Bench running an engine

[Spokerider]

It's almost time to bench test the engine to see if it runs.
Anybody done this? Wondering how you hooked the water hose up to it and to which port?

This guy has a garden hose going into the side of the head;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T79t3LkeUDk

[TylerDurden]

I haven't done it, but the vid looks good to me... water will get drawn into the pump through the bypass hose and sent into the block much like it normally would.

[745 turbogreasel]

If I'm running it long enough to need water, looping the rad hoses together seems to work fine

[TimpanogosSlim]

I have a friend who is an engine builder by trade.

Degree in mechanical engineering, assembles engines for a living at a busy and meticulous machine shop. Loves his job.

He used to do an exhibition fast-build at the state college auto show. Olds 350 from a bare block to running for 1 full minute in less than half an hour. His best time was 20 minutes and change.

He says the NASCAR guys do it in 17 minutes and he can't figure out how.

Anyway, for that 1 minute of run time, he never bothered with coolant of any kind.

[Spokerider]

So loop the rad hoses together, got it. Put the water hose into the back of the head? I'm not using the oil to water cooler, going to use an air / oil cooler instead.

The water pump's 3 inlets will still have the lower rad nose on the bottom, the heater core-out hose to the middle, and the side of the head hose to top water pump inlet.

For 1 minute, it's prolly not worth hooking water up, but I may mess around for a few minutes if the idle speed etc is badly needing adjustment.

[fatmobile]

 Testing a used engine?
I think breaking a new engine in should be done under load.

[Spokerider]

Wanting to see if my newly rebuilt will run. For sure not breaking it in on the bench.
If it runs ok, then I can move on to the other Samurai project aspects.