Initial Startup Checklist...
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Initial Startup Checklist... Hey everyone! Well..depending on what time I get off work...and how quickly I get the last bit of wiring done...I might try to fire her up tonight.
Just wanted to ask a couple things and go over my check list... mostly because Im paranoid and I dont want to blow my car up before I get to drive it haha...
Ok... first. Is it ok to start the car, only for like 10 seconds, with no radiator and no accessories?? Not even the altenator... I basically want to hear it run, make sure VATS is gone, and check for fuel leaks...
My check list is gonna go something like this. Hook up power to everything...PCM disconnected. With IGN on, I wanna check for the proper voltage at the plugs for the PCM. Then hook up the PCM...turn the key on...make sure nothing smokes up. haha.
Next thing I was going to do was unhook the PCM, crank the motor a few times, let alittle oil get flung around.
Next is hook PCM back up, put fuel pump fuse in, hit the key and verify that the fuel pump is working, and that I have pressure. I have a gauge in my pillar pod. Check for leaks.
Then give her a go... From what Ive read, these motors usually fire right up...and Im hoping I have the same luck.
Any other checks I should/could perform before firing it??? Its going to be open headers for first start up.....I cant wait for its first fire...its going to be like unleashing hell from my driveway. haha. Neighbors dogs are going to have strokes.
Any input is greatly appreciated!!!
Justin
Just wanted to ask a couple things and go over my check list... mostly because Im paranoid and I dont want to blow my car up before I get to drive it haha...
Ok... first. Is it ok to start the car, only for like 10 seconds, with no radiator and no accessories?? Not even the altenator... I basically want to hear it run, make sure VATS is gone, and check for fuel leaks...
My check list is gonna go something like this. Hook up power to everything...PCM disconnected. With IGN on, I wanna check for the proper voltage at the plugs for the PCM. Then hook up the PCM...turn the key on...make sure nothing smokes up. haha.
Next thing I was going to do was unhook the PCM, crank the motor a few times, let alittle oil get flung around.
Next is hook PCM back up, put fuel pump fuse in, hit the key and verify that the fuel pump is working, and that I have pressure. I have a gauge in my pillar pod. Check for leaks.
Then give her a go... From what Ive read, these motors usually fire right up...and Im hoping I have the same luck.
Any other checks I should/could perform before firing it??? Its going to be open headers for first start up.....I cant wait for its first fire...its going to be like unleashing hell from my driveway. haha. Neighbors dogs are going to have strokes.
Any input is greatly appreciated!!!
Justin
I'm no pro, but my 2 cents is this:
It sounds good that you want to check everything, but i'd hook up all your plumbing, wires, etc before you start it.
Maybe you could run your engine without coolant and accessories, but why should you? You'll take unnecessary risks and set off trouble codes for sure. Maybe worse.. You did a lot of work to your car, I'd hate to see you take a chance on it.
You should be able to test the fuel by turning the key to the "on" position. This should run the pump for 5 seconds or so and pressurize the lines. a leak should show up.
you could probably crank the engine with the coil packs unplugged to achieve the same thing and keep the pcm connected? (in case the pcm needs connection)
If it were me I'd hook it all up and then try to start it.
It sounds good that you want to check everything, but i'd hook up all your plumbing, wires, etc before you start it.
Maybe you could run your engine without coolant and accessories, but why should you? You'll take unnecessary risks and set off trouble codes for sure. Maybe worse.. You did a lot of work to your car, I'd hate to see you take a chance on it.
You should be able to test the fuel by turning the key to the "on" position. This should run the pump for 5 seconds or so and pressurize the lines. a leak should show up.
you could probably crank the engine with the coil packs unplugged to achieve the same thing and keep the pcm connected? (in case the pcm needs connection)
If it were me I'd hook it all up and then try to start it.
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my only reason for wanting to crank it without the rad and all, is that its going to be awhile before that is all installed. Im using the 4th gen radiator and ac/fans set up. Im at the point now, where if when i go to start it, it doesnt run, Ide rather know before I bolt a ton of stuff onto the motor. Like I said, its only gotta start, run for around 10 seconds, then thats it. I dont think it will hurt not having coolant for those 10 seconds. I mean...the only accesories that are really missing are a/c, power steering, and alt. the only one i could see even setting a light would be the alt. But youre right... maybe I will just wait alittle bit before cranking it... Thanks for the input!
Justin
Justin
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70: yeah thats more what I was thinkin! Im not scared of hurtin the hardware. However...frying the computer is in the back of my mind. haha. So Im going to check things as much as I can before just pluggin in the PCM and firing.
It wouldnt be a big deal if it was a stock motor stock PCM. But the PCM already has a custom tune for the mods... and I would like to atleast be able to drive the car to get it dyno tuned when its done. But...I think Ill be ok. Ill try to get video of whatever happens... haha.
Slo... You had no headers? You mean you just had manifolds??
Justin
It wouldnt be a big deal if it was a stock motor stock PCM. But the PCM already has a custom tune for the mods... and I would like to atleast be able to drive the car to get it dyno tuned when its done. But...I think Ill be ok. Ill try to get video of whatever happens... haha.
Slo... You had no headers? You mean you just had manifolds??
Justin
No coolent will be fine, if you run for a few min. put a box fan up to the motor and cool it off.. If you dont have mass air flow or O2s the car won't run too well but you can start it up fine.. once you have added coolent, you need to leave the cap off the rad. and run it up in rpm to let the trapped air out of the motor. if you don't do this step, it may over heat. I think I would start the motor and let the oil pump oil it. this may not be best but you have no way of pre oiling the LS1 set up. the older chevys you could prime with a drill before you spun the rotating assembly.
