Bench Testing my Engine

[Dkelly914]

Hi,
I would like to turn over my engine while I have it out of my car. I am doing this to check my oil cooler seals, (which I have replaced). I have my 12v supply and need to know what relay(s) to jump or how to set this up. My car is a stock 73. I have put some juice to the starter and got it to whirl, that's it. So I know there is something I'm missing. I have also had this engine in the car turning. That is how I found the leak. Now before you Tech gods tell me about changing the seals with the engine in the car. I tried that twice. It takes a better man than I to accomplish that. I would appreciate any help I can get. If not I'll put it back in and take my chances. I'm getting pit crew times dropping my engine.
I was so close to firing it up before I saw that leak

Thanks for reading
DK

PS: How would I hook up a remote switch?

[silver74]

carbs or FI?

[Dkelly914]

FI
I don't need it to fire just turn over to circulate the oil.
Thanks
DK

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

If all you need to do is circulate the oil, the easiest thing is to just hook up the flywheel, clutch, trans, and starter. The starter gets the big fat wire from the battery (+) terminal. Connect another big fat wire from the battery (-) terminal to the transmission case or the engine case. Then get a smaller wire (still sizeable, look at the yellow starter wire for an idea of the proper size) to use to trigger the starter. Put a switch in it that is spring-loaded open ("NO" or "Normally-Open"). Use a spade terminal to hook it to the flag terminals on the starter, and hook the other end securely to the battery (+) terminal. When you close the switch, the starter should crank, which should turn the crank and cam and oil pump, building oil pressure.

Leave the spark plugs out so the starter doesn't have to work so hard.

Run the starter in ~30 second bursts so you don't overheat it.

If you don't see any oil pressure after a couple of minutes of cranking, you might need to prime the pump. You can pack it with assembly lube to do this, but I have also had some luck using a turkey baster to squirt oil up into the pickup tube. It seemed a half-@ssed way to do it, but it did work.

--DD

[Dkelly914]

Thanks Dave I'll give it a try.

DK

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

You'll want an oil pressure light at least. A mechanical gauge would be an easy way to tell if you have pressure, but you could use a 12V light. Put battery power to the (+) connection of the light, and connect the (-) of the light to the oil pressure light sender near the distributor. The light should go out when you have oil pressure, just like the stock one in the dash.

--DD

[Scrappy]

You may have supplied power to the starter and got the motor to spin BUT you need to use a screwdriver (or jumper wire) from the battery terminal on the solenoid to jump to the spade terminal so the bendix will engage the flywheel and make the engine turn.

[Dkelly914]

Thanks Scrappy. I got it to turn and my oil cooler still leaks. I'm off to find my oil cooler post and post some pics and try and find out why I can't get the pelican seals to seal. Three times i've tried