other Funny New Motor Story.. (Face Palm)

[eurotrash]

So yeah.  I have been gnashing teeth for several months while building my cars original motor.  I don't often have the opportunity to just build a motor from scratch.  So its kind of a big deal for me, and its GOTTA work, right?

 

Here's the story. 

 

I finally get the motor installed, jumping hurdle after hurdle to get there.  Motor in, another hurdle.  Found a solution.  Moving on..  get everything connected, installed and added to the equation and I am ready to crank the thing for the first time.  OH, wait.  Need to run the nylon tubing for the mechanical oil pressure gauge to monitor that.  OK, damn, it started to kink..  run it any way.

 

Time to fire the starter motor with out plugs, and get pressure up.  What?  nothing at the gauge?  CRAP.  What?  Light on the dash won't go away?!  CRAP!  Run battery dead.

 

Can't sleep..

 

Check for oil flow at the filter...  its full.  Pull the tubing off the adapter at the distributor.. dumps oil on cranking..  WTF..!!  Pull valve cover, and crank it..  No oil at the sprayer tube.  WTF.  

 

Hell with it, start the thing.      She lives!!!!  Still, the damn gauge still shows nothing and the dash light is staring me in the face.  

 

Temp rises, shut it down after 5-10 minute 2k heat cycle.

 

Can't sleep over oil pressure issue..

 

Carbs dialed in, motor at end of second run-in cycle, it idles like a champ.  STILL HAVE DASH LIGHT AND... WAIT, UP UNDER THE DASH THE TUBING WAS KINKED RESTRICTING FLOW..  

 

Check calve train, its wet with oil.

 

Can't sleep...

 

In conversation, 'crumbing' for ideas, I mention that that damn red 'L' light that won't turn off is scaring the shit out of me..!  WHY?!?!  Is the pump toast?!?!??!?!

 

"You're joking, right?  Red is battery dood...."

 

<insert Scooby-doo group laugh here>

 

<run credits>

 

WOW

 

 

 

 

[Cru Jones]

I've been there before. It's a relief when the answer is found, but frustrating it took so long to get there.

[FunkyLaneO]

haha "L" stands for "lectric"

[M3M3]

would rather laugh over a light fake than cry over engine damage!

[OriginalOwner]

 wait until you have a brand-new rebuilt engine and run it for 5 minutes ...... then realize you never added coolant.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[ndog]

[TobyB]

gauges are just too cheap to NOT run.

 

I ran a blue towel through an engine once- it came out the

tailpipe mostly intact...

 

t

[eurotrash]

To add to the mayhem.  I tried to take her on her maiden voyage this past Saturday, to my shop for Coffee and Cars..  Well, I got about a quarter mile away and lost some oomph while a nasty tick developed in the valve train..  I shut her down, and because the motor wasn't up to running temp yet, I performed and emergency valve adjustment.   I had everything loose for run in, so I clamped it down to .008.  But still, the tick became audible yet again, and just while idling, in about 30 seconds..

 

So I hobbled her home and went to CNC sulking and worrying.

 

Got home in the early afternoon and went to work trouble shooting, fearing the worst, of course.

 

Well, found that #4 exhaust had the eccentric bolt out of its key'd position and it appears that as it ran, it let the eccentric move a tad each time the cam opened the valve, hence making it 'fade in'. 

 

Luckily the bolt was holding just enough to keep the rocker from flying free and possibly whacking a piston with a valve.

 

Once I repositioned the bolt, readjusted the rocker, the thing is smooth as one would expect.   

 

ENOUGH SCARES ALREADY!!!!  EEEEEESH!  lol