First Engine Start After One Year Of Restoration

[ea6driver]

My 78Z has spent the last year on jack stands while I restored the suspension.  I've now got it all put back together and am finally ready to get it running.  I drained the fuel tank before starting the project.  My question is what, if anything, do I need to do to get it running again?  Specifically, I was wondering if just refilling the fuel tank with fresh gas and cranking the engine until it starts is OK.  I am assuming that there is currently no fuel in any of the fuel supply lines running from the tank all the way up to the engine.  Is priming of the fuel pump necessary?

[240260280]

Change oil.

Put fresh gas in tank.

Remove Valve Cover.

Pour oil over cam and rocker lobes.

Disconnect 12v lead to coil.

Crank engine while pouring oil on cam.

Keep cranking until pumped oil comes out of  cam lobe holes.

Once you verify oil is pumping, you can then close valve cover, reconnect 12v to coil, and start car.

Edited August 29, 2019 by 240260280

[ea6driver]

Thanks....I'll do all that.   Your response leads me to believe that pumping fuel from the tank through empty lines/fuel pump to the engine isn't an issue.  That was my initial concern.  The car ran fine before I started the restoration work so I don't have any reason to believe there will be any problems. 

[Dave WM]

I cranked mine with the plugs out as well, figured less stress on the crank and main bearings until the oil pumped up.

[Patcon]

I always fill the supply line from the fuel pump rearward to make it easier to prime

[240260280]

The 78 has an electrical fuel pump that should be filled with fuel when running.  All of the cranking for oil to flow will mostly have the fuel pump running... but the 78 seems to have a pump controlled by oil pressure so I would guess no oil pressure means no fuel pump running. Be aware of this.

[EuroDat]

I would prime the fuel pump by removing the fuel line either at the filter or at the punp damper and letting it pump into a container. These old pumps don't self prime easily when the tank is under half full and the FPR won't allow flow until it reaches 36psi.

A good time to do a flow test as well. It should pump at least 2 litres per minute. If it doesn't replace the filter, if you haven't already, and check the screen in the pump inlet. It often gets clogged up.

[EuroDat]

Btw. An easy way to run the pump is to remove the spade terminal from the starter motor and turn the key to start. That will override the safety feature (oil pressure switch or flow switch in the afm) without running or cranking the engine continuously.

Edited August 31, 2019 by EuroDat
With photo

[ea6driver]

Thanks for that tip about running the fuel pump without cranking the engine in the '78Z.  Just to be clear...when you say "remove the spade terminal from the starter"....do you mean removing the spade connector from the larger/fatter wire in the photo above?  Isn't that the large negative wire from the battery?

[EuroDat]

No. It's the little spade terminal next to the large M8 stud terminals on the solenoid. It is the wire that activates the starter.

This photo might be clearer.

Edited September 1, 2019 by EuroDat

[240260280]

I just unplug the small wire by hand and use a large flat screwdriver to short the +12V cluster connector to the exposed connector.

Double check the car is not in gear or it will drive at 200rpm!!!!

[EuroDat]

15 minutes ago, 240260280 said:

I just unplug the small wire by hand and use a large flat screwdriver to short the +12V cluster connector to the exposed connector.

Double check the car is not in gear or it will drive at 200rpm!!!!

I do that if I want to crank the engine and I'm on my own. Also have a couple aligator clips with a button swicth so I can work on the manifold side and crank it from there.

 

The fuel pump: To run the pump you need someone in the car to hold the key in the start position. You don't want to crank the engine endlessly. Same procedure, remove the wire with spade terminal fron the starter. Get someone or do it yourself to turn ignition key to start and hold it there. That will run the pump, but won't crank the engine regardless of oil pressure or afm vane position in the pre mid 1977 models.

Don't try to prime the pump with everything intacted. Disconect the hose after the fuel filter or directly after the pump damper and let the pump free flow first.

Note: If it has been sitting for a long time it could be full of air. You will then have a difficult time getting pressure. These pumps don't like pumping dry, and you can damage them quicking if you ae not carefull. A dry pump will never build up enough pressure to open the fuel pressure regulator and create a flow to prime the system.

 

1. I would diconnect the wire (with spae terminal) to the starter motor.

2. Disconnect the fuel line after the pump and run it into a container.

3. Hold key in start position and let fuel run into container for approx. 1 minute and check fuel quanity. Should be about 2 litres.

4. Connect the fuel line and then disconnect the fuel line after the filter. Hold key in start position again until fuel flows.

5. Fit a pressure gauge in the line after fuel filter (see photo of efi bible) and run pump again using key in start position. You shouls see 36psi.

6. Stop pump and see if system holds pressure. I'll post a leak down test for that later if you want.