Engine test stand and brand new "old" engine.

[41woodie]

Ok, I have this great engine test stand and I'm getting ready to pull the new engine in the woodie (it's been sitting a long time), and fire it out of the car.  Can anyone describe or post a sketch of the necessary wiring for the engine.  It's a 350 w/HEI distributor.  Also, I'd like to hook up a tach to monitor RPM during cam break-in.  Won't the tach lead on an HEI hooked to a tach be all that's necessary?  Any special thoughts on firing a new engine that has sit for about 5 years.  It has Seal-power rings, roller lifters, balanced, Comp cam etc. and hopefully it's not a large cubic block of internal rust.

[Dave]

Ok, I have this great engine test stand and I'm getting ready to pull the new engine in the woodie (it's been sitting a long time), and fire it out of the car.  Can anyone describe or post a sketch of the necessary wiring for the engine.  It's a 350 w/HEI distributor.  Also, I'd like to hook up a tach to monitor RPM during cam break-in.  Won't the tach lead on an HEI hooked to a tach be all that's necessary?  Any special thoughts on firing a new engine that has sit for about 5 years.  It has Seal-power rings, roller lifters, balanced, Comp cam etc. and hopefully it's not a large cubic block of internal rust.

Easy one ...............
Hot wire from battery to the dizzy, switched wire regular ignition switch or push button to the starter solenoid start terminal. Of course battery to big terminal on starter and ground to block. Yup tach to the tach terminal on the dizzy....You can also use a switch to the power terminal on the dizzy too or just a lead with a clip so you can remove it to shut er down... Id prime the oil pump if you havent. If you dont have a priming tool id remove the plugs and crank it till you get good pressure on your gauge..
Dave

[Bib_Overalls]

We have a lot of humidity here in Arkansas and condensation inside stored motors is a real concern.  When I store a motor for any length of time I back off the rocker arms so all of the valves are closed and the springs are not under tension.  I also remove the carb and distributor and close all openings with plugs or tape.  

It only takes a few minutes and you can avoid a lot of grief down the road.

[phat46]

My brother had a Sb Ford on a stand for over 15 yrs. He primed it by turning the oil pump with a speed wrench, Fired it and followed the usual break in procedure. It has been going great formany years now, no probs.
It had been prepared for storage after the rebuild so i'm sure this helped; here in Michigan we have a lot of humidity too, and it was stored in his shop that was heated and cooled many cycles every winter which seem to make things sweat and rust up.

[enjenjo]

Funny story on starting a stored engine. I had one that had been on the stand for some time, a couple years at least. Got it in the car, primed, fuel, ready to start. Fired it up and everything was fine, but it wouldn't idle. Carb was new along with everything else. I looked down into the carb with a light while it was running, and saw something in the intake. Pulled the carb, and found the duct tape I had covered the manifold with to keep junk out. Lightbulb! I pulled the exhaust manifolds, and removed what was left of the tape that had been over the exhaust ports too.

[58 Yeoman]

When I was working  on my wagon, I was buying parts cars wherever I could find them.  I found on with a 283, sitting in a garage for over 15 years.  We had to cut down small trees and scrape away gravel, just to open the garage door.  I tried turning over the engine by hand; it would go almost one revolution in each direction.  I poured oil in each cylinder and let it sit, until the engine would go all the way around.  It eventually started, but smoked bad.  I sold it to someone to rebuild.

[Bruce Dorsi]

Is your alternator mounted on the engine, and will it be spinning when you run your engine on the test stand?

I believe I have read on the RRT in the past, that an alternator should not be operated UNLESS it is connected into a charging circuit.
.....Hopefully, someone will confirm or dispute this statement.

I would remove all sparkplugs, and put some oil into each cylinder to lubricate the rings and cylinder walls.  

I think it is worthwhile to make or buy an oil priming tool.  ...Forcing oil through the system, BEFORE rotating the engine, is very desirable.

After cranking the engine through enough rotations to build oil pressure, the excess oil will be blown from the cylinders, and the plugs can be re-installed for running.  ....It will be a little messy, but clean-up is easier than rebuilding an engine!

[41woodie]

Is your alternator mounted on the engine, and will it be spinning when you run your engine on the test stand?

Alternator is on the engine at the moment but it wouldn't be a big deal to take it off.
I've spent the afternoon looking at the car since I removed the front sheet metal clip.  The wiring is an older Ron Francis kit, that was apparently designed for a one wire alternator but it's got an internal regulator 3wire on it.  Also the paper work for the Francis kit, as well as all of the manuals I have are for an Amp gauge rather than a voltmeter as is on the woodie.  Causing me some confusion figuring out the differences between the schematics I have and the reality of the car.  Unfortunately I took some of this apart several years ago and am just getting back to it so I'm having to depend on non-existent memories.....yeah I know I should have made sketches but can't do it now.  Anybody know a good, source of wiring schematics that are a bit more up to date then the old "readers digest" sized yellow covered book by Jack Sweden out of Oklahoma City?

[enjenjo]

The Tex Smith publishing How To Wire A Street Rod book by Skip Readio is the one you need.