The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Rebuilt Motor

I have a 283 I bought from a guy that had it rebuilt for his chevelle but then decided to put a 402 in it.

When you before start a new motor is there anything you need to do first and what type of oil should you use.

I also have a powerglide does anyone know how much oil I should put in it the radiator and the cooling lines are new also so there isn't any oil in them.

Thanks
Rocky

Rocky, a lot of info we don't know....like what has been done to the engine...is it totally stock ect.

...I'd put a can of E.O.S. (Engine oil Supplement) from your Chevy dealer. Use a quart of it in place of one of the quarts of oil. Fill the radiator up with coolant and make sure the transmission fluid shows on the dipstick. Start it up and monitor all gauges. When the thermostat opens the water level will go down and you can then top it off. If fluid showed on transmission stick you should be OK while you run in the engine then later check it while its hot. I take it that the transmission was NOT rebuilt.
Your in Utah so oil is your choice. Even in Utah I think I'd start it up on 10W30 but the choice is yours and others will have their opinions. My sister in law lives in Mt. Pleasant and runs 10w30 year round. I like Valvoline or Castrol.

Have someone else to help you so that you can do a quick check on the timing and keep watch on things.

Your question begs for a lot more info but that's my .02 for now. I'm sure lots of others will chime in with their assessment.

Rocky,
Is the power glide empty? If the torque converter is empty and no oil in the transmission you will probably need 8-10 qts. You don't want to run it dry, put in 4/5 qts start engine and check trans. oil level, it will pump into the torque converter and the pan will be empty. So check it quickly, you will burn up the pump if you run it dry.

Sorry for the lack of information. The motor is stock and the transmission has been rebuilt, there is oil in the torque converter. I was wondering if I should take off the valve covers and pour oil on everything before starting it. And I have heard years ago you should take the distributor out and put something on a drill and turn the oil pump and get the oil on all the moving parts. Is that necessary. Also I was thinking I should use synthetic oil.

And Achipmunk when you say supplement do you mean something like Lucas.

If it has not been started after a rebuild, pulling the distributor and spin the oil pump to get oil thru all the passages, bearings and and fill the fuel filter, is a good idea.
It would also mix in and additive if you go that route.
My father use to mark the distributor good for replacement location and then take an old long screw driver with the handle busted off, then put in a drill motor to spin the oil pump. The bottom of the distributor spins the oil pump and when you pull it, you will see what you need to spin the pump. Also make sure which way to spin, if you go the wrong rotation, it will suck all the oil back out of everything.
You will now if you done it right with a valve cover off and oil starts showing up there.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

Don

some of the automatic trannys don't circulate fluid in neutral. Whenever I replace one, as stated, put fluid in till it shows the proper level on dipstick, fire it up, shift into reverse, then drive a couple times, back into neutral, and check fluid. Repeat till it shows on the dipstick but is STILL LOW. You want to do your final level check after it is up to operating temp. You should also be watching coolant at the same time.

One more thing to add, I am assuming since you said it was a stock engine, it does not have roller lifters. You should run oil with zinc additives in it for proper cam/lifter lubrication. They have taken a lot of those additives out od the oil in the last 10 years and it is real hard on flat tappet cams.

E.O.S. Assembly lube, GM p/n 88862587 AC delco # 10-4021

When priming the oil pump I would advise to prime pump, rotate engine & prime again several time on one that has sat. Better yet, prime & then have a helper rotate engine while spinning pump. If you only prime in one spot you won't get oil to all the rod brgs.

Thanks for all the help I will be about two more weeks out I need to get my cooling lines still, they are being bent I should have them next week. I need to install my trans linkage it hasn't got here yet but was shipped. When it is running I will follow up her with I hope nothing but good news.

Rocky

I used a screw driver to spin the pump with a drill no oil is showing up yet. How long should I spin it before seeing oil. I assume you spin clock wise for a 283

Tap an oil pressure gauge into the port beside the distributor and spin the pump CW until pressure shows on the gauge. Rotate the engine with the starter while you're spinning the pump. Some early 283's need the distributor housing in place to keep oil from dumping right back into the pan, as the housing completes the oil passage to one bank of lifters. I use an old distributor with the teeth ground off the drive gear as a pump-spinning device.
Jerry

It would not hurt to take off valve covers and observe flow. Keep oil pressure gauge installed upon startup and watch it.

I rented the tool from autozone hopefully that will take the place of the distributor housing. I will try it this morning.

I bought a tool from summit racing and it fits great. Put a drill on it and spun for a long time there is no oil to the rods yet.

Do I need to turn the motor in order for the pump to start pumping oil to the upper end.

What's the oil pressure?
Jerry

no oil to the rods yet? I am assuming you mean pushrods and no oil up in the heads? As Jerry asked, what is your oil pressure while spinning with the drill?

I was by myself so I don't know the gauge is in the cab. I will get someone to help me and get back.

Ok I am getting oil pressure almost 60

Yes, crank the engine while running the pump and let the valve lifters operate. I assume they're hydraulic?

BTW- - - -look at a small block distributor housing- - -there is a groove about 3 inches below the flange with wide flat spots above and below it. That groove completes part of the oil passage to one bank of lifters. If your pump-spinning tool does not include that area, that bank will never get oiled.
Jerry

They are hydraulic but do you mean turn engine by had or the starter. If you use the starter won't you be defeating you purpose.

