Cranks but won't start.

[DeCaff2007]

I did something similar, I guess. My ‘92 was a 4.3 truck and I dropped a roller-cam 5.7 from a caprice into it. Granted I had my father working with me and more-or-less teaching by example throughout the process. But it was a running take out. We re-sealed it and installed it - no head/cam changes or headers. We did this all in an old cattle barn stuffed with antique garbage and uneven concrete.

In some ways, I understand what you’re saying. In others, well, I think many others have stated something similar to how I feel.

Really wish you the best of luck on this.

Sorry, but I just had to comment on this. Originally, I WAS going to just swap in an already built crate engine.

I thought it would be less hassle and, well, at the time reliability was a key factor.

Then I thought wait... no way I'm not building my own SBC, especially at what prices were at the time. I even found a pathetically stock engine on Marketplace and made the 4 hour trip in a Uhaul truck (super, super embarrassing) to go pick it up.

The seller SWORE to me it was a solid running SBC 350. As I did the first tear down, it didn't seem too bad, but I still had everything sent to a machine shop to be cleaned and checked the right way.

That shop told me that the crank was out of tolerance and the iron heads were "fair but usable". That's what triggered the need for aluminum heads and some decent headers.

The rest is history, along with two threads and 24+ pages of aggravation and spending money.

 

[Hipster]

Adjusting too many times... I see.

Here's my video reference of how to adjust valve lash.

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Also, ok, yeah I'll ask it (even though I'll get roasted): WHY SPIN THE PUSH RODS? Wiggling them up and down until zero lash is felt seems 100% more effective to me.

So, let's focus on (any) one cylinder. The lifters are on the base circle of the cam, piston at TDC, push rods at zero lash... now rotate the crank until one of the lifters is at full lift. The push rod for that lifter is now UNABLE to spin. I hope that's normal.

Nothing really wrong with his method , it works, I may have said at some point in the past spinning them is acceptable but feeling for up down movement is a better way. Fast bleed lifters can bleed off pressure in seconds and it's easy to lose your place. slowly cinch down on the nut until you get to zero free play and then adjust to what the lifters specify, 1/2, 3/4,1 turn. If you are not sure what your lifters specify look up the lifters, part number or by type on the internet. If stock replacement type I still do 1/2, 3/4. Not sure where you are at in the build but I find it much easier to set the valve adjustments with the intake off where I can quickly look at cam position. That's generally when and how I set them up but there are other methods. the key being you need to be on the base circle of the cam for the cylinder you are adjusting. there are multiple methods as far as rotation etc but tdc compression stroke is pretty much where everything needs to be when the valve get set. I prefer to do it without interruption. Dinner, the, wife, the dog, the child can wait.

I know @Schurkey has posted multiple times in multiple threads with some easy to understand descriptions on valve adjustment if he was to post up or you want to peruse his threads that's on you guys.

Again, I asked about shoving a cam in a dirty engine. You didn't respond because it not what you wanted to hear
@PlayingWithTBI just replaced a shortblock for a cam failure that wiped a crank out, He advised you and is painfully aware of not doing a teardown and cleanout.
@Schurkey already told you he got a year out of one that wiped the crank after a cam fail
@Hipster says too much valve spring pressure is just as bad as not enough with a hydraulic flat tappet cam. it does not matter that a salesperson or a catalog from Summits website says they are for hft cams. It's a deeper subject that requires better answers. I can only explain it to you, I can't understand it for you.

When you go to fire this, it's not the time to be troubleshooting burnt wiring, incorrect distributor installs or other mistakes and the like. It needs to fire and get through the break-in. 3rd times a charm....they say.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Again, I asked about shoving a cam in a dirty engine. You didn't respond because it not what you wanted to hear

Actually, I must have totally missed that.

To answer this, someone mentioned if a small amount of lifters show excessive wear and the rest look ok, I could probably get away with an oil change and throw it back together.

Well, 4 lifters were EFFED, the rest looked untouched.

I did more that that. I tore the oil pan and oil pump off and thoroughly cleaned them. That gave me a chance to look up inside the rotating assembly. I didn't see any chunks of metal, so I put it all back together.

Right now, as it sits, the intake is off and the valves are adjusted, but I need to replace some hardware, as mentioned above.

Currently waiting on parts......