I have 2 extra 343 blocks on engine stands if anyone needs one, both need to be redone, still looking for that rebel for the built 343 garry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Armand Eshleman" <aje1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "AMC/Rambler owners, drivers and fans." <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 8:12 PM Subject: Re: [Amc-list] recently rebuilt 343 - No Oil Pressure > Short periods of run time might mean bearing damage didn't occur. > Slathered > up bearings just might live through it. If the bearings wiped off the > slather, then the bearing outer layers will be wiped off. The cam and > lifters could still be damaged because their break in procedure is usually > to run it at approximately 1800 to 2000 rpm for the first half hour, > varying > the rpm somewhat but never too high and do not go to idle. If this isn't > followed I understand that cam lifter damage occurs with flat hydraulic > tappet style cams. > One thing no one mentioned was to remove your oil filter, cut it open with > an oil filter cutting tool or a pipe cutter. Don't hack saw it cause metal > from that cut will get into the filter. carefully open the paper element a > look for metal particles, use a clean magnet to find ferrous (iron) > pieces, > look very closely for bearing material, that will be non ferrous. If the > filter is clean you may have gotten lucky, or all the metal is still in > the > pan or lifter valley. Either way you will be pulling the intake to install > plugs. > > Even though I think there's a slight chance you got lucky, I still think > N. > Alfano gave the best advice, pull it, tear it down, get some engine > manuals > for AMCs and rebuild it paying twice as much attention to every little > minute detail. Doing it right the second time is still better than hoping > it's oK and finding out later that you should have tore it down and done > it > right the second time. > > Armand > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Greg DePratt" <gdepratt@xxxxxxxxx> > To: "AMC/Rambler owners, drivers and fans." <amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 11:18 AM > Subject: Re: [Amc-list] recently rebuilt 343 - No Oil Pressure > > >> Thanks for all the replies...i sure hope it is not torn up. It wasnt >> running for a straight 5 minutes... maybe 15 seconds at a time with >> some breaks inbetween. i slathered it with good lube and oil putting >> it together. i will take it apart and let you all know. >> >> On 11/13/08, Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx> wrote: >> > I missed that post somehow! I'm ranking about the same as Tom -- >> > "experienced amateur builder". Those two plugs at the top near the >> > front > of >> > the valley DO have to be plugged. IIRC they are 3/8" plugs, but I'm not > 100% >> > certain. Those plug the holes that are drilled through the block to the >> > lifter galleries (and pump on one side). Without the plugs you were >> > just >> > running oil up into the valley. It wasn't building pressure because > there >> > was nothing slowing the oil's progress through the pump and out the >> > top. >> > >> > If you used a good assembly lube you SHOULD be okay. Install the plugs, >> > prime the engine with a drill before you start it to make sure you have > oil >> > pressure (the drill may not pump up much over 10 psi before it bogs > down), >> > then start it. >> > >> > I doubt you did enough damage to warrant disassembly. If you did, >> > you'll >> > know right after it cranks up and starts knocking. You may as well fire > it >> > up and see. At worst my guess is you took a few hundred miles off the >> > bearings (assuming a good assembly lube was used). You should be fine >> > on > the >> > camshaft also, as there was no oil to wash the lube away. >> > >> > Make sure you use a good break-in oil additive! With today's low ZDDP > oils >> > that's VERY important. I'd run the additive in the second batch of oil > too >> > (in the second oil change). Unless you are using stiffer than stock > valve >> > springs you should be fine after the second oil change with regular >> > oil, > but >> > it won't hurt to run a bit of supplement from now on. >> > >> > ---------------- >> > Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:52:52 -0800 >> > From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx> >> > >> > Hmm, no engine builers replied... OK, I'm rank amateur engine builder, >> > but... that sounds bad to me. The first few minutes are the most >> > critical by far. >> > >> > Usual practice is to spin up the oil pump with a drill and flattened >> > rod >> > until you see oil pressure, BEFORE you fire up... or at least spin it >> > up >> > until it "gets stiff" so that the galleries are all full of oil and the >> > pump primed. >> > >> > No way you wanna hear this... if it were me, I'd pull the engine now, >> > with the assumption that if you don't, you will later, with ruined hard >> > parts. Or see if you can get the pan off and pop a bearing cap or two. >> > I >> > dunno though, cam lube is dead critical at start up. Did you use >> > high-zinc lube on everything at assembly? >> > >> > Sorry, I think no one wants to say anything so depressing. Maybe the >> > more-optimistic will slap me down here. I do tend to be on the paranoid >> > side when it comes to assembly. >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > Greg DePratt wrote: >> > >> >> > Finally got my 343 back together and in my Javelin. Fired it up and >> >> > found >> >> > that I am not getting any oil pressure....bummer. So I checked my > oil >> >> > pressure gauge and it is working. Next I checked the oil pressure > gauge >> >> > tube and also removed the tube from the port. Some oil will come >> >> > out > of >> >> > the >> >> > port while it is running but not a lot. Next we removed the > distributor >> >> > and >> >> > turned the oil pump with a drill, thinking maybe the pump didn't get >> >> > primed >> >> > properly. Still no oil pressure. After scratching our heads for a >> >> > while we >> >> > remembered that the local machine shop sent the block back to us > without >> >> > any >> >> > of the plugs in it. Usually they put the plugs back in the correct >> >> > spots >> >> > before giving it back. We installed all the plugs we had but were > unsure >> >> > on >> >> > the two plugs at the front of the engine under the intake. With the >> >> > drill >> >> > turning the oil pump we see a lot of oil flowing while looking into > the >> >> > oil >> >> > fill tube. Is this the souce of my low oil pressure problem? > Thought I >> >> > would ask the experts before I pull the intake and have to buy a new >> >> > gasket. >> >> > >> >> > The total run time for the engine so far was less than 5 minutes. >> >> > Do >> >> > you >> >> > think I could have damaged anthing? >> >> > >> >> > If it is those plugs that I need to fill, does anyone know what size >> >> > they >> >> > are? >> >> > >> > -- >> > Frank Swygert >> > Publisher, "American Motors Cars" >> > Magazine (AMC) >> > For all AMC enthusiasts >> > http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html >> > (free download available!) >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Amc-list mailing list >> > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx >> > http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list >> > >> _______________________________________________ >> Amc-list mailing list >> Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx >> http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list >> >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG. >> Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.9.2/1785 - Release Date: 11/13/08 > 9:12 AM >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Amc-list mailing list > Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://splatter.wps.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/amc-list