new guy mistakes
heres a few first timer mistakes I see ALL the time, IVE even made a few like them 35-40 years ago!
(1)
not supporting a car your working on correctly
(2)
relieing on guys you don,t really know well to assist you or give advice
(3)
\buying stuff that looks "cool" but that won,t realistically work on your application
(4)
selecting a cam for your car based on what worked in your buddies car by selecting the next larger one from the catalog and expecting to kick his butt because of that cam choice with no knowledge of what REALLY matches your combo
(5)
buying an intake and carb combo bases almost 100% on a magazine test on a car with an engine that was not even close to your combo
(6)
renting tools when the rental cost quickly adds up to more than 1/2-7/8ths of what the tool COSTS NEW
(7)
not owning a decent welder and paying exorbitant prices for minor work you could do for next to zip with a welder
(8)
TRUSTING verbal instructions will be followed at machine shops
(9)
trusting ANYTHING a machine shop does without checking carefully
(10)
not getting detailed receipts and pictures of all parts signed for and dated for parts left at machine shops.
(11)
not buying the correct part and trying to make do with something cheaper that you know is not fully adequate
(12)
believing most of whats in magazine engine build sheets is ACTUALLY what went into the engine or resulted in the dyno results
(13)
getting in over your experience level and not knowing enough to ask for help
(14)
not buying or renting the correct tool for the job
(15)
failing to read and follow directions ,make the phone call,and ask the manufacturer questions and take the time to research the answers when you've obviously screwed up or reached a point where your not sure what your doing
(16)
not researching a realistic total budget before buying expensive parts on a project
(17)
not joining or forming a local hot rod club so resources and knowledge and parts and experience and tools can be readily available to the group, and not jumping in to help the other guys every single chance you get
(18)
wasting time and money on what you currently have VS working toward owning and building what you REALLY WANT, to own and drive
(19) expecting components to be free of machining chips, dirt or packaging contaminants as they come out of the carton, or expecting to bolt on components without cleaning and careful inspection or to do it successfully without reading the directions
Procedure
OK step one ,if you've ever installed a new cam, or cylinder heads etc,you NEVER start an engine with a new cam or cylinder heads until you've verified ALL clearances and valve train geometry are correct, and you must clean and inspect components before assembly!
and you, need to have pre-lubed the engine, while slowly manually rotating the crank until all push-rods show oil flow,at the rockers and the gauge shows a minimum of 10 psi, its very common for new cylinder heads to need minor touch-up work with a die grinder to blend port contours or to remove machine work debris before they can be used, even on high dollar heads, and the cheaper heads can need a good deal more clean-up and port blending and even casting flash removal, so inspect and clean and verify before you install any component
heres a few first timer mistakes I see ALL the time, IVE even made a few like them 35-40 years ago!
(1)
not supporting a car your working on correctly
(2)
relieing on guys you don,t really know well to assist you or give advice
(3)
\buying stuff that looks "cool" but that won,t realistically work on your application
(4)
selecting a cam for your car based on what worked in your buddies car by selecting the next larger one from the catalog and expecting to kick his butt because of that cam choice with no knowledge of what REALLY matches your combo
(5)
buying an intake and carb combo bases almost 100% on a magazine test on a car with an engine that was not even close to your combo
(6)
renting tools when the rental cost quickly adds up to more than 1/2-7/8ths of what the tool COSTS NEW
(7)
not owning a decent welder and paying exorbitant prices for minor work you could do for next to zip with a welder
(8)
TRUSTING verbal instructions will be followed at machine shops
(9)
trusting ANYTHING a machine shop does without checking carefully
(10)
not getting detailed receipts and pictures of all parts signed for and dated for parts left at machine shops.
(11)
not buying the correct part and trying to make do with something cheaper that you know is not fully adequate
(12)
believing most of whats in magazine engine build sheets is ACTUALLY what went into the engine or resulted in the dyno results
(13)
getting in over your experience level and not knowing enough to ask for help
(14)
not buying or renting the correct tool for the job
(15)
failing to read and follow directions ,make the phone call,and ask the manufacturer questions and take the time to research the answers when you've obviously screwed up or reached a point where your not sure what your doing
(16)
not researching a realistic total budget before buying expensive parts on a project
(17)
not joining or forming a local hot rod club so resources and knowledge and parts and experience and tools can be readily available to the group, and not jumping in to help the other guys every single chance you get
(18)
wasting time and money on what you currently have VS working toward owning and building what you REALLY WANT, to own and drive
(19) expecting components to be free of machining chips, dirt or packaging contaminants as they come out of the carton, or expecting to bolt on components without cleaning and careful inspection or to do it successfully without reading the directions
Procedure
OK step one ,if you've ever installed a new cam, or cylinder heads etc,you NEVER start an engine with a new cam or cylinder heads until you've verified ALL clearances and valve train geometry are correct, and you must clean and inspect components before assembly!
and you, need to have pre-lubed the engine, while slowly manually rotating the crank until all push-rods show oil flow,at the rockers and the gauge shows a minimum of 10 psi, its very common for new cylinder heads to need minor touch-up work with a die grinder to blend port contours or to remove machine work debris before they can be used, even on high dollar heads, and the cheaper heads can need a good deal more clean-up and port blending and even casting flash removal, so inspect and clean and verify before you install any component