Gordo's 3.2L Engine Rebuild - It's Alive
 

Could spend the rest of the evening thanking the folks who have contributed my efforts - both through direct responses to my questions and through the great information posted throughout the Engine Rebuild Forum. To put it shortly, thanks everyone.

Meanwhile I think it's worth a moment to express my sincere appreciation to Wayne and Pelican Parts: for the book, the parts and the board;

Couldn't have done it without the incredible resource that is Pelican Parts!

Link to a quick video I shot of the 2nd start / just prior to my first drive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npg5dPurap8&feature=youtu.be

Cams are broken in and have a check in the box for the first run-in / drive.

Excited to get the carbs tuned, break in done and stretch the legs.

Gordo

That sounds SWEET! Btw, I don't know who built that bracket for the oil breather tank but that thing is NICE.

Great, time to enjoy a few cold ones. Help yourself:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1403488057.jpg

Just watch the video, if your gaz pressure gauge is a dry type (not filled with glycerine) which I think it is as is jumping back and forth, it will self destroy very quickly. Don't bother to ask how I know that :mad::D:mad:

Pressure Reg Gauge
 

Yep - a few cold one's were tossed back following the run-in.

It started and ran - but not without it's quirks (to include my pressure reg needle bouncing from 3.5 to 4.5psi). Other quirks included:

- My crappy aluminum weld job on my external oil thermostat has a significant leak (guess it will be coming back off with the run-in oil change...).

- My tachometer isn't working (haven't dug into it yet but it doesn't seem to be getting a signal from the XDi).

- I have a trace amount fuel seeping from one of the connectors on the Racor filter. I could smell it but it wasn't dripping or obvious - found it when I returned from my run-in drive by wiping a kimwipe around all of the engine compartment fuel line fittings. Just need to tighten the fitting a bit.

- Haven't touched/tuned the carbs yet, but was happy to see my Innovate LM-2 showing AFR sitting around 11 with engine at ~2k RPM. Running from 1k to 5k RPM it seemed to hover in the 13-14 range with a couple very brief spikes hitting 16.

And on a happy note - the transmission that came with the 3.2L engine shifts pretty damn nice; a good quirk that I wasn't expecting.

The exhaust sounds bad-AZZ, but definitely lives up to the B&B reputation of being really loud. I think it will be fine most of the time - obnoxious on long trips...

Got a bit of work ahead of me - but happy to have the car running.

Thanks JJ

Gordo,
I think the gauge is normal behavior. Mine does the same thing, was told to be expected.

Todd

Every time the injectors open there is a cycle of pressure drop and then then re-pressurization when they closes. A dry gauge will fluctuate with those cycles and eventually break.

My glycerin fill one (which dampened fluctuation) is steady at 42 psi.

Great work, Gordo! That's got to be an incredible feeling. Thanks again for documenting the rebuild. Your posts and the responses to them will be an excellent resource.

dho