In a message dated 12/31/2003 6:56:18 PM Central Standard Time,
sladerj@bellsouth.net writes:

<< Lynn,
 Since you're in a talkative mood....
 I'm almost ready to fire up my 13B for the first time. It was rebuilt and
 internally greased to keep it good. For the past 4 years it's been on my
 patio exposed to the Florida humidity with the holes plugged.... most of the
 time. It makes a nice sucking & blowing sound when turned by hand.
 
 >  Be sure to establish that there is oil pressure. Then coolant
 > flow.
 
 Anything else you'd suggest before the first run? Flush out the oil / water
 galleries? What with? How do you check that there's coolant flow? remove a
 hose? >>

Remove the plugs. Take off the oil filter. Pour oil into the outer hole in
the filter adapter. The hole where the oil leaves the adapter and enters the
filter. Oil flow direction is outside in. When the oil stacks up and it won't
take any more, turn the engine over backwards. Eventually this will prime the
pump. Let it sit for a while and do the same thing again. Look into the exhaust
ports and push in on each apex seal to be sure none are stuck in the rotor.
Turning the engine backwards and keeping the adapter full of oil. Now pour some
oil into the center hole of the adapter. This hole takes filtered oil to all of
the bearings.  

Check the oil level in the sump. Spin the engine with the starter for 2
seconds while watching the filter adapter. Oil should gush out of the outer hole.
Once this happens, fill a new filter full of oil. Pile wadded up paper towels
up around the filter adapter. Put oil on the filter gasket. Invert the filter
and quickly screw it into place.
Clean up the spilled oil.  

Disconnect the oil pressure sender line at the gage. Spin the engine with the
starter until oil squirts from the sender line. Reconnect the oil pressure
gage.

Now the pump should be primed and some oil from the inverted filter is
charging the upper oil passages. Spin the engine with the starter. Be sure to have
the ignition system disabled. Some can be damaged without a plug to fire. Watch
the oil pressure gage. Oil pressure will come in fits and starts as air is
forced through the bearings. Then after a few seconds of cranking pressure
should come up to 25 to 35 pounds.

 Let the starter rest a bit and do it again. Soon oil pressure will come up
right after the starter turns it over. Adjust the throttle system to fully
closed butterflies. Make sure both return springs are fully functional. Hook up
the header and the ignition. Put the plugs back in.

Squirt in some fuel from your specially marked oil can. Turn on the ignition
(timed at 20 degrees BTDC total). Keep your hand on some part of the ignition
system, a switch, a wire that can be pulled off, whatever. Should anything go
wrong, turn it off.

Crank it up. There will be some smoke from the preservative. It may be much
louder than you expected. First, check for oil pressure. Then hold your hand on
the water out let on top that goes to the radiator. It should start to warm
up within 60 seconds of starting. If not shut it down and let some more air out
of the upper engine. The high mounted pump is bad about loosing a prime if
any air goes by. You need oil pressure first. Then coolant flow second. Have a
test oil pressure gage where you can see it or have an informed helper watch
that gage.  Run it for one minute Shut it down and dance around the room. Look
in a mirror. See the big grin? Have a beer.

Check for oil and coolant leaks.

Run it for two minutes checking as above. Put a fan in front of the radiator
and run it for an hour. With lots of ventilation. That should do it. If that
engine was fresh, 2 hours at fast idle, about 2000 RPM is enough break in. Move
timing to whatever the engine builder likes. Change the oil.

Lynn E. Hanover