Yes, use the starter. The crankshaft bearings are already well-oiled by the 60+ PSI the pump is developing. I would totally ignore the lack of oil to the upper end, and pull the intake and lifters to coat the lifter bottoms with General Motors EOS or some other ZDDP oil additive. Most of these procedures for getting oil flowing around the cam and lifters and rocker arms make no sense whatsoever when examined in the cold light of logic- - - - -they're just a bunch of feel-good claptrap.
Jerry

I understand that if you lube everything you don't need to have oil everywhere that is why I wandered in the first place why you need to prime. But now because I tried to prime the engine and no oil is coming up to the heads that make me nerves. What if something else is wrong and I run the motor and no oil ever gets to all the motor. It wouldn't take long to ruin it. Also my motor had the canister type of filter and I removed it an put in an adapter so I could use the screw on type of filter. I am wondering if I could have put it in wrong.

"This ain't rocket surgery"- - - - -just fire it up! You're dealing with cast iron, steel, and aluminum- - - -not tissue paper! If it doesn't settle down and quit making oddball noises after a couple of minutes of run time, then start looking for problems.

Brand new hydraulic lifters sometimes take several minutes to pump up completely, but they aren't going to cause any problems as long as the engine is run up to 2K RPM as soon as oil pressure is showing on the gauge you plumbed into the pressure port instead of relying on the dash gauge, like I suggested.

Run it well above idle speed for at least 20 minutes to run-in the cam and lifters.


Jerry

ok

If this is a brand new, never started rebuild, you need to be careful. You don't know anything about it do you? Just read all you can find about new motor startup procedures. You can double check your new filter and it's plumbing. If the motor was rebuilt and then set for a long time, the assembly lube could have migrated down hill somewhat. Oil will start flowing once it starts and I like to see it with valve cover off even though it splashes a little.

FIY RE drill: You need a good drill and it takes a few minutes with a drill, not 45 seconds. It seems like a looooog time for oil to appear. Your oil pressure is good so that's a pretty good thing. Some people like to prime on unknown motors/new motors, it's done all the time and is an indicator of flow and piece of mind. Some say it's an absolute must. You can pour oil all over the valve train too.
Jerry has done this hundreds of times, but this is your first time and the only motor you have. I am squirrely about this stuff also, it's OK.

Ponder these:
http://paceperformance.com/p-3978-engine-start-up-procedure.html
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/How_to_prep_and_start_a_rebuilt_engine

Yesterday we turned the motor with the start and used the drill to turn the pump. Small amounts of oil came up to the rockers. But this time I only have 25 pounds of oil pressure.

But before I tried to turn the engine and the pump it got even crazier. Water was leaking from the radiator hose at the intake. So I thought it would be best to take it off from the radiator first and drain the water out of hose to work on it. When I did the hose came off at the intake and a large amount of water ran into the head and into the motor. Could that be way I only get 25 pounds of pressure. And should I first change the oil right away or can I change it after I start the motor.

Thanks for all the help

Any water in the crankcase is too much, and if you ran the oil pump with water in the oil pan, now the engine needs a complete teardown and cleanup of the lubrication system. Since the water is heavier than the oil, the first thing the oil pump did was put straight water, not oil, through the system, contaminating every passage in the engine. Take it apart and clean up everything, including disassembling the valve lifters, before even considering starting the engine.

I sincerely hope you had only water, not antifreeze, in the radiator!
Jerry

It was straight water no antifreeze. Now do you mean pulling the motor and taking everything apart like the bearings??? Can't you just change the oil a couple of times.

OK I'll bite. Top radiator hose came off the inlet. If motor is ready to start and all buttoned up, how would water get into the motor? You had the valve covers off and it got it there? What did you do after water got in?

The learning curve is pretty steep, and nobody can live long enough to profit from making all the mistakes on his own and ignoring the advice of more experienced people. Go ahead and change the oil, and hope all those water-contaminated nooks and crannies will purge themselves. I'm done with this thread.
Jerry

Jerry, he's just asking, not doubting. It's OK to confirm the reasoning, it's not challenging your experience. There is a lot of crap info on websites too. Chill bro. People don't just quit inquiring when you post. It's human nature, nothing against you.
You can be done without saying your done. We all appreciate your info. Peace.
Climber: Maybe because the oil moves and flows and is pumped and splashed as things rotate, that the water could be purged. After several oil changes. But who the hell knows? I say this Myth is Plausible. A gallon of WD 40 may work, after all, it stands for Water Displacement No.40
You know the prudent thing to do and you know what the risky plausible thing is. Don't forget to change the oil filer every time.

yeah I wasn't questioning what should be done I guess in my mind I was thinking I can't do all that anyway I couldn't rebuild a motor.

I can't even get this motor started without screwing up. I will just have to run the motor and get as many miles out of it as I can and then have it rebuilt.

also I had a head gasket go out on my v6 and water got in the oil. I changed the gasket and the oil and it is still running.

Thanks again for the help

We hope it will "boil off" or evaporate.,,, and flush out. Lots of "stories" on the internet of flush and run for years.

I appreciate all the help over the years I couldn't have put this truck back together with out everyone jumping in and help me out. I haven't started the motor yet and I am going to make a few phone calls before I do. If starting it is going to wreck it I don't want to do that it will be easier to take it apart.