New engine start up.

jenand40 · Post by **jenand40** » Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:33 pm

I bought a Land Rover exchange full engine about 10 years ago, it is now installed and will be started soon.
I would like some recommendations, please, on the correct start up procedure and oil to use.
Thought I would fill it with a basic cheap oil initially, remove all the plugs and turn it over until I got oil pressure, not able to drive the oil pump as it has a serpentine front end.
Is this procedure okay? Any other recommendations?
Thanks.
Andy.

garrycol · Post by **garrycol** » Sun Feb 12, 2017 12:53 am

The basic engine does not need running in as such - as long as it is driven sensitively with no lugging or long low load periods.

The camshaft is a different matter - this requires constant running at 2000-2500rom for about 20-25 minutes.

I would buy specific running in oil that contains various additives such as zinc that help the cam bed in. If you use cheap ordinary oil you will to add engine breakin additive.

After covering about 1500m of sensitive driving I would change the oil and oil filter to whatever oil you are going to use. Change again at 5000m then in accordance with the routine service schedule.

Garry

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Sun Feb 12, 2017 7:29 pm

You might find that cranking the engine isn't enough to get oil pressure.
If it's got an oil cooler, I would pour oil into the engine via the oil cooler ports to make sure the pump has some in it, then fire it up!

Chris.

garrycol · Post by **garrycol** » Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:06 am

Yes Chris makes a good point having just been through this process myself. You mention it has a serpentine system but that is not so relevant as they can have either cam or crank driven oil pumps. You dont mention what engine it is.

If a cam driven oil pump remove the dizzy and using a drill with an appropriate tip the oil pump can be primed.

If a crank driven oil pump (my process) then as Chris suggested of it has an oil cooler, fill it up with oil, fill the oil filter up and open up the top port on the oil pump housing and fill with oil - turn the engine over until oil comes out there - this will show you have oil in the pump - after putting the top port bung back in it may take a couple of minutes to get oil pressure on the light as it takes quite a while to pump the oil up into the rocker covers and provide the back pressure to build up pressure and cause the light to go out.

With my engine it was a worrying couple of minutes of cranking before pressure can up.

Good luck

Garry

jenand40 · Post by **jenand40** » Mon Feb 13, 2017 8:29 pm

Thank you for your replies.

The engine is a Land Rover service exchange 4.2 litre v8 full engine.

Fitted with an intermediate front timing cover (crank driven oil pump and distributor) no oil cooler will be fitted. When I changed to an SD1 sump I smeared as many surfaces as I could with Graphogen paste.

I have filled up the oil filter with oil and injected some into the oil pump via the pressure switch hole.

Contacted Millers Oil and ordered their running in oil.

Just now have to fit some coolant hoses, fill with water and when the oil arrives will be ready to start it up.

Will let you know how it goes.

jenand40 · Post by **jenand40** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 1:33 pm

Engine has now been started and the cam bed in, Using Millers running in oil.

Started almost immediately after the fuel pressure built up (EFI injection system) oil pressure shot up to 50 psi after about 10 seconds (heaved a sigh of relief).
Revved at about 2000 rpm, was not prepared for the noise from the hydraulic lifters until they filled with oil though!
Had to stop after about 10 mins as there was a pool of oil under the engine!
The oil pressure gauge connection to the engine was not done up tight enough.
Bedding in continued for a further 10 mins, stopped again after the water temperature went into the red, which was a bit worrying.
Once I let it cool down, and tightened up all the hose clips from the water leaks, let it warm up at idle and watched the temperature rise past the normal position, Kenlowe fan start and temperature drop down and fan cut out.
This was a great relief as i fitted a Davis Craig electric water pump with controller (that also controls the Kenlowe fan when the temperature gets 3 degrees above the controller set point (85 degrees)) and cut off all the mechanical driven water pump blades.
Am a bit annoyed about the sump gasket though, as I fitted a thicker gasket and used Hylomar sealant on both faces of the sump and still there seems to be weeping from it!
Glad I did not read about poor DEVONMAN's unfortunate experience when he bedded in his cam before I did mine!!
Now time to enjoy when the weather improves.

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:05 pm

Sealing the sump is a right bloody nuisance.

Depending on the block, oil can come down the threads of the bolts. Some of them line up with the crossbolts (if you have a crossbolted block), and the two at the rear that go into the rear main bearing cap also will have oil coming down them.

Chris.

jenand40 · Post by **jenand40** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 7:07 pm

Okay Chris, how have you solved it?

Would fibre washers on the sump bolts help?

Or remove each bolt, in turn, and apply sealant to the threads.

jenand40 · Post by **jenand40** » Thu Feb 23, 2017 7:09 pm

Okay Chris, how have you solved it?

Would fibre washers on the sump bolts help?

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:20 am

I use a thread sealer on every bolt which goes into ally. Mainly to prevent it corroding and seizing, but will also stop oil or coolant getting past the thread.

jenand40 · Post by **jenand40** » Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:45 am

Located 4 sump bolts that had signs of oil weeping on them.
Removed each in turn and applied PTFE tape to the threads and a fibre washer under the bolt head. Interestingly, when removed, none of the 4 bolt threads had signs of oil on them.

Just before switching the engine off after the initial cam bedding in run noticed a tapping from No.7 cylinder, sounded just like an exhaust leak. When cooled down nipped up the nearside manifold bolts. Meanwhile have found Forum topics on liner slipping causing a tapping noise. OMG surely not on a Land Rover service exchange engine that has only been run for 20 odd minutes!!!
Is there a conflict between running the engine at 2000 RPM for 20 minutes to bed the cam in and in my case seeing the water temperature go into the red, causing liner slippage?
Not able to run at the moment as i am making up a new throttle cable/linkage assembly.
Again will update when next run.

DaveEFI · Post by **DaveEFI** » Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:54 pm

Thought it was mainly the 4.6 which suffered from slipped liners?

garrycol · Post by **garrycol** » Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:01 pm

The slipped liner problem occurred with the 3.9, 4.0 and 4.6 engines.

As the 4.2 is a stroked 3.9 with the same bore etc then the same problem could occur.

However in this case, I doubt the noise would be a slipped liner and is more likely simply a sticking lifter and will loosen up with use.

Garry

jenand40 · Post by **jenand40** » Thu Mar 09, 2017 9:21 am

Looks like the noise is a lifter, have put this down to the thinner Millers running in oil, possibly.

Sump leaks would appear to be okay, at the moment.

Am refreshing another Rover V8 at the moment and on replacing the sump gasket, with a cork one this time, thought i would check the sump pan sealing faces with a straight edge. Could not believe how distorted it was, no wonder it never sealed properly. Placed it on a firm level surface and used a bolster chisel to straighten it out, now looks a lot better. Wish i had done this to the 4.2 engine sump. Well worth checking your SD1 sump when next off.

The V8 Owners Forum -

New engine start up.

New engine start up.

Update.

Update (2).

Update (3).