Getting ready to fire it up!!!

Be sure to change the oil, and reprime the system, gas in oil= bad things.

95lightiningguy wrote:Be sure to change the oil, and reprime the system, gas in oil= bad things.

Will do!
My buddy pulled the dipstick because he was worried about the samething. Found out that there was indeed fuel in the oil.
Thanks for the pointer! It's all these little things that can add up to equal big problems!

What's so wrong with the carb that you need a new one?

It's old and needs a complete rebuild. Plus, the carb that is on there is from an old pick-up application and isn't the best carb for what I would like it for. I would rather spend money on a new one.
Of course, now I have no clue as to which one is best for my application or where to get it for a good price. There are so many out there!!!

Ok... I was hoping you weren't wanting to replace the carb solely because it was rich/flooding

What application is this in (maybe I missed it )?

429 in a 62 Galaxie 500XL. I just want it to run well enough to cruise around in but have enough power to let the guy next to me know not to mess with me
Yeah, not exactly sure what my last comment really meant

Update: my engine is running and sounds pretty good, considering it only has headers installed right now.
Do you guys know if these engines need to be running premium fuel?

I guess I'll be going with premium just to be safe.
I hear a slight "ticking" noise when it's running and was wondering if it was pinging or something else. That's why I asked about the octane.
So much to learn!!!

No kidding, I didn't know that pinging usually occurs when under load. Good to know!

I suppose it could be an exhaust leak, although it would need to be limited to the headers since they are the only things installed. Is a lifter tic bad?

Not sure about the heads, compression and cam. This is an engine that was already installed in the car when I purchased it. I'm pretty much learning as I go. Although, I'm enjoying every bit of it! I knew I enjoyed cars but now that I'm really digging in and learning how they work I find them even more fascinating.

Here's some newbie questions: I'm pretty sure I can find out what heads I have by simply looking at the stamp on the sides of them however, how do I find out the compression and other than pulling the cam out, is there a way to find out what type of cam it is?

Well, here goes some more embarrasing information. How can I tell if the rocker arms are adjustable and what is a guide plate?