The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 Start Up

I've got the 235 mounted to the frame. I want to start it up quick before I get too far ahead of myself. No radiator and no driveline.

What's the best way to go about starting this motor with no ignition, etc?

Is this a fresh rebuild or a motor all ready broken in and just sat for a while? What did you modify or up grade if any thing?

Mine has two carbs and what I was told was I need use the original single carb to break it in, then I could install the 2 two carb system.

If yours a fresh rebuild you will need to prime the oil system and if the cam was replaced you need to follow the cam manufacture break in procedures. fresh start up

If your "Bringing a dead engine back to life" here's one in the tech tips bringing back a dead engine

This is for starters I am sure some more bolters will be able to give more pointers that have a lot more experience. ohhhh don't rush anything if something does not seem right its a good idea to double and triple check it and ask specific questions

This was an engine rebuilt in 2000. Single stock carb. Nothing modded. Have just never started an engine without everything hooked up to it.

I am not a fan of running an engine with no coolant but I suppose for a minute or so it might be OK. If you have no exhaust hooked up, you might not be able to hear other engine noises that are important.

All you need is a gas can(sealed)like a boat can with a hose you can hook up to the fuel line going to the carb.A battery.Cable to ground the engine and one for the starter. Put a jumper wire from positive to the coil and power up the starter. Make sure you are in an open space unless you can route the exhaust gas somehow.We did this all the time in auto tech school(1979).The day everyone started up their rebuilt motor for the final was lovingly called pop and bang day.It was pretty common to get the distributor in wrong.Be careful.---Jack

Block off the radiator hose inlet and outlet or hook them together. Hook up a hose to the heater hose nipple on the water pump and attach a garden hose to it. On the heater hose outlet nipple, run a hose down to the floor. Have the water on hard enough to keep the engine cool but cold. I have run engines this way for 20 minutes and by adjusting the water flow I could control the engine temp just where I wanted it.

The rest of the hook up is just a matter of wires and fuel.

Joe

If you have a new cam and lifters that have not been broken in, DO NOT start it until you are ready to run it at 2,000 RPMs for 20 minutes to break in the new cam! If you do you will likely ruin the new cam. To run an engine at 2,000 RPMs for 20 minutes, you will need a fully functional cooling system with a radiator. (I am hoping that some of the responses above were made prior to the posters' discovery of the fact that you have an engine which has not had the cam properly broken in.)

if the engine has been sitting unused for 14 years, I'd want to do some basics before trying to run it, like squirting some oil in the cylinders and turning it a few revs by hand, and winding the oil pump with a drill motor for awhile, checking the valve train for oil distribution .... then as Carl suggests, set it up so you can run it for a proper cam break in

Bill

The engine was well run after the rebuild. It just hasn't been run for several years.

I am very new to all of this. So how do I squirt oil into the cylinders? Through the valve cover?

spark plug holes

Bill

Pull the spark plugs and squirt it into the cylinder. It may not hurt to pull the valve cover and squirt some oil around the rockers and on the push rods to flow down to the lifters.
....pulling the distributor and priming the oil pump with a drill will also allow you to check out the oil flow to the rockers while the valve cover is off. Be patient.

OK back to this. Can anyone tell me how to wire the engine for starting? I'll have the radiator hooked up.

'60 235. 12v starter and solenoid but I don't have a coil. Stock distributor and 12v alternator.

You cannot run an engine without a coil.

What kind of ignition switch do you have (or, will you be trying to start without an ignition switch)?

Assuming you have an ignition switch with a "key start" (meant for a solenoid starter). I think all 1960 switches were "key start".

Depending on your solenoid, you usually connect the battery positive lead to the ignition switch and to the solenoid.

You connect one solenoid lead to the coil.

You connect the battery ground lead to the frame or to the block.

Turn the ignition switch and the battery will crank.
Release the switch when the engine starts.
Turn the key off to shout off the engine.

Thanks Tim. I have no coil right now. I meant to ask what sort of coil was necessary.

No key or switch (though I could easily enough pick one up at a flap).

12v coil

You will need a ballast resistor in the line to the coil (unless you get a coil with internal resistance).