We Show You the Right Way to Start a New Engine - Car Craft Magazine

I know I left that sledgehammer around here somewhere.

It's been nearly a year since our '67 Buick GS 400 ran. We had just added an Air Ride Street Challenge system and were driving it home when we heard a strange noise that got worse when we revved the engine. That noise turned out to be several bad rod bearings that had eaten their way through the journals of the crankshaft. We shipped the engine off to JMS Racing Engines, where the mill was rebuilt and a set of Edelbrock heads were added. Now that we have it back, it's time to make this sucker run again. Stabbing the engine is the easy part, but what about the initial start-up? It seems simple enough, but if you blow it, you'll likely start a fire, kill your battery, or both. Watch and learn.

Trouble Shooting
These are some common new-engine problems and their likely causes. We've made these mistakes so you don't have to. Enjoy!

PROBLEM LIKELY CAUSE Engine backfires and will not start Distributor 180 degrees off Distributor one tooth off Crossed spark plug wires Engine will not idle Retarded timing Vacuum leak(s) Lean A/F ratio Out of gas Engine idles high Choke fast idle is on Idle screw screwed in all the way Linkage is bound No return spring Noob’s foot is on the gas pedal Engine cranks slowly Overadvanced timing Dead battery Loose battery cables Bass-heavy hip-hop playing on stereo