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Yeah i figured on cranking it a bit with no fuel and no spark just to get the oil started. I know it wont build much pressure doing that...but its better than nothing. Plus I have to make sure my crank circuit is working anyway. Ive got O2s and the MAF will be on. The IAT will be tehre..just taped to the front of the MAF coupling. Other than that, the only thing not there is the ALT. Technically its there...and plugged in..just not spinning.
Thanks for the tip on bleeding the air. Ive done it many times in other vehicles. I figure if I can get the air out of my Jeep 4.0...I can get the air out of anything. That thing is a pain to bleed...
Good call on the box fan... Will do.
Justin
Thanks for the tip on bleeding the air. Ive done it many times in other vehicles. I figure if I can get the air out of my Jeep 4.0...I can get the air out of anything. That thing is a pain to bleed...
Good call on the box fan... Will do.
Justin
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From: Downers Grove, IL
For the air in the cooling, make sure you fill the block through the upper radiator hose. The thermostat is on the inlet (lower) hose so if you fill it via just the radiator the block will be empty until the thermostat opens. I remembered to fill it by the top hose the first time I installed it, but then I forgot when I replaced the radiator. When I replaced the radiator I filled the coolant via the radiator and started it up to bleed the air out. As the temp gauge climbed toward 260 degrees 
I remembered what I did wrong 
I remembered what I did wrong Thread Starter
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SHE RUNS!!!! sort of... Wow I cant believe how well it started. Literally the first turn of the key with the coils hooked up and the fuel pump on produced a sweet sweet open headered sound. I always read about peoples motors firing on the first squeeze....didnt realize they literally meant the first crank!
Unfortunetly VATS is still on I think. The previous owner supposedly turned it off before I picked up the car....but I guess there is more to it in the PCM. No big deal. Im going to build a VATS bypass module today after a trip to radio shack. Hopefully that lets her run for more than 2 seconds. Still sweet...
Here is the VATS inhibited first start up though...
http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...efirstfire.flv
Justin
Unfortunetly VATS is still on I think. The previous owner supposedly turned it off before I picked up the car....but I guess there is more to it in the PCM. No big deal. Im going to build a VATS bypass module today after a trip to radio shack. Hopefully that lets her run for more than 2 seconds. Still sweet...
Here is the VATS inhibited first start up though...
http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...efirstfire.flv
Justin
Congrats on the success! BTW- the 4th gen radiator in the 3rd gen is an easy swap. I did it in mine with little to no hassle. All I did was trim off that little plastic post of the bottom of the radiator and it fit in the car level. To hold it at the top I used the fan shroud rom the L69 cars (electric fan/ carbed T/A) and cut it down with a dremel to make a couple of tabs. then, I cut 2 holes into the top of the 4th gen fan/ shroud housing. All that remained was to bolt in the 3rd gen piece at the top using factory bolts and the tabs fit between the 4th gen radiator and fan/ shroud housing. Looks factory original
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Wow man that looks great!! Im guessing I cant use my TPI radiator shroud in the same manner???? Not sure where I would get the L69 piece. Got any more pics of the top area where those tabs are? i wonder if the 4th gen condensor will fit still... I havent mocked taht up yet.
I alway wondered why you couldnt just cut that plastic off the bottom of the 4th gen radiator. Ive seen a few people hack a big hole for it to fit... It doesnt produce a thin spot after you cut it off does it???
Thanks for the pics. Im going to finalize wiring...then do brakes and suspension... then do the cooling sysem and accesories last. Its just easier to get around things without the rad and fans in the way.
See...I stripped my 87 of everything under car related. I ditched all the factory lines and all. So I have to make a new line from the rear brakes to the front...and plumb front lines as well. Thats why I wanted to hear her run before I did all that... because once thats all done, its going to be hard to work around it.
Thanks again!
Justin
I alway wondered why you couldnt just cut that plastic off the bottom of the 4th gen radiator. Ive seen a few people hack a big hole for it to fit... It doesnt produce a thin spot after you cut it off does it???
Thanks for the pics. Im going to finalize wiring...then do brakes and suspension... then do the cooling sysem and accesories last. Its just easier to get around things without the rad and fans in the way.
See...I stripped my 87 of everything under car related. I ditched all the factory lines and all. So I have to make a new line from the rear brakes to the front...and plumb front lines as well. Thats why I wanted to hear her run before I did all that... because once thats all done, its going to be hard to work around it.
Thanks again!
Justin
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From: Latrobe PA
Congrats on getting your car running. Sorry I didn't send you those wire diagrams yet but some things came up and I had to take the rest of the week off. If you still need them let me know and I'll have them by Monday when I go back
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Andy... Its cool man. I know what its like to get busy. I pretty much figured it all out by process of elimination.
I got the car to run tonight too!! ! ill be getting video either tomorrow or next week when I get back from vaca. I built a VATS module and after messing with it a bit, I got it to stay running. Sounds absolutely crazy with open headers.
Gotta watch the wiring diagrams online... the one for the vats module that i used wasnt correct. atleast it wasnt correct for the parts that I used. I figured it out on my own and the car starts and runs great...so it must be working..
Justin
I got the car to run tonight too!! ! ill be getting video either tomorrow or next week when I get back from vaca. I built a VATS module and after messing with it a bit, I got it to stay running. Sounds absolutely crazy with open headers.
Gotta watch the wiring diagrams online... the one for the vats module that i used wasnt correct. atleast it wasnt correct for the parts that I used. I figured it out on my own and the car starts and runs great...so it must be working..
Justin
