i finishing up my very first engine build/swap. i went from tpi to carb with a painless universal harness.

i was wondering if there is anything i should do or check before the initial start up? anything i should worry about or look for when the engine runs?

 

You should make sure that the engine is READY to run before trying to start it; fluids full, all wires and hoses hooked up, all bolts tight, etc. The goal is, be able to crank it up and IMMEDIATELY go for a test drive. None of the usual, "I just want to hear it run" at the earliest possible instant, and half-assing stuff just barely enough to sort of work.

Make sure the ignition timing is right: you of course already verified that the timing mark is RIGHT ON THE MONEY at #1 TDC before you put the heads on, or made a new mark on the damper to match the tab, right?; with the #1 spark plug out, turn the engine with the starter until you hear compression come out of the hole; turn the engine BY HAND slowly IN THE DIRECTION IT RUNS until it's about at the point you want the timing set to, say, 12° BTDC; verify that the rotor is pointing just slightly to the driver's side of straight to the front, which is where the #1 plug wire should go; while pulling up on the dist shaft and turning it as hard as you can by hand in the CCW direction, turn the dist body until the "teeth" line up, then turn it CCW until the teeth are about 1/32" apart. Set like that, the motor will fire up THE INSTANT you hit the key. You DO NOT want it to crank and crank and crank and crank and crank; the goal is, fire up immediately THE INSTANT you hit the key. Make sure it has a good hot FULLY CHARGED battery in it. Fill the carb fuel bowls through the vents and pour about a half-ounce of gas into the intake right before you start it.

Start it up. Adjust the timing as quickly as possible, leaving it slightly too far advanced (it will retard itself over the first few minutes of running as the chain "stretches"). Adjust the valves as quickly as possible if necessary. Check for leaks. Drive to the quarter car wash first.