I purchased a TDC locator tool (spring-loaded) online and found that the timing marks on the installed balancer are made for earlier small blocks that have a timing tab on the passenger side. This threw my initial distributor timing way off. I re-marked the blue masking tape I had placed all around the balancer and using a timing light and remote starter switch (with the spark plugs removed) I set the initial timing to what I believe was 10° BTDC.
Then I drained the radiator, removed the hoses (bypass, top radiator, heater), Thermoquad, coil, valve covers, rocker arms/shafts, intake manifold (using my cherry picker), pushrods, and valve lifters. Inspected the bottom of each lifter to see if any had signs of wear from lack of rotation. No visible sign of damage, but no way to guarantee whether or not one or more had begun to lose its capacity to rotate on the camshaft lobe.
Applied break-in lube on the lifter faces and over the top of the camshaft the best I could and replaced the parts previously removed, refilled the radiator and checked the oil. I found the dipstick tube was not tight, but I could wiggle it some (left it alone for now).
Then I cranked the motor a few times with the 1972 thermoquad installed and the spark plugs still removed to prime the float bowls. Then I installed a 1973 electric choke on the 1972/73 intake manifold.
Charged the battery, hooked up timing light and remote starter switch, and using a syringe squirted some raw gasoline a couple of times down the primary carb throat. Set the throttle on fast idle where the choke closed completely. Now was the time to finally overcome the nervousness that had haunted me all last night and this morning (see photo #1).
Turned the ignition key to "on" position and cranked her over with the remote switch. Took less than a second and it fired up and ran right up to who knows, maybe 2,500 or 3,000 rpm. I checked total timing which was about 35° at this fast idle. I noticed the old choke pull-off had opened the choke a crack, so I did not have to place the Phillips head screwdriver I had at the ready to help open the choke blade any more.
I set my phone timer to 20 minutes and then lowered the fast idle a bit. Then I connected the vacuum advance and the fast idle increased, so I lowered it back down a little bit. Noticed the mechanical oil pressure gauge reading a little over 60 psi and saw the dash gauges not working. So I used a pistol laser thermometer to keep tabs on the coolant temperature at the thermostat housing (forgot to mention when I removed/replaced the intake manifold this last time I removed the thermostat in order to help fill the cylinder block with coolant before start-up and I left the thermostat for now on the bench).
I noticed a little valve train noise, probably due to the fact that I had set the valve lash (quarter turn after removing slack in the hydraulic lifters) using the chart I had from direct connection that shows which two valves to adjust after rotating the crank every 90 degrees. Well, since I had done the valve adjustment with the timing marks in the wrong place (as mentioned above), I can see where a re-adjustment is called for.
So with the valve train making some ticking, I decided to shut the motor down after ten minutes of fast idle (not the 20 minutes recommended for camshaft break-in). I short time after I had shut things down, some coolant spilled out onto the ground from the overflow hose (I had cold-filled the radiator to the very top).
Now I have to decide whether to run it tomorrow another ten minutes as is, or go though the trouble of adjusting the valves again beforehand?
I noticed after the 10 minute run time that the electric choke had fully opened on its own (see photo #2). I was surprised to find that out because the wire is not connected to any power source yet (I do have an NOS factory electric choke controller still in the box).
