First start

I'm getting my engine back from the builders today. It'll be an all new 318! Can anyone share what the "first start" procedures should be?

Get the oil primed up on the engine stand. Pull the plugs out, get pressure on the system and very slowly rotate the crank with a bar until you see oil in your rockers. Once you have it there, get TDC set. To do this watch the valves on #1. After your intake on #1 closes, keep rotating crank until the balancer mark lines up with the one on the timing cover. Get your pump drive/dist drive shaft set in its proper location. Put some tape over the hole, drop engine in, then put distributor in its correct location, hook up accessories etc. Get fuel to carburetor. You can either pressurize, not much, the fuel tank to push it up or you can use a Mityvac or similar unit to pull fuel to carb. Get fuel in carb. Put water, not coolant, into radiator. This way if anything is haywire, its just water. Make sure your battery is fully charged. You want to get it to light as quickly as possible. Once lit, get your engine speed set to at least 2g rpm to break the cam in. Put the car outside in case you get a car-b-que going. Have extinguisher handy. Maybe get ahold of Randy for additional pointers.

I would leave the distributor in since this is a Small Block and the distributor is on the back of the engine. Big block, no issue as it is staring you right in the face. On a 318 it can be a bit of pain to get it lined up.

ckessel said:

Get the oil primed up on the engine stand. Pull the plugs out, get pressure on the system and very slowly rotate the crank with a bar until you see oil in your rockers.

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Is this done by just rotating the engine slowly? Or spinning the oil pump via the distributor with a rotator tool?

Battery fully charged, verify you have spark( without trying to start)
Prime the carb using a squeeze bottle and a rubber hose that fits over the bowl vent tube. Fill bowl and work the accelerator pump linkage until you get fuel squirting into the carb throat.
Check that all electrical wires are connected and tight. All hoses are in place and clamps are tight. Follow timing instruction diagram posted here.
Have a fire extinguisher of the proper type handy. Also I will have a bucket full of water with a small towel in it handy. Easier cleanup and quicker to put out small fire if you put the wet towel over the top of the engine/carb area. Install the air cleaner housing before start up as well.
Have a partner in car at the key in case you need to shut off quickly.
Oil pump priming is done with the intermediate shaft/gear out of the engine. Priming rod goes directly into top of oil pump. On rear distributor Mopar's the distributor rotates clockwise. Very important or you will pump air into the passages. Rear mount distributors are counter-clockwise.
I will post the proper clocking for both types of distributors, straight for the Service Manual.

As mentioned, remove distributor and use a priming shaft and big drill to spin the oil pump and pre-lube the engine. Rotating the engine while priming will allow oil to reach the rocker arms. It really don't matter if you spin the engine by hand or with the starter once you have oil pressure. It is easier with the spark plugs out.
Installing intermediate shaft as mentioned, at cylinder #1 TDC the slot should be pointing towards the #1 cylinder (if you want the factory spark plug locations in the cap.) Use a large screwdriver to position the intermediate shaft (oil pump drive).

Now you need #1 cylinder near TDC of the Compression stroke (Both valves closed). usually rotating the engine with a finger on the #1 spark plug hole will indicat compression stroke when the pressure pushed your finger away from the spark plug hole.
Install the distributor with the rotor pointing forward. It should be pointing towards the #1 cylinder if the intermediate shaft was positioned as above (if the dist rotor and oil pump gear tang are in-line?) Have had a distributor where they were not in line, and that would require either moving the pump gear position, or moving the plug wires (as long as #1 plug wire is in the cap terminal above the rotor.)
Anyhow, I usually try to pre-set the initial timing by backing up the crank to 10-12 degrees before TDC, the align the magnetic pickup with the nearest reluctor tooth (the rotor position will be same position as the #1 plug wire. If a points distributor, rotate to where the points just start to open.

Lots of great comments here. To add to them:

The engine builder should have used some break in lube on the camshaft and lifters. It is very sticky and helps the camshaft survive the first couple of minutes of running. Assuming they used it, avoid spinning the engine too much as you will wear away the protective break in lube. If the builder primed the engine and it has not sat for any length of time then start it up. If it has sat for awhile, prime the engine and turn the crank as discussed by other members above.

The most important element is to break in the flat tappet camshaft. It is not pressure oiled, so idle speeds will kill a camshaft during break in. Once the engine is started, move the engine between 1800 and 2500 RPM slowly for 20-30 minutes to break in the camshaft. Do NOT let the engine sit and idle! If you have an issue, shut the engine down but do not let it idle! Did I say do not let it idle yet???

Good luck and hope it works great!

If I still lived in Ramona, I'd pop down and give you a hand. Mancini, Mazzolini [in riverside btw] and others sell a tool to drive the pump and it fits into a drill. I have an old pump drive unit that I ground the teeth of of and an old distributor with all the advance mechanism removed so it fits into the end of a drill. If you don't have one already, find a 1 1/4" or so socket to fit the crank bolt so you can rotate the crank with a ratchet or bar. And make sure your mufflers are on. That way you can hear any potential problems easier than un-corked.

I review everything shared here. I have a oil pump tool, so I'm good there.

i hope it goes well. all good advice above.

which builder did you go to?....just curious


watermelon

Wholesale Automotive Machine Inc

http://www.wamenginesd.com