So I'm getting close to starting up the Cleveland in my '56. I bought this engine off a kid who bought this engine from another old guy (like me) that had it rebuilt by some other guy up in Santa Rosa a few years back. I really like living on the edge! Anyway, back to my question...
I'm thinking it would be a good idea to lube the cylinder walls with something before I start this thing. I will be pumping up the oil through the distributor hole prior to starting, but what about the cylinders? What have you guys used for a start up like this?

Edit: Man I just noticed the ads on this site. I know this is free to us, but it's getting harder to know what to read. Now I want to learn to drive a big rig and a tonneau cover for my bathtub seems to be something I need NOW!

 

Genreally the only time you'd lube up the cylinders would be whan you stored the engine to prevent rusting, if it wasn't done when stored, you "get what you get", all lubing them now will do is cause a lot of blue smoke on start up.

I'd just pressurize it and bump the engine over a few times to make sure the bearings are oily, just in case assy lube wasn't used, then fire it off and hang on.

PS, just start the engine with water only...no coolant mix...through break in, this was if you have a leak somewhere, there's no antifreeze to clean up.

PSS You may want to pull the valve covers while pressuring it to make sure oil is getting to the top end.

 

Thanks Mike. I was going to remove the old Edlebrock crome covers and cut them to allow me to see the oil to flow through the rockers without having it get all over the place. I've got a set of alloy covers to put on after that.

 

I don't know if this works with the Cleveland, but with an FE you can remove the distributor, connect the oil pump shaft to a drill motor, and pump oil around without scraping the pistons up and down.

Of course, if there is rust in the cylinders it is not going to help much.

 

Yup, clevelands can be pressured up the same way

 

I would remove the spark plugs and use a small amount of WD40, then spin it with no spark plugs - for a couple of minutes.

That is, after using the drill to pressurizing the rest of the system.