My engine's finally going in the car tomorrow. My dad wants to help. He also wants to be there for the initial start-up. My problem is that since i'm re-routing my coolant hoses and I can't get proper lengths without the engine in the car, he won't stay late so I need to start it right away.
Will doing this mess up my water pump? If I start it it'll only run until I get oil through all the rockers.
I'm also going to leave the tranny disconnected since i'm sure i'll have a dipstick issue (tall valve covers) hence no tranny fluid either.

 

no not really, but dont let it run to long. like 30 seconds is the most ive ever ran them. just dont try and run it with out oil....

 

If you just want to fire it up for a quick couple of seconds it shouldnt hurt...

 

It'll have oil.
This'll be the initial startup. Seems to take longer for the oil to get to the rockers. I did however prime it a week ago.
So I should be fine in running it for prolly no more than 60 seconds. Cool.

 

it would be like starting a boat motor out of water with no muffs on it.
I probably would not do that personally.

 

Sounds pretty pointless to me.

Personally, I don't ever start a new motor until it's COMPLETELY ready; like, to the point where I can crank it up and immediately (and I do mean IMMEDIATELY) back it down the driveway and take it for a drive.

Resist the urge to do this. It provides no useful benefit whatsoever, and only carries the potential for creating problems.

 

Sound advice....

 

No fluid in the tranny is even worse.

Don't do it.

 

Yea, i'd wait. Once it's all buttoned up, you're bound to have SOME leaks somewhere anyway, murphy stands close... So that initial fire up will lose it's appeal when you're mopping up fluids anyway.
I'm obviously assuming this is a roller cam eh?
I'd wait until you *think* it's ready to drive it out the driveway, then fire it up with extra people watching, for fires, for leaks, for...(everything else that *will* go wrong). Then in a few days you will actually get to drive it


Gee, can you tell i'm bitter?

 

i'd be more worried about new cam break in time than just to hear it run for a sec. you should run it at around 1400 to 1600 for around 3 to 4 miniutes to break that new cam in and without coolant it will blow

 

you dont need to break in a roller cam

 

If its just for break in, just use straight water in the cooling system. Dump it out and put in some antifreeze later.

 

5.7 - The flexplate wouldn't have been bolted to the TC.
surfertom - roller cam

Everyone else - thanks for the advice. Turns out it's not going to happen anyway. I can't even mount the engine to Spohn's K-member. Their jig must be messed up. I have that post here

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...-member-6.html

Looks like I won't be starting it now until it is ready to roll out of the garage.

Link won't work. Suspension chassis forum titled Spohn K-member.

 

All the more reason. The flexplate is not a flywheel, it needs the mass and stiffness of the torque converter.