Dave Robsons Challenger R/T

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 2:24 pm

Well I fired the engine up yesterday to break the cam in.

To make sure it fired right up I filled the center carb fuel bowl to the max and also poured some fuel down inside the fuel line.

It fired up straight away and I got the revs straight up to 2500 and kept it between 2K-3K for about 30 seconds. Then it died.

Zero fuel pressure. The lines are empty.

Well maybe the mechanical pump just didn't have time to drag the fuel along that big old 1/2 inch line and fill that big fuel filter?

So today I have had another go. Twice. Filled the carb both times. Both times it died after 30 seconds. Still no sign of fuel in the lines.

I think my next step will be to remove the pump to make sure it is OK. Then somehow fill the line from the tank to the pump as well as the lines from the pump to the carbs.

Any other suggestions?

latil · Post by **latil** » Sun Aug 17, 08 2:28 pm

Not joking,remove the delivery side pipe of the pump and try blowing down it,if you can the check valves are stuck.

You did put some fuel in the tank?

andyrob · Post by **andyrob** » Sun Aug 17, 08 2:35 pm

throw the mech pump away & fit a leccy one

Ive got an holly electric one if you want to borrow it to prime the system, but if this is the problem ie large lines/filter, you will be very worried about runnning the car our of juice..........
have you tried taking the fuel lines off the pump & turning the motor over with fingers over the pipe to see if there is any suction ?

try running a petrol can straight to pump ?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 2:45 pm

The mechanical pump has always delivered plenty of fuel in the past. This is the first time the fule line has been completely empty though. I suspect it is having a problem drawing air.

I have to pack in for the day because I have guests coming sometime soon. I will try again tomorrow night.

The whole house smells of the Shell fuel. It stinks like cat wee.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 2:48 pm

andyrob wrote: try running a petrol can straight to pump ?

I will try that if filling the line does not work. I have a spare bit of braided hose with a -AN fitting already on it that will go directly onto the pump.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 17, 08 3:04 pm

Just whisper to her that Im coming over to your place to take a look Dave she will soon start.....just to get the hell outta there in case she goes up in flames!!!

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 5:15 pm

My guests decided to come tomorrow night instead so I got back into the garage.

I unhooked the fuel line from the pump. Sealed my air line to the filler neck. Quick blast of air and the fuel shot out - missing the bucket I placed under the end of the pipe - and made a mess all over the floor. :lol2:

Then I filled the rest of the lines as best as I could and tried again.

SUCCSESS! :s009:

Fired up, got fuel pressure revved between 2K-2.5K until warm and set her away at 2200rpm while I checked around the car for problems.

She came up to exactly 180 degrees and held steady.

The headers were glowing red hot though. Very red hot.

Then after 5 mins or so the bottom hose blew off dumping all the hot water around my feet. So I switched it off and am now waiting for the steam to clear.

Oh well. It is a start.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 5:51 pm

The starter motor is giving me grief now. Will hardly turn the engine over and the battery lead connection is getting red hot.

Time to call it a night before I break something. I will worry in bed tonight about s sized engine or melted starter motor.

MilesnMiles · Post by **MilesnMiles** » Sun Aug 17, 08 5:59 pm

Good to hear that you have it running at last Dave! You know the drill, check everything again (like you always advise us

) , when you have enough time and i'm sure it will be fine.
Really good to see such progress, any chance of making the Hot Rod drags?

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 6:03 pm

Can't afford to go anywhere in it now.

MetalChuckKey · Post by **MetalChuckKey** » Sun Aug 17, 08 6:13 pm

How long do you have to rev for to break the motor in Dave?
I'd love to see this car when it's time

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Aug 17, 08 7:18 pm

Nearly there, Dave.

MrNorm · Post by **MrNorm** » Sun Aug 17, 08 9:11 pm

Red hot headers usually mean a very lean engine
(Can occasionally be very rich - fuel burns in headers, but usually lean)

I'd be tempted after three starts to relube the cam lobes again......but then I am paranoid

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 9:36 pm

MetalChuckKey wrote:How long do you have to rev for to break the motor in Dave?

It is probably OK now it's had 5mins to be honest. But most people say 15-20mins.

As long as you have lifters that spin easily on the cam lobes and good oil and additives (which I have) it shouldn't need much at all.

I personally think that most damage is done by lifters that do not spin freely and weak lubricant that allows metal to metal contact to occur between lifter and lobe due to the high pressure from the valve spring and rate of lift on the lobe. Maybe even sometimes just a bad cam lobe profile.

Because American engineering and quality control is not too good these days.

The reason I think this is because you often see cams with one or maybe two wiped lobes. But usually it is just one.
Very rare you see a cam with EVERY lobe wiped. If you think about that you start to realise it is not just down to the wrong oil or not breaking the cam in right. If it was like that every lobe would wear the same every time.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun Aug 17, 08 9:48 pm

MrNorm wrote:Red hot headers usually mean a very lean engine
(Can occasionally be very rich - fuel burns in headers, but usually lean)

It is a kind of compliment when people start quoting you things you have said over the years.

I'd be tempted after three starts to relube the cam lobes again......but then I am paranoid

Gav. You can get paranoid about these things. The first cam I ever put in a Mopar i didn't break in at all. It was fine. The last one (in this engine) I couldn't get the damn six pack to keep the engine running. It took me weeks of starting the engine again and again before I sussed out what the problem was. It did no harm at all.

What has worried me is this lean condition. Not sure what has caused this unless the cam change has suddenly required a big jet change. Which I doubt. It has damaged the ceramic finish on the headers. They have lost there nice sheen and gone a kind of matt grey. Pity. It did warn me in the header instructions not to break the cam in with the headers on and to use an old pair to do that. But not having a choice I had to chance it.

Dougs headers require you to perform a "cure" process where you let the engine idle until up to operating temp and then shut the engine off and allow to cool.