Lily Engine first start

[Deleted member 21878]

i am waiting on my rocker arm assembly to return and so i thought i would start to make some notes on setting the car up for it's first start. i have been reading some different notes and the manual and here is what i am coming up with:

Lilly is a tri-carb model and i am running Pertronix ignition:

Timing: i was going to static time the engine to 5* BTDC
valve lash: figured i would set them at .014 cold
carb mixture: i set the mixture nut all the way up and opened them up 2 full turns
slow idle screw: setting that to 1 full turn
Plug gap: .025

does this sound like a good starting point to get the car firing and running weel enough to get it warm and then start to adjust from there? or has someone found a better spot to start from?

Thanks

 

[red57]

Sounds to me like a reasonable starting point. A couple of thoughts;

If you don't have another way to pre-oil, I would pull the plugs and crank with the starter until oil is coming thru the system - make sure you don't overheat the starter.

If you have a reground or new cam and/or new lifters make sure you follow the grinders bed-in instructions - usually along the lines of running it at about 2000rpm for about 20 min to bed the cam/lifter faces before you let it idle very much.
I primarily look for good oil pressure and making sure it doesn't overheat during that cam bed time, then it will be warmed up and you can set timing and start playing with the carbs.

Some don't, but I believe in re-torqueing the head gasket, so I would run up to temp a few times (fully hot), let sit overnight then re-torque and set valve lash.
Dave

 

[Michael Oritt]

DD--

I don't want to open up a discussion on a much-chewed over topic but if you have not done so already I would recommend your using an assembly lube and break-in oil high in ZDDP and the other goodies. As to pre-oiling, in addition to Red's suggestion you can also backfeed oil to the oil pump via the outlet going to the OP gauge--just get a small pump-type oil can and work a pint or so into the flex-line so there will be no question about the pump being primed.

 

[Deleted member 21878]

Thanks for the info.
as for the oil pump, i filled it full of oil just after i flipped it upright for the last time. i plan to take the line off at the gauge and pump it up to the gauge before starting.

i did use assembly oil on all the parts during the build. i was planning to use Penn Grade 20w-50 for oil in the engine and tran. figured i would run the engine a few times, maybe an hour or so and then change the oil. Good chance to check for coolant in the oil as well as other things.

 

[Michael Oritt]

DD--

The only time I have had a hard time getting an oil pump to prime itself was earlier this year when after draining and immediately refilling the oil & changing the filter the engine showed no OP on restart. I shut it down and eventually got things primed by loosening the oil filter but that was a sure sign that the pump was up for replacement. On installation of a new pump, even without any priming/packing with vaseline/backfeeding, etc. the OPO went up to 50-60 immediately. I also took the occasion of having the panm off to replace all rod bearings and center main.

I dunno about Penn Grade's attributes and do not want to begin a revisit to the dreaded ZDDP issue but it pretty well universally accepted that our flat-tappet engines are "Special Needs" kids and need proper care and feeding. There is plenty of info both on this forum and all over the web regarding recommended oils and their ZDDP levels, and the advisability or not of using ZDDP additives.

Ever since the issue came to light about ten years ago I have been careful to use oils high in Z content AND have thrown in a bottle of zinc additive as well--this on my Healey as well as the race cars--and I have not had any top end issues. It's hard to convince a doubter that the absence of a problem proves the correctness of a preventative measure taken--I generally stick by conventional wisdom and empirical evidence. YMMV.

 

[Deleted member 21878]

Michael
Thanks. the new oil pumps from Moss say not to open them at all. so packing is out. i did pour oil in it from the pressure relief valve. that will probably be enough but figured i will bleed thru the line to be sure.
i have read a number of things as well on the oils.... on the TR6 site and the old TD sites i have used, Penn Grade oil was recommended. have been using it ever since. it is advertised as being high in zinc.

 

[steveg]

Kinda nit-picky, but .016" is the better end of the valve adjust range. As Randy Forbes said earlier: "too loose will never cost you money".

My engine-builder, Russ Thompson, said he never bleeds the oil pipe to the gauge and they always work fine. Anyway, that's a separate task from your first engine run.

 

[Deleted member 21878]

steve thanks and i take all the info i can get. i had just always heard that valve lash will close about .002 from cold to hot and was shooting for the .012 hot. you are correct. i would rather be loose than tight. what do they say... a noisy valve is a happy valve... i will open it up for the first firing. then check hot.

 

[Randy Forbes]

A brand new engine seems to take a lot of fuel to fire, but two (2) full turns down from the jet-bridge with three (3) carbs might be too much to maintain a smooth run during the cam-bedding process. At the very least, you'll risk bore washing (who knows, might scrub the rings in faster?) and you can always apply some choke if you need enrichment for starting.

Exciting times! Good luck, and enjoy those new smells burning off

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Have your carb adjustment tools : flat bladed screwdriver, unisyn and jet wrench handy while the car warms up for the first time . I keep the throttle connections loose so each idle can be adjusted easily . A lot changes in how the engine pumps air in the first few minutes and you need to be ready so it warms up quickly and smoothly for the first 20 minutes .