Nova1963T]

She won't start.. I'm getting flames out of the carb.. Do I want to spin the dizzy clockwise or counterclockwise?? I rotated it counterclockwise alot and it almost started but still breathes fire.. I checked timing and I'm nearly a full post off.. Am I spinning it way the wrong direction?

So frustrating. I'm worried i have turned it over too many times..

I've been trying to start it.. Stopping to adjust the dizzy try again.. Should I have someone spin it while I'm cranking?

I have tripple checked firing order. I know its right. and I KNOW the dizzy is in the right way not 180 backwards.

-Tom

 

[Carl Stevenson]

If it's spitting out the carb, you likely need to advance it (as long as you KNOW it's not out 180 dergrees)

Pull the vacuum advance towards you, so I guess that would be counter clockwise.

 

[Nova1963T]

If it's spitting out the carb, you likely need to advance it (as long as you KNOW it's not out 180 dergrees)

Pull the vacuum advance towards you, so I guess that would be counter clockwise.

geez guys.. Nobody told me to disconnect the vacuum canister! i disconnected it plugged it.. Pointed it at post 1 and presto!

The garage was too busy with people and me going all around. So I didn't get a video.. Plus the thing wouldn't start till probably the 5th try.

I tried to set the timing with the light but I think maybe my mark is off or something cause it ran like **** at 4 degrees.. I retarded it ALOT like so much it doesn't show the mark below TDC and instead shows it above and it runs like a champ.. I will verify that the harm ballencer is right and get back. Kinda strange.. I do get a squeak when I kill the car. Could be the ballencer.. I thought it was a belt since I got so much coolant on it and I thought the old ballencers were riveted together. Its one or the other I think (hope) not a bearing.

I (crappily) wired up a temporary tach and kept her humming at around 2500 most of the time.. Went as low as 2000 and as high as 3000 for about 20 mins maybe a little over. The car was stopped and started a few times.. I had some lifter noise or carb noise.. I couldn't decide but it disappeared when I changed the oil and took it for a spin. There was a knock kinda rythmic but it dissapeared when I added another quart in the trans.. I'm guessing thats what it was. shifts ok. way more power than the 6er. even with the 2bbl its night and day. U can actually drive it now.

 

[63AzureAquaSS]

In your first post you said that you set the timing mark to 8 deg. before TDC. Did you mean you degreed your cam when you built the engine? Maybe that is why things were goofy with your timing light. Also you said that you were moving the flywheel around trying to get your tourque converter on before you had the dist in. Thought that maybe a reason your initial startup had some fireworks.

Just brainstorming a little bit in case you had to troubleshoot down the road, but sounds like you got er fired up. Way to go. :thumbsup:

Yeah, set your timing with no vacuum advance...you will get frustrated.

 

[Nova1963T]

In your first post you said that you set the timing mark to 8 deg. before TDC. Did you mean you degreed your cam when you built the engine? Maybe that is why things were goofy with your timing light. Also you said that you were moving the flywheel around trying to get your tourque converter on before you had the dist in. Thought that maybe a reason your initial startup had some fireworks.

Just brainstorming a little bit in case you had to troubleshoot down the road, but sounds like you got er fired up. Way to go. :thumbsup:

Yeah, set your timing with no vacuum advance...you will get frustrated.

I did not assemble the engine. I just put it in and hooked it up. I don't know what they did with the cam but there is something wonky with the timing marks.. It is possible its in wrong and they gotta fix it or just put some timing tape on in just the right spot so I can time it how it is.

I looked it up on google reall fast and found that timing on a 67 2bbl is 4 degrees not 8. I did move it all over but I set the mark on tdc and dropped the dist in pointing at no. 1 before firing.

When i put it at 4 degrees. it does run but spits through the carb a bit. Sounds way rough.. When I dial it back to where it is now.. Its way off on the light but runs really nice. I have to bring it back because they forgot to replace a burned carb stud. I will bring my light and ask/show them about it.

 

[Nova1963T]

oh geez its been so long I was timing it backwards.. IE I was setting it on the wrong side of the zero on the tab.. I forgot that since the engine rotates clockwise below TDC would be above the zero on the tab not below.. Yeah that would explain why it wanted to sound like a diesel where I thought the timing was supposed to be. I had set it for highest vacuum I will check it again with the light today though.

-Tom