What should I check to fire 383

[ga66mopar]

Getting ready to start the 68 383hp in my 67 GTX. The car has been sitting for twenty yrs. The engine turns over with a breaker bar. I'm going to swap out the carb and hook the fuel pump to a different fuel source. Besides new oil, points, and spark plugs what else do I need to check? I plan on priming the oil pump.

 

[moparsteve636]

That should get it started! I might suggest squirting a little oil in each cyl.Not much mind you!and roll it over a few times to lubricate the cyls.

 

[Pistol Pete]

When you prime the oil pump, you'll want to turn the motor over with the breaker bar at the same time for better oil distribution. It wouldn't hurt to pull the sending unit and pipe in a mechanical oil pressure gauge just to keep an eye on things. I'd hate to see you woof a main due to your being on the outside of the car when the idiot light came on.

 

[Meep-Meep]

You might consider changing the fuel pump. 20 yrs of sitting might not have done the rubber diaphragm much good.

 

[ga66mopar]

When you prime the oil pump, you'll want to turn the motor over with the breaker bar at the same time for better oil distribution. It wouldn't hurt to pull the sending unit and pipe in a mechanical oil pressure gauge just to keep an eye on things. I'd hate to see you woof a main due to your being on the outside of the car when the idiot light came on.

Good point

 

[RustyRatRod]

No one came out and said it, but I assume you're going to remove the distributor and prime the engine, right? When you do that, you can have someone spin it over at the same time. Of course, you'll need to time it back up, but that's easy. At least you'll have primed the entire engine. Relying on the starter to prime it after sitting so long is not a good idea.

 

[ga66mopar]

No one came out and said it, but I assume you're going to remove the distributor and prime the engine, right? When you do that, you can have someone spin it over at the same time. Of course, you'll need to time it back up, but that's easy. At least you'll have primed the entire engine. Relying on the starter to prime it after sitting so long is not a good idea.

Yeah I'm going to prime it at the oil pump.

 

[67 coronet]

not a bad idea on something that sat that long to look in carb and valve covers(as much as you can)with a flashlight to check and make sure nothing has made a home inside your motor.other then that it sounds like you are ready to go.

 

[moparbud66]

I was trying to prime my pump last night with the Mopar tool and could see nothing in the way of oil moving in the lifter gallery or in the line to the guage. After reading here, it seems like I'll have to have someone turn the engine over while I run the drill to correctly prime this freshly rebuilt 440. I was trying it clockwise with no results, then read an old post saying to do it CCW. Curiously enough, my new Mopar dist. cap has an arrow on it showing clockwise rotation!

 

[70redbee]

So...did you get it started? It's been 10 days since you asked...inquiring minds need to know.