Rebuilt the engine and put it in!!! What now?

[JeffMoss1]

Hey guys,

Long time no post.

So I finally got this engine all together and into my van. All hoses, brackets, wires and doo-dads attached (as far as I can tell.)

So it doesn't want to start. It's having a hard time turning it over. It turns over slowly, like the bearings are still breaking in or something. I was concerned about this when I assembled the engine initially because once I torqued down all the bolts for the rod bearings, the engine was really hard to turn over by hand. The bearings were bran new.

So I'm charging the batteries over night again tonight and we're gonna try again tomorrow to give it some more juice with another car attached to it and maybe another battery. I'm pretty sure it's getting fuel, it just needs more RPMs to catch.

Anyone have any advice for me for starting an engine for the first time?

Jeff "hoping this thing starts" Moss

 

[RLDSL]

New rings can be tight, new compression, especially if it was really worn out before, can be a lot slower cranking.
Chances are you're going to have to recharge the batteries a few times before you get it to cough. Loosen the injector lines at the injectors until you get fuel coming out of them otherwise youll be fighting air in the system.

------Robert

 

[JeffMoss1]

Great, that's what I was hoping I would hear.

So I'm gonna crack the nuts and make sure I've got fuel at the injectors and then just keep trying.

How about once it starts? Anything I should do for the first time I run it? Run it for a while? Short time? How soon should I change the oil? (pretty soon I assume)

Jeff

 

[Agnem]

Maybe you could pull a few glow plugs out to decompress the engine some. If you can get a few cylinders to fire, even if it won't run it might be enough to help.

 

[subway]

when you get it to start i would only run it a short time before you change the oil. get any floating crap you might have missed out.

guess you dont have an electric fuel pump to help push the air out? but i agree crack the injectors and hold the pedal to the floor to get fuel through there.

 

[RLDSL]

After working in a machine shop way back when, I 'm pretty picky about draining the first oil right after running it up to temp the first time to get all the machining residue and various break in lubes and packing lubes and cleaners out. Then run about 500 miles and change again, then go to regular drain intervals.

---------Robert

 

[Ironman03R]

I had a similar problem once with a Chevy 400. I had 6 rods on the crank everything spun free, but after the last 2 were torqued down everything got tight. I took the shortblock back to the guy that sold me the parts, and he found a rod was bent just enough that you couldnt tell by looking at it. Even after we replaced the rod, the motor was tighter than it should have been, but at least it turned over. I ran it for a few years to plow snow, then sold the truck.
I hear someone takes it to the local 4x4 club meetings and it still has my engine in it, so I guess it's still running.
Hopefully yours just needs more cranking power.

 

[typ4]

So it doesn't want to start. It's having a hard time turning it over. It turns over slowly, like the bearings are still breaking in or something. I was concerned about this when I assembled the engine initially because once I torqued down all the bolts for the rod bearings, the engine was really hard to turn over by hand. The bearings were bran new.
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Thats a red flag for me,it shouldnt have got tighter with rods tight, or do you mean with just the install, addition of pistons, bearings dont cause undue friction if properly done.

 

[[email protected]]

I've never rebuilt a 7.3, but I have done several tractor engines. Each time I'm done I also need to put in new batteries and make sure the cables are up to *****. The rings have got a lot of friction until that thing fires off. Can you turn it easily by hand with the GP's out? My guess is you are close right now, just got to get some speed out of it. Is it a manual trans? Any chance you can push start it?

Wayne

 

[69oiler]

congrats on getting it all together. i don't have anything to add other that that