Poll: Roll Starting After Rebuild?

[JDiesel]

Does roll-starting every time you drive the car after a rebuild damage the piston rings?

[745 turbogreasel]

I can say it hurts if you left the pump pin in.

[libbydiesel]

I can't see why roll-starting would hurt anything other than your self-esteem.  Certainly a major PITA.  Better you than me. 

[8v-of-fury]

I do not see how roll starting is any different than using the starter. Either way there is a energy source turning the flywheel, and thus the crank and pistons.

No difference.

[Gizmoman]

Your poll doesn't have enough answers to choose from.
I would have picked "It could hurt if. . ."

• you forgot to connect a hose somewhere
• you live in Florida (no hills)
• all your friends are lazy and just laugh at you

[Gizmoman]

No, really - I don't think it would hurt it much. This would defiantly load the rings and that's a good thing.

[Dakotakid]

Please don't tell my cars they are supposed to be being damaged....
Who the he77 comes up with this crap?
Too much spare time on your hands?

[JDiesel]

Your poll doesn't have enough answers to choose from.
I would have picked "It could hurt if. . ."

• you forgot to connect a hose somewhere
• you live in Florida (no hills)
• all your friends are lazy and just laugh at you

Lol  

Who the he77 comes up with this crap?
Too much spare time on your hands?

Nah, my starter broke after new rings were put in.  I have been roll starting it for a week while I figure out what starter I want to get.    Over the course of the week I think my blowby might be getting worse.... I was wondering if roll-starting had something to do with.  Never rebuilt an engine before.       


But Anyway!  Thanks for answering the poll everyone 

[Gizmoman]

Not sure I recall what starter you "had" - but if you had a decent one, have it rebuilt locally. Anything's better than bump-starting it, especially a rebuilt engine.

Sounds like you already believe it may have caused some damage. With all the detailed info here on break-in procedures, not to mention the buckets'o-cash it takes to rebuild, why chance it? Get a starter man - hopefully you can get the rings to seat yet. I think it's more about how you drive it, not letting it idle, using non-synthetic, loading the rings, starting with really clean internals, etc. Bump-starting "shouldn't" hurt it but I've no idea really.

There are lots of things that can make a rebuild have blow-by after a week. My #1 would be not cleaning the engine out with soap and water (as suggested) before you start inserting new stuff.

[hillfolk'r]

Use total seal quick seat,for good ring break in
im impresses with the stuff
i dont think it really matters much,as long as you are spinnin it fast enough(like if your starter was beat)
truth is,if your rings dont seat within 5-10 minutes of runnin,they arent gonna.
you didnt" beat" on em enough (loading) and thatll haunt ya forever

[JDiesel]

Use total seal quick seat,for good ring break in
im impresses with the stuff
i dont think it really matters much,as long as you are spinnin it fast enough(like if your starter was beat)
truth is,if your rings dont seat within 5-10 minutes of runnin,they arent gonna.
you didnt" beat" on em enough (loading) and thatll haunt ya forever

Nah!  It may haunt me till I get fed up and replace them.   
I remember you saying that they have to seat in the first 5-10 min.  I reved em good, tried to do it like you said. 

But what about the people that say it takes well over 1000 miles to seat well? 

Also, as soon as I raise the throttle a bit the blowby smoke goes almost completely away. You can see it at idle though.  You can also see little splatters of oil at idle. 

I got 400 miles on this rebuild...     Are new rings in my future?   If I replace them right now can I do it without having to re-hone?

[libbydiesel]

Blowby at idle is normal.  There is no load pushing the rings against the cylinder walls and so they leak.

[JDiesel]

How do you tell if there is bad blowby under load besides taking the hood off and leaving the breather hose open?

[745 turbogreasel]

Blue out the tailpipe, and oil leaking around the  oil cap and breather grommet...   and every other seal.

[hillfolk'r]

Imo its a good idea to rehone on a rering...
hell just somethin to get the crap off the cyl walls...
chuck a big ol piece of scotchbrite in a drill somehow,or even do that by hand a little...
rings" should" seat quick..after that you are waiting for the bearing surfaces to get all happy together for the 1000 miles..
yea im not discrediting or rippin on anyone,but it doesnt take 1k for rings to seat....just dont listen to old schoolers who want you to dump bon-ami in it while running