First startup

[TEX-T]

I am just about ready to start my engine for the first time. The engine was rebuilt when I bought it (78 Olds 260 V8). It's been sitting for about 3 years now. I have been pulling the plugs and squirting oil into the cylinders and turning over by hand ever couple of months. Can I just turn it over and (hopefully) start it, or do I need to spin the oil pump first with a drill? Not sure of that procedure.
Thanks,
Tex-T

 

[Baby Huey]

You should be ok.It would be best to pre-oil the engine with a oil pump drive rod and a drill motor, but if you don't have one...
I'd simply pull the plugs, and spin the engine with the starter untell you get up oil pressure, put the plugs in and fire it up....
You should be ok if you have been oiling the cylinders regularly, I'd squirt em again before I turned it over.........."BH"

 

[Francis Blake]

I have built a bunch of motors and salvaged several you can't go wrong with what B.H. said. Good luck

 

[LumenAl]

I agree with BH... It would be best to pre-oil the engine with a oil pump drive rod and a drill motor.

 

[donsrods]

I think your 260 will have the same arrangement as the 455 we just fired up for my Son. We welded an old 1/4 inch drive 5/16 socket to an old extension and chucked it in a drill. Spun it for a few minutes to prelube everything, then put the distributor back in and fired it up.

I would treat it just like a fresh rebuild, set your timing to fire the car immediately to avoid prolonged cranking, then bring the rpms up to about 2000 for maybe a half hour to seat everything.

Don

 

[AZCOWBO]

Good Running! I squirted 2-cycle oil into the cylinders, filled it with 10-40 Penzoil and break-in oil and turned it over every couple of days. My motor has been sitting for 22yrs. It fired right up. With adding the 2-cyle oil, you will notice when you check the oil level the oil blackens quickly, which is a result of the lighter weight oil seeping past the rings. I plan on changing oil and filter after running a few hours.

 

[TEX-T]

Hey thanks for advice guys. As soon as I get the carb rebuilt I'm going to give her a spin. I don't suppose anybody knows about old Rochester Dual Jet carbs. I took mine apart and removed the Metering Rod Adjustment screw. Then I found out I shouldn't have done that because it is preset for the correct metering rod travel. Now I can't find information on how far to screw it back in. Guess I need to read ALL the insturctions before tearing things apart.
Thanks,
Tex-T