Help Procedure Starting my fresh 440 engine for the 1st time.

[D.Dog]

Need a little help starting new 440 w/ 346 heads Crane 278 HMV cam
Motors already primed rolls over, just need to connect coil and plug
wires and set timing close. I have done this before but its been 10 yrs.
ago. Everything thing is new, Mopar dist.w/ orange box, new wires,
new Edlbrock 750 new gas tank and line. Whats the best procedure? Any help would be appreciated. Was hoping to see oil pressure on guage and clear line after 15 secs but guess I need to roll motor a lot
longer?

 

[abloch]

Check for # 1 cylinder TDC. Insert oil pump primer and run it in reverse (ccw) to prime engine. Reinstall distributor and double check rotation, firing # 1 cylinder. Hook up your wires and "fire in the hole"! If timing marks are way off try reinstalling the distributor, might be off a tooth. Exciting! good luck

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

On mine, #1 piston at top, rotor in distributor faces towards #1 piston should start right up maybe put 10° of timing in it at first. Oil priming will take at least 10 minutes so don't stop until you feel or see the oil at the rockers. on a 440 for sure counter clockwise too good luck, post some pics.

 

[747mopar]

I did just as they stated but also filled the float bowl threw the overflow tube and checked the timing with a timing light (before any fuel was in it). I no most don't check timing first but it's already primed and cranking it also means it's pumping oil as well. Doing these things it fired within a second and sounded healthy, no tweaking the timing, no waiting on fuel. That's just what I do

 

[coloradodave]

I'll add: Yes, you need to prime the motor in a CCW direction using a priming tool while turning the motor over slowly with a socket and bar on the crank bolt. Sometimes this takes a while.
THEN, pull number 1 sparkplug (driver's side front). With ignition off, use a remote starter or a screw driver across the large terminal and the terminal below it on the starter relay to tap the motor over. Put a finger over the #1 plug hole and tap a little at a time until the compression tries to blow your finger off the hole. The timing mark on the balancer should be approaching TDC on the timing indicator. Try to get the balancer mark even with the 10* BTDC mark on the indicator. Next, pull the distributor cap and see where the rotor tip is pointing.Make a mark on the distributor casing where the rotor is pointing. Put the cap back on and slightly turn the distributor to line up a plug wire receptacle with the mark you made on the distributor case. This will be #1 plug wire. Snug down the distributor clamp bolt and install the rest of the plug wires in a CCW direction, 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Make sure you immediately raise the idle up to 2,000-2,500 rpm and let it run for +- 15 minutes. A large fan directed toward the radiator will help it stay cool while you do this. I also give the carburetor a shot or two of starting fluid to help things along before 'lighting it off'. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.