Starting after head gasket repair

[Scraggybeard]

Getting ready to finish up a head gasket and start the car up, anything I should be aware of or look for? Heard the lifters are noisy before filling up with oil, but just a couple of minutes, right? Anything else?

 

[Dave4g63]

In my experience most of the lifters fill up in about 5 mins but you may have a few stragglers that can take up to 20 mins or so to pump up. just keep an eye out for coolant and oil leaks and you should be good to go! Good Luck!

 

[YUPOK]

I would try priming the engine. Oil is critical especially after any rebuild. Try disconnecting the spark plug wires so the car won't fire, but keep it cranking to get the oil primed through the engine. Also watch the temperature, when you prime and start. The cold causes oil to become more viscous or thick. If it's below 50 when you try to prime and start look into a block heater from the car parts store. It's simply a wand that goes into the dip stick tube and a 120 V plug on the end. Plug that in for a bit and it will warm up the air and oil in the oil pan helping to prime.

Happy Spooling!

 

[haddixjl]

They also make magnetic heaters you can stick to the bottom of the oil pan to heat up the oil.

 

[Scraggybeard]

Cool, so I can prime it and then just start it and monitor fluids? How about starting position, does it need to be at tdc for any reason when I start it (think I read somewhere that it should but that doesn't make sense at all...

 

[Bchiles]

What other parts did you replace along with the head gasket. The engine doesn't need to be started at TDC but all the timing components must be when you install the timing belts.