mk e wrote:
I'm not sure is I posted this or not but its on my mind and fits this theme......no doing first starts alone anymore.
There is just way too much going on with the first few start-ups for me to keep it all straight and keep an eye on everything....when the day comes I think I really need to a second set of hands and eyes on site. I'll need to get that figured out in the next few weeks.
Whenever we did a break in run for a freshly built Lexus V8 we did it with a known good 4bbl carb and a Ford EDIS8 firing COP's. No ECU's at all. You probably don't have the option of carbs for your break in, but a pair of EDIS6's might be an option if you have multiple crank pickups on the Frankenferrari? I really like the EDIS ignitions - they may be dumb as rocks, but they're as reliable as you can get. You can either run the EDIS modules standalone with fixed 10 degrees BTDC timing, or you can use an external controller like the Megajolt if you want to give it adjustable timing.
We would have at least 3 guys (plus usually several spectators) when we dynoed:
1. The dyno operator would be at the dyno control console and would be responsible for starting/stopping the engine (normally), running the dyno & loading the engine during the heat runs.
2. I would be in the dyno room and I'd prelube the engine prior to the first start with an external electric oil pump, then I made sure we had oil pressure after the engine was started (the Lexus engines' oil pumps tended to not self-prime), and I'd keep watch on the analog coolant temp & oil pressure gauges during the dyno run. I would also be monitoring for leaks and unusual noises, and I held a kill button where I could do an emergency stop if anything looked or sounded awry.
3. The 3rd guy was in the dyno room with me, and his sole responsibility was fire watch with a 20lb ABC dry chemical extinguisher.