I'll have a 20-30 min long run to break in the cam, then let it cool overnight - retorque the head and reset the valves, then run it another 20 min or so to make sure there are no leaks and it doesn't run hot, has good oil pressure etc. Then I'll double check the timing and mixture and call it good. As this is a street engine and on an auto trans, I'm not worried about him running it too hard during break in. Plus too and also, this car won't be getting that many miles the rest of the year before it gets put away for winter....I doubt he'll have it back in the car before Sept or Oct as his shop is really busy too.
I took the weekend off to rest up a bit, today I sat the engine in the shipping crate to make sure it would fit - and it does - perfectly! In the first pic you can see the base I built to support the engine so it wouldn't flop over like it did when he sent it to me. Now I have to figure out how to strap it down so it won't move in shipment and damage anything. I will have to leave the intake and exhaust off, but I wanted to make sure the radiator and valve cover wouldn't hit the top of the crate and they do clear, no problem. EDIT: turns out the intake and exhaust will fit after all, so I will be able to ship them installed. I also turned it 45* so that it's square to the box and it fits that way even better than the way I have it in the pics. Now I'm working out how to strap it down to the base so it won't shift - I was planning to screw some blocks down to keep it from sliding, but I figure I'll also need some straps or brackets to keep it from toppling. It probably won't tip over, but I don't want to take the chance so I'll build some sort of strapping......
I got the engine mounted up in the test bed, all wired and plumbed except for the water temp, I seem to have misplaced the adaptor - I can get one from Vicky Brits so I'll do that this afternoon. In the one pic you can see my modified engine steady bracket - this engine really wanted to lean over in the test stand so I had to adjust the turnbuckle quite a bit to get it straight. I also still have the lift bracket Clancy gave me on the engine and I'm using my "paint" valve cover rather than the nice aluminum one I bought for him, because the tin one works with the lift bracket and the aluminium one doesn't - makes it easier to get it in and out of the stand. Next up, crank up oil pressure. I used my big half inch drill to try and crank up pressure on the bench but it would barely roll it over, and it got hot pretty quickly - I think the oil pressure came up but it had to fill the oil filter cannister and the torque converter - I put 5 qts in and now it's a quart low. I have to take the red bracket off to get the oil cap off so I can add oil - PITA. At any rate, I don't think it will take much cranking to get pressure on the gauge now, but before I could try it I had to charge up my battery. Next up..............videos!
Just a few seconds run time as I don't have any coolant in it yet, and it's blistering hot outside and don't want to leave the back door open any longer than necessary......
I'll run it some more in the am, get the timing set and the carb tuned properly. Then it will set overnight to cool, retorque the head and reset the valves then final tune. then load it in the box for the ride home.
2nd test run of the 998 automatic. I changed out the carb needle and now it sounds much better. I can't find the adapter that lets me use my mechanical temp gauge so I just screwed in the sender for now, I was going to use my infrared thermometer to keep an eye on the temp but the batteries were dead so I only ran it for about 5 minutes. In the meantime I fixed my temp gun so I can run it longer now. Still some more minor tuning on the carb to do but it's coming around.....since I drained the torque converter, it's taken 8 qts of oil to top it off -I may need another 1/2 qt yet to get it full!
Retorqued the head again this am and I was surprised how far I took it down, as much as half a turn! I'm still a quart low on oil so I'll head out this am and pick up a couple more so I can send one home with the motor. I re-adjusted the valve clearances and I'll run it once more just to double check the timing and carb settings, then it's time to box it up and send it back to Boston.. He's already let me know that he's got another engine for me to build and he's sending his other car out for a suspension rebuild.
If I had a classic I know where I would send it, heck at this point I may send you a Lotus all your build threads are great! Thank you for taking the time to do them
Keep them coming, they are one of the bright points in my Covid-19 doldrums, but I did get out today, I will put that commentary in the correct msg area. So how far is this one being shipped? Lots of quality going into that box. Thanks for the entertainment, if I was 15 years younger I would come hang out in your garage and get myself educated. Don
After re-torqueing the head, resetting the valves, double triple checking the timing and adjusting the carb as best I could, I pulled the 998 auto out of the engine stand and loaded it into the shipping crate on the pallet I made for it out of the one my compressor came on. I cut some 1X8 boards into L shapes and screwed them to the corners of the pallet so the box couldn't shift around on the pallet. I cut up some bits of 2X4 to make blocks so the engine couldn't shift around in the box, then I made some steel brackets out of EMT so that the engine couldn't tumble either, it's as bolted down as I can make it. I found all the spare bits and boxed them up - new coil and coil wire, exhaust fittings kit, K&N air filter, spare oil filter and quart of oil and the extra heater hose he had asked for, even tho he won't be using the heater on this car as it's strictly a summer car for him. All I need to do now is gather all the paper work and put it in the box too, then bolt the top on the container and wait for the truck to show up. I'll also put his ratchet straps around the container and pallet so it will be firmly attached......then I'm done. If you go back and look at the pics of how it arrived, you'll see why I made so much effort to make sure it arrives safely back in Boston. This has been an interesting project, and it looks like he may be sending more work my way later this year, but before I do anymore of his first I need to get a couple of my own projects finished up!
All boxed up and ready to go, just waiting on the truck to come get it. Of course, for that to happen I have to do a major re-arranging of the garage so it will go out the door! No matter, I need to do that anyway..... 18 - 5/16 bolts with nylocks hold the top to the bottom. All the papers, invoices, build notes etc are in the box along with the extra parts and spares. Hope it arrives safely!
Well, I hope he gets it installed before Xmas! All he has to do is set it in the subframe and raise it up into place, hook everything up and turn the key. He has another 998 automatic being delivered to me next month for a rebuild, and in October I'll probably see the white car for a suspension overhaul. Monday I'll contact the trucking company and see when they can come get it - I hope it's quick, I need the space in my shop! Just found out he bought a Classic Mini Pickup shell from a friend of mine - no idea what his plans are for that, but I have a feeling the second 998 auto rebuild might have something to do with it!