"New" Engine Setup

[CRBASIN]

I recently purchased a recently rebuilt engine from Mike the Florida Beamer and have a few questions on setting up the engine. Note that I purchased it to replace my original engine, which suffered from low compression in one cylinder.

My questions:

1. Mike had removed the head to check for fire damage (he had a fuel leak and the car burned). He recommended that I replace the head gasket, which I did. I want to check/adjust the valves, but I haven't found the cold lash. One post suggests subtracting 0.006 from the hot clearance (0.012 / 0.014), but there didnt seem to be agreement. What is a good place to start?

2. The distributor that Mike sent along has a gear near the bottom of the shaft; the one on my original engine does not. Both are 1725 engines, and looking into the distributor hole, I can see the slots to drive the distributor but no gears. Is it ok to use my original one, which I know works and looks to be in better shape?

3. My plan is to set the valves as best I can, fill the engine with oil, and check compression. Assuming it checks, I will then install the manifolds, carbs, radiator, etc. Any suggestions welcome.

John

 

[RootesRooter]

Use the hot lash specs. You'll find the lash differs only slightly, if at all, when the engine is actually hot.
It sounds like you've got a pre-Series V dizzy with a gear to drive the tach cable. I don't know of any issues.

 

[Tom H]

If your old SV dizzy seems better, then use it.

Tom

 

[George Coleman]

To start with a fresh motor I set the lash at .013 for both intake and exhaust.

 

[CRBASIN]

Thanks for your help. I set the valves at factory spec for a hot engine. I liked the idea of 0.013 for both, but went with 0.012 and 0.014 because it was harder...

I will use the cleaner distributor.

Question: Do I need to bleed the oil pressure gauge line? It seems to me that it will be full of air. Is this ok?

 

[pruyter]

Hi John,

regarding the bleeding of the oil pressure gauge line: if the line has been taken off the engine and later on connected again it is a good idea to bleed the line as I found out a few weeks ago when after a rebuild of the engine no oil pressure was noticeable when cranking the engine on the starter motor. The solution was to take of the line from the oil pressure gauge and then cranking the engine for a few seconds which will result in oil coming out of the line. It is then simply a matter of connecting the line at the gauge again.

Regards,

Peter