Ive been trying now for about two weeks to get to starting my motor, but everytime i think im there, something else seems to happen prolonging my wait. Last night however, i finished it all! so today will finally be the day that i hear my 355 roar to life. It is an anxious feeling, (my first rebuild).

My final question is, since its been about two weeks between assembly and startup-cam breakin-, should i do anything else besides prime it alot? Also, should i get any type of reading on my oil guage while priming the motor?

Ill post back after work today, letting everyone know how it goes. And thanks for everthing in advance. The people on this forum have been nothing but help with all of my problems. So thank you all.

Josh

Have a fire extinguisher around, and use a fan in front of rad to prevent overheating on breakin. If you have mechanical guage, yiu will get readings on the guage when priming.

Good luck, hope it works out well.

John

I like to prime them until I see oil drip out of the rocker arms. Sometimes, like in the case of a solid roller-cammed 540 that I primed yesterday, this takes awhile. It actually took over 20 minutes to get oil at all the rockers.

You should definitely see oil pressure on your gauge if it is mechanical. I generally see about 50-55 psi with 15-40 Rotella and my normal clearances with an M77 pump and blue spring.

I use a priming tool which has a collar that simulates the bottom of an actual distributor but without the gear, and a very heavy duty 1/2" Milwaukee drill motor. I like to spin the drill motor till I see oil start to drip from the rockers, rotate the engine 90 degrees, repeat, until I've made at LEAST several full revolutions and I see oil at all rockers.

Randy

I've never primed an engine til I get oil at the rockers, or never had fan on hand, maybe its the NEW thing to do. Use a good break in oil, EOS or what have you. Read the oil thread by SWHEATON. Make sure its full of water, timing is close, carb is close, a big rag makes for a good fire extinguisher to throw over the carb, would hate to spray that stuff down the carb, and let er fly :thumbsup: Its the way us old farts do it :D

I've never primed an engine til I get oil at the rockers, or never had fan on hand, maybe its the NEW thing to do. Use a good break in oil, EOS or what have you. Read the oil thread by SWHEATON. Make sure its full of water, timing is close, carb is close, a big rag makes for a good fire extinguisher to throw over the carb, would hate to spray that stuff down the carb, and let er fly :thumbsup: Its the way us old farts do it :D


I guess thoroughly priming is just something that 53 year old punk kids like me find entertaining. :) It WAS new to me in the '60s, though.

Of course, I've never lost an engine OR cam on initial fireup so I'll just stick to what works for me.

Randy

Until this site, I never did any of that stuff either.
I used Motor Honey for assembly lube on everything.
I assembeled bearings with it too.
Pour it over the rocker arms and push rods before you put the valve cover on.

Dump some gas in the carb and hit the key.
I have done 4 or 5 engines this way and never had a problem.

Nobody said we actually did these things, LOL

He asked for tips. I have read all about these tips, so I thought it would be good for SOMEONE to use them :)

Prime it, put gas in it, hook up the battery and fire it up!!!

John