With the cam timing done getting the rest of the engine back together and in the car was a relatively quick job but for decking the 4x valve covers and timing covers by hand. They were massively warped.
I hoisted it down to the floor using my new H frame ceiling hoist that Im super happy with, slid the short block under the car and built up all the ancillaries from there. I find this easier than building it up on the bench then having to jack the car a mile off the floor to get the engine in.
Before installing the fan I had the alternator inspected and new bearings installed.
As always something comes along last minute to cause delays. I found the aluminium collars on my oil hoses which I had stripped down had big cracks in them so couldnt be reused. had to wait 10 days for a replacement set from the USA. Whilst I was waiting I got cracking and got the engine and gearbox together and bolted in the car. Then It was time to fit the throttle bodies and stacks, distributor & ignition etc. I had to modify the LHS heater take off pipe to fit around the distributor. Then I fitted the exhaust system which is a old git of a job on a dusty concrete floor. The engine was basically ready to go but for my oil hoses.
Unfortunately with my hoses rebuilt I then found out that you cant fit the metal pipe/hose assembly that loops under the engine on 69-71 cars with the heat exchangers installed! Had to take the whole exhaust system back off, install the pipe, put the whole lot back on, 20min job becomes 3hour nightmare....
With that done I can finally put some oil in it and crank it over, massive relief no.1 - no terrible noises, massive relief no.2 the oil pressure light went out, disappointment - no hint of a spark. this is where the electrical fun and games began.
After some research and many headaches and I found out that I had wired my distributor wrong, having wired it the same as my previous 123 dizzy I assumed this electronic dizzy would be the same but is not. I was not out of the woods yet. For some reason only one cdi box would fire a spark. After swapping coils, HT leads, doing all kinds of tests I found out that it was the CDI box which has an extra wire going to the RPM fuel shut off transducer, needs this wire comes off the same pin as the trigger wire from the dizzy and somehow it is stopping the trigger from working. Unplugged the RPM transducer wire and I had 2x firing boxes!
Tried to start the car, lots coughing but nothing happening. Another day goes by trying to figure it out. I thought I had the dizzy 180deg out but it wasnt that. In the end I figured out that I had the upper and lower "banks" on the twin plug distributor the wrong way around which meant everything was firing 180deg out (setting up leads on a twin plug dizzy is more mind boggling than it looks!). All I had to do move all the leads one plug along on the dizzy cap.
So finally we are there? Oh no!, now I think, im gonna test for a spark at all the plugs before I try and start the engine. All the top plugs spark fine, all the bottom plugs... nothing. So it starts all over again, check the CDI box, check the coil etc... the spark is getting to the cap but then nothing. I take the cap off and re-clean all the contacts I then notice the spring-tip in the top of the cap looks quite worn down ( this is not a new distributor) fortunately these a universal things I think because I was able to harvest one out of my old 6 plug cap. With this in place I now have all the sparks in all the right places at all the right times!
Maybe I can finally get it to run!
