Okay, engine assembled enough to put oil in it and crank it over on the engine stand, no spark plugs so it was cranking over pretty good.. Pump packed with vaseline, oil filter filled, total of 4 quarts 10w30 in the engine. I cranked for about 5 seconds before oil was pouring out the sender hole. Okay, time to install a mechanical guage - cranked again, it is pumping at exactly 70psi... That seems like a lot to me, just at cranking speed.. Thoughts? BTW, I didn't bother to heat the garage, so everything is at 35 degrees.. thoughts? Thanks, Mike.

Quite a bit high for cranking. Do you trust your gauge, or did you still have vaseline pumping through?

sounds reasonable for 10w-30 and cold temps
EDIT: this is just cranking, not started? or what

Willwren:

Well, it has cranked for a total of maybe 60 seconds in 4 different intervals.. so I'm guessing there is still some vaseline kicking around in there, I mean, heck, that vaseline is pretty hard in 35 degrees.. And yeah, I trust the guage, in that I have no reason not to trust it.. I'll drop in another one, just to see.. At cranking speed, I expected much less, and the concern is something is block, I don't know how, but when I fire the engine for the first time I cook my bearings in about 30 seconds.. I was looking for oil coming out the push rods, but figure that would be tough to see at cranking speed, and I don't want to fry my new starter.. More thoughts? Mike

This is just cranking speed.. The engine is on a stand, no spark plugs installed.

I had the engine aprt for a while, I'm relying on the manual more than memory in some cases, per the manal, I put the spring for the pressure valve into the timing cover first, then the plunger (with the spring going inside the plunger, of course) then the oil filter adaptor with gasket last. So, the plunger is puhing on the adaptor.. This isn't wrong, is it? Mike.