WOW...IT STARTED, and RAN
 

Okay, after running out of excuses (some more valid than others) I finally put my money where my mouth was and started my 88 3.2 after almost a year and a half doing the rebuild. Could not believe it fired up and nothing exploded!:D
I've been trying to do the correct break in procedure just hot rodding around running through the gears and getting on the gas then letting the engine slow the car down. I'd forgotten how loud aircooled 911s are after drving my Audi A4 for the last 2 years. So far the only "issues" are a slight rattle(?) on take off that might be a loose cat heat shield and a oil leak near the base of the distributor, which I assume is from the new cam oil line. BTW, can a distribtuor leak oil?
Oil change in the morning and then back at it. Now I need to reinstall the a/c ASAP since it's getting hot here in Dallas.

Fantastic! I too have been about 2-years into mine and it's sitting on the ground with the tranny attached just waiting to go in. It was my first rebuild as well, I can't wait to do the same!

Alex

Congrats - just fired mine up again yesterday after it was down for almost as long!

Most likely the drivers side cam line. You'll have to pull the dizzy to tighten it, so you'll be able to see the O-ring on the dizzy. Mine was "worn" enough to where there was no effort at all to get the dizzy out, and I believe mine was seeping a bit up the shaft.

I tightened my line and put a new O-ring on, which was DRASTICALLY tighter getting the dizzy back in then tacking it out.

Todd

Ha! I posted a new thread before I saw this one.... oh well.... were your startups like this too? :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq4sX1ySqts

JB

Sounds like a slight knock? Did it stop smoking?

No knocking - chalk that up to bad audio. The smoking stopped - after 50 miles there's still a little now and then on deceleration, but you'd expect that until the rings seat...

JB

I got a lot of smoke out of the HE's for a few minutes but I chalked that up to all the chemicals I dumped on them trying to clean them up! I appear to have solved the leak problem by tightening the tensioner oil line near the base of the distribtor and and the actual banjo fitting which supplies oil to the tensioner. not really sure which one was the culprit but after a drive last night no leaks. I've had to do 99% of the driving at night since I'm waiting for my registration to be sent back and I want to drive it a bit before I take it in for emission testing. The city/neighborhood I live in has VERY diligent police officers (probably a good thing overall) but I've already been nailed once for an expired emissions test and don't need to contribute another +$100 to my great state.