initial engine fire up

[Chryco Psycho]

 This is the sequence I go through when firing a new engine for the first time
The  Proceedure is pretty simple , I assume the engine was built with usually red Bearing guard oil , we coat all the bearing surfaces with it , as well as pushrod tips & rocker shafts & tips , also put some in the oil pump gears so it has good vacuum ?
I never pre-oil the engine , I feel it is far more important to protect the cam than rotate the engine excessively , the brg guard will protect the surfaces until the oil arrives . I only rotate the engine enough to set the valves & generally install the intake AFTER setting the valves [if you have mechanical rockers] so I can recoat the cam lobes with lube .
1] Take your time & Check everything over carefully .
2] I remove the Power steering belt , if the steering has an problem you do not want to have to abort the cam break in ! I have had this happen .... not cool
3] I set the engine to 20* Before TDC on #1 cylinder firing stroke  & line up the reluctor & pickup tabs so you will have close to 18* timing as soon as you crank it . If you unplug the connector to the dist with the key on you can confirm spark , you will get 1 spark everytime you unplug it .
4] I use a spray paint cap & poke a small hole in the top ,then I flip it over ,fill it with fuel & allow the fuel to stream into the carb bowl vent tubes with the sight plugs out if holley style carb filling both front & rear / all bowls as even the secondaries have idle circuits , I then pump the accelerator pumps until fuel is visable squirting into the carb . Set the Idle mix screws @ 1.5 turns out from the bottom on most Holley type carbs , closer to 2-2.5 with Carter Eddy carbs .
5] Make sure all fluids are topped up , I always leave the rad cap off so you can add coolant as soon as the thermostat opens if needed but cap it as soon as it opens . I also put a pin hole in the thermostat when I nstall it to allow air to bleed trough .
6] Turn up the idle speed screw 4-5 turns so it should run in the 1800 rpm range immediatly
7] Have a hose handy to cool the rad if it starts to over heat just to spray the surface of the rad & increase the cooling efficiency , it will reach operating temp in approx 10 mins & needs to hold that temp for 10 more minimum .
8] pour 1/8 paint cap of fuel into the carb / intake
9] Hands clear ..... hit the key !     
You need 2 people 1 in the car watching gauges , the second working on the engine
Once it is running
It should fire immediatly
1] turn up the idle to 1800 -2000 rpm do not vary speed during the break in run
2] set float levels if externally adjustable , do this before installing the carb if they have to be set inside the carb , often the float levels are way off as a result of shipping / dropping the carb .
3] tweak timing advance until max RPM is reached without backfiring this will keep it cool as possible .
4] reset idle speed to maintain 1800-2000 rpm .
5] Adjust idle mixture screws , if your jetting is lean you can tell by having to open the mix screws out a little
Run engine for 20 minutes minimum all the time checking guages & monitoring engine speed .
After 20 mins or more idle the engine down to desired speed , reset the idle mix screws .
you should be good to go at least to the point where you can hook up the power steering & drive the car & start tuning the carb for best performance , if the idle screw need to be turned out your jetting is rich , if they need to be turned in you jetting is lean .

[headejm]

@Chryco Psycho Question about initial startup:

Automatic transmission that doesn't have the torque converter full of fluid. Should I do the initial engine startup with the transmission in neutral? Is there a problem with that approach? Worried about spinning an empty torque converter. 

[Chryco Psycho]

I would overfill the trans , put in approx 8 quarts in the trans & run it in neutral so the fluid fills the converter

[1 Wild R/T]

I would overfill the trans , put in approx 8 quarts in the trans & run it in neutral so the fluid fills the converter

I generally put in 5 qts & have 5 more already open with the trans funnel already in the dipstick tube....  Start in neutral & dump fluid right after making sure the idle is up around 1800-2K & I have no major leaks...

[Racer57]

What about priming/pre-oiling the engine by using a drill to spin the oil pump ?

[RUNCHARGER]

I always prime it. I do that initially with the valvecovers and intake off so I can visually check everywhere for flow/leaks. Doing it again fairly soon before initial fire up can't hurt.

[headejm]

How long would you spin the oil pump for priming? Don't plan on taking the valve covers off. 

[Chryco Psycho]

I have never primed the oil system , the engine is assembled with protective grease all through it will keep it safe until the oil arrives which is seconds , I do put some oil into the filter but big blocks are tough with the horizontal mounting .

[Rich G.]

I put  a mechanical gauge on and make sure I have oil pressure spinning the pump with a drill. You're pretty safe after that. Less then a minute doing that is all I do.

[RUNCHARGER]

You will feel the drill motor pull down when it pressurizes. If you have a helper he can rotate the crank at least 360 degrees after it pressurizes is the best way but even if you just run the drill 15 seconds after it pulls down will be good.

[headejm]

Thanks for all the input! Initial startup this coming week. 

[Chryco Psycho]

looking forwrd to the update ,
DO NOT BE IN A RUSH , take your time double check everything make sure everything you might need is handy , tools fluids , I usually have a garden hose handy too to help keep the engine cool if you are doing a 20 min cam break in .