About ready to put engine in the beast after 11 months. Have too much time and money in it to have something stupid happen. What should be done before starting the engine for the first time?

 

The only thing I would worry about is if you have a new cam and lifters. If so make sure you break in the cam & lifters per whom ever made it. That and don't burn up the starter since it is going to take some cranking to get it to light. So make sure you keep batteries charged and let the starter cool down between cranking.

So congrats on the new engine !!

 

It really should be a whole lot different than starting one after an injector swap. Swamp's has a pretty good write up about starting one after injectors. Heck, they might worth a call, they do sell complete engines.

 

The general consensus regarding break in run on a 7.3 is as follows...


Run the oil you plan to run for the life of the engine for break in.
Follow the 15-30 sec crank, wait 5-10min, crank again procedure to prime everything up. It will fire up when its ready... if everything sounds good when it starts, take it out with a heavy load hitched up and whip it hard. The 7.3 was built to work, and thats exactly what it likes to do. Keep whipping the dogsnot out of it for a good 100 miles. By then you will have purged the hpo system of air and have a much smoother running truck.

Here is where my opinion may vary from the prescribed norm...

I suggest a full oil change between 100-200 miles on the break in oil.
I dont like the thought of all kinds of break in surface material getting drug all across those fresh pretty crank journals and cam lobes...

 

I just rebuilt my engine and it may not be the best way but this is what I did. It will cost a little but gives you more peace of mind. Get yourself an oil system primer, Melling has one, I think O'Reillys sells them. It's a canister that you fill with oil and pressurize. I filled the oil filter and installed, filled the HPOP chamber, filled the oil rails by pulling the IPC and plug on opposite head. I have the high pressure x-over line. You have to have a line in and air out to fill them. I started with 2 gal before I filled the pan with oil. I pulled the 1/8" plug at the filter housing and ran the rest in there. That should prime your whole oil system before you start. You will still have some air to work out but at least everything will have oil to start. Finish with and the rest of the oil needed to the pan. All re-builders tell you not to use any synthetics until after 5k. I used Rottela 10w30 for the first 100 miles, dumped the oil and filter, cut the filter open to inspect, refilled with 10w30 again for another 250, changed again and checked filter, run another 250 and changed oil to 15w40 and checked filter again. I now have 1500 miles since rebuild and will change the oil again at 3000 total and check filter one more time and then normal service from then on. I went with the lighter grade at start because the weather was a little colder and the thought was the thinner oil would help flush any particular matter and assembly lube out. I cycled the key several times to fill the fuel filter and rails and then did the starter cycle till it starts. Mine started on the third cycle. Good luck with your new engine.

 

Might seem like a lot of oil and filter expense to some but it's far cheaper than the rebuild.

 

Now I myself differ from Christof13T about breaking in a engine. I myself always use a break in oil or additive on a fresh engine for piston ring seating and cam & lifters. That and I do not beat on any engine until it is broke in. I learned that one a long time ago when I was a young man and twice I cracked piston ring lands, spun bearings and even flattened a new cam. I now break an engine in easy at different loads and rpms for at least the first 500 miles and no high revs for a 1000/1500 miles. Now on rebuilt trans I beat on it from day ONE!!

There is two sides to every coin