Back yard engine builders.
 

Those of you that build your own engines. Do you get nervous when you turn the key on a new build for the first time? I have never built an engine using as many exotic parts as this engine ( 598 CI ) 8.6 to 1, Dart BIG M block, Dart 357 CNC heads, Crower crank, Lunati rods, JE pistons, TOTAL SEAL rings, BOB Madera solid roller cam, JESEL belt drive and Pro shaft rockers.
Turned the key tonight for the first time on this new engine.
This project took a LOT longer than I thought it would.
It takes a lot of time to rerig a boat. I have been rebuilding, relocating and neatening up everything.
WOW.

I didn't have the drive installed and no water going to the seawater pump so I just started it and shut it off.
I can't wait to hear it idle.
I will try to post a video.

I did the 2 engines in my Sonic. Nothing exotic sorta 500HP clones. My engine shop guy came to my house to degree cams and oversee my assembly techniques. About 50hrs later they still are running strong and I smile every time I fire them up. I stop by his shop every now and then to thank him for his help and see if he is OK. Wont be long he'll be retiring.

I have built quite a few engines in my life just never from scratch. Always started with an engine and added aftermarket parts to make it better. I have the machine shop do all of the machining and I put it together. Degreeing in a cam really isn't that hard with the right tools. It doesn't take that many tools if the machine shop does everything right. I do have a ton of tools though to do it right.

Always a little nervous and very excited. Reminds me of night before christmas when we were kids.

Nothing like something you built coming to life.

I built my 489 myself. Did most of my clearance checks myself, but had some of the more difficult checks like lifter bore clearance checked by a local machine shop. It was a long, drawn out learning experience, as many here on OSO will attest. :p I ran mine on a test stand that I built myself before I had it dynoed. If you think you get nervous on that first start-up, wait until you hear it spooled up on the dyno that first time at 6000 RPM! :eek:

Jury is still out since I haven't had a chance to run it very much. I still get nervous every time I open it up - I have a whole lot more invested in this rig than in other engines I have built.

Doesnt matter who builds them when you get humans involved there is going to be trouble !:eekdrop:

Yup, I always get nervous on the first full pull...
https://youtu.be/0ElKvUC_4v4
https://youtu.be/aw3QEvfEhTM

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You can't help but get nervous!!! All that money, time, thinking and rethinking all boils down to the turn of the key!!! It's part of the excitement!!
In fact, I don't relax until they have like 10 hours on them, then I believe all the parts like each other and are going to play nice!!! LOL!

I took my 454 Mag's and rebuilt the whole upper end, rebuilt the stock heads, cams, push rods, valve springs, roller rockers now, timing chain, carbs and intakes. Very nervous the first time I turned the key but as said above it is Christmas morning every time I hear them run! I might have 40ish hours on them and running strong with zero issues.

I don't know if it's nervous or excited, maybe a combination of the 2, nothing like choosing your own parts and actually having them work. Best of luck with your new motor !

Sometimes you buy all the right parts, tighten every nut to perfection, and even check the lifter bore clearances, but...
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/t...9B1295D6C4.jpg

C10 cat, I hate it when I can't find a wrench...

"HEY!!!! There's that 7/16" wrench I was missing"

It's the small stuff that kills you!

I had a buddy who purchased 2 new engines from Innovation. Messing with them, he wanted to add nitrous, so he buys this beautiful "rack" of stainless tubes with gas lines and nitrous lines all perfectly bent add fuel and nitrous to each port and attached them to equally beautiful fittings into the intake runners. It was awesome......except.......he didn't tighten 2 of the rear nitrous fittings on one motor and the vibration made them come off during a hard pass, went super lean in two holes and poof!!! Mucho dinero down the toilet.

There's a time and a place for alcohol.

LOL

There's more than one horror story of brand new motors going toast due to the wrong $12 bypass valve.

I. Hilt my first two motors last winter. I'm still nervous and constantly find myself listening to very perceived weird noise...

God knows how many I have built and I still get a little nervous/anxious the first time I fire them, especially on the first dyno pull. And the day that the nervous/anxious feeling goes away is the day that I quit doing it. That nervous/anxious feeling is what keeps me on my toes and makes sure that I take my time and do it right.
Eddie

No matter how diligent you are, things do happen. We're human and so are the people who make the parts. My current boat engine I had 3 of the 5 bolts holding the oil pump bottom cover back out. Thankfully I noticed the oil pressure drop, so I backed off and was near the ramp. Idled in with 10 lbs pressure.

This was with a well known US made performance oil pump - a brand I've used many times with no issue. It had never been disassembled, so they were not tq'ed from the factory correctly. Must've been made on a Monday or Tuesday.

I've added one more thing to the list to double-check.

I'm in the middle of my 502 efi build right now. I've built several engines in the past and even worked in a engine machine shop for a few years. This build just seems to be fighting me every step of the way. I'm not going to lie, I always get a little nervous/excited when firing them up for the first time! I can't wait to hear that sweet music the first time I turn the key.(hopefully)

Classic Budweiser performance mod....then again these day's that could be just a Bud finish....:whistle:

Apollard - The bolts on my pump weren't tight at all. I took it apart and cleaned and checked everything, Then I used green lock tight when I put the bolts back on. The bolts won't come back out but IF the engine comes back apart a complete new pump will go back in.

Yep, I do that now. So much for buying tried and true American parts. Now you have to check them also.

Dang. All we sucked in was this dowel...

Solar Centaur , IIRC
http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/...pslrwpco8f.jpg

another fun way to kill a turbo, forget to hook up waste gate.