Technical can i test fire my motor like this?

So heres the scenario...

I wanted to build a very era correct sbc for my 49, but I have the chance to pick up a gm crate 350, complete from carb to pan, starter, flex plate etc, for dirt cheap.

The guy is doing an LS3 swap and wants it gone by the weekend.

My plan is to get the car running and driving with the crate sbc, while saving and building for the correct one.
Here's the question...

Can I test fire the motor with the flexplate, even though I'm set up with a manual bell housing and Muncie? I don't have a flywheel or clutch mocked up yet.

I ***ume all I would have to do would be put a pilot bearing in the crank, but am I missing something obvious?

It wouldn't be a big deal to drop it on my ch***is, and hook a battery and fuel up to it since its basically a glorified engine stand right now.

 

Can't think of any reason that wouldn't work....

 

You can fire an engine lying on the ground if you want to. Just don't run more than a minute or 2 with no coolant.

 

If you have everything you need connected to run then I would think so. Make sure you exit the exhaust outside.

 

Not even sure you need a pilot bearing, the trans shouldn't spin.

 

nothing like seeing a motor running while sitting on its oil pan . we used to do this at the junkyard when we bought runners . just make sure not to run them for more than a minute or 2 without coolant or a exhaust manifold on them .

 

My goal is to make sure I didn't buy a dud. If I let it ideal for a minute and its not banging around I will feel better about proceeding with the path of using this as a temporary motor

 

I think you should lower that frame off the stands until it is sitting on a piece of wood maybe.
It could easily fall off those stands and fun could become a disaster! Fire even!!!

 

Noted. Maybe I will wait until its back on 4 wheels

 

Starting with just the flex plate should be no problem. The air boat guys around here run a bare flex plate and a prop or pulley for belt drive reduction on the crank, nothing else. Works fine.

 

Personally I think is a Bad idea to fire a new motor and just run it a minute or two. A new motor should be fired and run at 12 -15 hundred R.P.M. long enough to brake in the cam and properly oil splash the bottom of the Cyl's. If that's not done your just going to warm up and run off all the ***embly lube and let it set dry. That for sure will shorten the life of a new motor.
The Wizzard

 

Its a used motor, so break in isn't an issue. I just want to fire it up asap so if it has issues I know right away without getting my hopes up.

 

Got ya, I miss understood. Something else you might think about is cutting open the oil filter and inspecting for glitter and metal frag. That will give you better info than just listening. On our race motors a System 1 filter gives us an early heads up on any kind of early failures.
The Wizzard

 

Yeah, I've done it about 3000 times! [used to have a job testing used engines] but don't freak out if it winds up really fast! Wappa, wappa!

 

That's a good idea...

 

Haha OK!

 

I test ran my for the 56 buick wagon on the cherry picker with the auto trans hooked up and it was just laying on a tire so I wouldn't crush the oil pan .I only ran it a minute or 2 with out coolent . 2 nd time I ran it the oil sending unit line had broke off and before I knew it the whole ceiling was covered in oil. As I look back I can laugh now but took me about an hour to clean it up. lol Bruce.

 

you can run it more than a minute or two...it takes a while for the heads to heat up. The oil that had leaked onto the outside of the heads, near the exhaust ports, will start to smoke a little when the engine gets up to temperature.

The stands holding the frame up should be fine. You should not need a pilot bushing, the input shaft won't touch the crank if there is no bushing. Be sure to post video.

 

Thanks squirrel. Will do

 

We used to do it all the time, back in the day, was kind of fun!

 

You can run it until it reaches temp without a radiator or you can stick a hose in it either by pulling the t stat and watering it from the top or racer taping it into the pump pickup.

 

with no exhaust you may not hear a knock anyway. but it would be good just to make sure it runs. Are you all sure you don't need anything heaver than a flex plate?

 

I have a set of headers for it so that will help some...

 

A OIL PRESSURE GUAGE IS VERY CRITICAL FOR YOUR TEST.

DO NOT HAVE SO MANY ADVISORS HELPING THAT YOU CAN NOT WALK AROUND IT!!