~ Well, I'm finally ready to start the B (67 MGB GT to be exact).
~ Everything on this car is either brand new or reconditioned. I'm
~ wondering, though, what's the process/procedure for starting (or
~ attempting to start) a brand new motor? It cranks over just fine, but
~ I remember a thread a while back about priming the oil pump and
~ getting the oil pressure to come up before really attempting to start
~ it. I even remember something about removing the distributor and
~ spinning the oil pump directly. What is the procedure for doing this?
First, get a different car. :-) You can't do this on the B; the camshaft
is in the way.
To prime a B, you pull the sparkplugs and run it on the starter, a few
seconds at a time, till the oil gets pulled up the pickup. It took less
than 30 seconds when Chris and I did this last January or thereabouts;
I expect it'll take about the same length of time when we redo it in the
next week or so, with luck (ordered pistons today!)
This, BTW, is why you wanted to put something like RedLine assembly
lube all over your bearings, cam lobes, and the like.
For breaking in the engine, you'll want to let it run in the car
till it reaches full operating temperature, then consider retorquing
the head and adjusting the valve lash. I intend to follow a much
more conservative approach to driving with this motor than I did the
last time I built it, when I had to break it in on the racetrack.
I want the rings to seat well for street driving this time. If
Randy has any words of wisdom on B Series break-in technique beyond
the usual (spend the first few hundred miles with no more than half
throttle, keep revs under 3500, and vary RPM), I'd be grateful for
them. Should I use a break-in oil other than my regular Castrol GTX
in 20W-50?
~ While I'm on the topic of distributor, what's the best way to rough it
~ in (and make sure the plug wires are connected properly)?
You can actually set static timing with a test light, by following
the procedure in the manual; can't remember the exact order, which
is why they invented writing. :-) As for the plug wires, well, how
did you install the distributor, by the book? If you did everything
right, your #1 plug should be at about 2:00 on the distributor, and
then it just runs CCW 1-3-4-2. Did you turn over the engine till
the #4 cylinder valves were just rocking, then drop the distributor
drive spindle onto the cam (which should have been your first clue
why you can't get to the oil pump from the distributor hole) so
that the drive notch was offset like it is in the picture in the
manual? That was kind of a magic piece of work the first time I
did it; it just did exactly what the book said it would do...
~ Finally, after filling the motor with fluids, I discovered two leaks:
~ one around the valve cover (easy to fix) and the other from one of the
~ brand new freeze plugs! Anyone ever changed a freeze plug while the
~ motor is in the car?
Yes. Danny and I did that. Get a slide hammer and a solid, good-
sized sheet-metal screw. Punch the screw through the freeze plug
and then twist it in so that it has a good grip, then just pull
it out. It's fun. Then use some of the hardening Permatex (2H?
I can look it up later if I have to) as you reinstall the plug.
Be sure you tap the plug well into place so that it expands in
the hole, and of course clean out the hole in the block so that
you don't have swarf or grit keeping the plug from seating.
Oh, I just hope it's not one of the plugs behind the #4 cylinder...
~ Any and all information greatly appreciated
We got my block disassembled on Saturday; more news under separate
cover, but progress was terrific. With luck and a little help from
UPS Next-Day Air, we should get the block reassembled next weekend
and may have the car going vroom by Memorial Day!
--Scott "Then a month to break it in before we take it on holiday" Fisher
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