ready to start rebuild - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

bucket · 07-25-2003, 11:18 AM

OK......just completed installing my rebuilt 327. being the first engine i have completely built myself, i have to admit i'm a little freaked out about starting it. cripes, i hope i got everything right! i followed 'rebuilding your chevy small block' to the T, so i'm hoping it will go smoothly. any last minute suggestions? during the rebuild i converted over to HEI and one point i'm a little blurry on is setting the timing during cam break-in. i assume that the 8 degrees BTDC setting is at idle. how do i set this when i can't let the engine get below 2000 rpm during cam break-in? should i wait to set the timing after the 20 minutes on the cam is up? just looking for a little last minute encouragement.

JimKshortstep4x4 · 07-25-2003, 12:08 PM

We set the timing as close as we can get it before firing up the engine and then run in the cam before final adjustment. Sometimes it is hard to get a new engine to idle down and you have to play with them, (Murphy is helping you usually), so you don't have to be in a hurry to set the timing as long as it is close.

Did you spin up your oil pump before installing the distributor?

Good luck!

Jim

bucket · 07-25-2003, 12:20 PM

i did prime the oil pump using my drill and a mr gasket priming shaft a couple of days ago. i primed it for a couple of minutes. one odd detail i observed during this exercise......oil flowed freely out of all of the left side rockers but none on the right side. i'm assuming this is because the crank and/or cam was not turing and the oil galleys were not ever lined up?

jhow66 · 07-25-2003, 12:21 PM

bucket, guit skaking-everything will go alright. To set your time before starting just bring your timing mark around to 8-10 BTDC and stop there. Make a mark on dist. base where # 1 plug wire is. Remove cap and move dist. so rotor lines up with this mark. This will be close enough for break in. Good luck amd guit that skaking. lol

jhow66 · 07-25-2003, 12:23 PM

Right on oil issue--just turn motor 180* and prime again.

bucket · 07-25-2003, 12:29 PM

thanks fellas! i'm feeling more confident now

as usual, I'm probably over-thinking everything.

07-25-2003, 11:18 AM	#1
bucket Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 923	ready to start rebuild OK......just completed installing my rebuilt 327. being the first engine i have completely built myself, i have to admit i'm a little freaked out about starting it. cripes, i hope i got everything right! i followed 'rebuilding your chevy small block' to the T, so i'm hoping it will go smoothly. any last minute suggestions? during the rebuild i converted over to HEI and one point i'm a little blurry on is setting the timing during cam break-in. i assume that the 8 degrees BTDC setting is at idle. how do i set this when i can't let the engine get below 2000 rpm during cam break-in? should i wait to set the timing after the 20 minutes on the cam is up? just looking for a little last minute encouragement.

07-25-2003, 12:21 PM	#4
jhow66 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Knoxville Tenn. Posts: 3,058	bucket, guit skaking-everything will go alright. To set your time before starting just bring your timing mark around to 8-10 BTDC and stop there. Make a mark on dist. base where # 1 plug wire is. Remove cap and move dist. so rotor lines up with this mark. This will be close enough for break in. Good luck amd guit that skaking. lol __________________ 56 Chevy Bel-Air 2dr. HT (purchased new) 71 Chevy Cheyenne SWB PU (502HO) 65 GMC short bed step--work in progress and my gofer

07-25-2003, 12:23 PM	#5
jhow66 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Knoxville Tenn. Posts: 3,058	Right on oil issue--just turn motor 180* and prime again. __________________ 56 Chevy Bel-Air 2dr. HT (purchased new) 71 Chevy Cheyenne SWB PU (502HO) 65 GMC short bed step--work in progress and my gofer

07-25-2003, 12:08 PM	#2
JimKshortstep4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Muskegon,MI,USA Posts: 6,026	We set the timing as close as we can get it before firing up the engine and then run in the cam before final adjustment. Sometimes it is hard to get a new engine to idle down and you have to play with them, (Murphy is helping you usually), so you don't have to be in a hurry to set the timing as long as it is close. Did you spin up your oil pump before installing the distributor? Good luck! Jim

07-25-2003, 12:20 PM	#3
bucket Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 923	i did prime the oil pump using my drill and a mr gasket priming shaft a couple of days ago. i primed it for a couple of minutes. one odd detail i observed during this exercise......oil flowed freely out of all of the left side rockers but none on the right side. i'm assuming this is because the crank and/or cam was not turing and the oil galleys were not ever lined up?

07-25-2003, 12:29 PM	#6
bucket Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 923	thanks fellas! i'm feeling more confident now as usual, I'm probably over-thinking everything.



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