Advice Needed - Can't Start Rebuilt 273

66fs said

Longgone is thinking you have hydraulic lifters? Not sure if I understand him. Anyway, Rotate the engine by hand and check the gaps on the valves. Sometimes they are on the ramps when you think they are on the base circle. Adjusting them "by the chart every 90 degrees" has never worked for me. Spark plugs should be N10Y or equivalent for high performance.

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Thanks! I did go over the valve adjustment procedure twice today. I actually didn't rely solely on the 90 degree angle. I had a helper hold a piece of wire in the cylinder that was supposed to be topped out. The second time around, the gaps were pretty close, so I'm pretty confident I've got them close.

I just wish the engine would turn over faster. It is loose enough to turn easily by hand with a ratchet but the starter just seems to crank it so slowly.