Installing the motor
Here's the part where we wimp out completely as far as step-by-step instructions go. Do everything you did to remove the motor, only backwards (no, if you drop a tool, it won't fall up). You will find the instructions for removing the motor in the part one. Leave off the thermostat and its housing for a moment.

If you haven't already done this, here's your last chance to replace questionable hoses, mounts, or wires while access is easy. Once the motor and transmission are back in the car, check everything three times before proceeding -- we can tell you that if you forget to attach the ground strap to the car, the starter motor will use the water temperature sender as a return path through the instrument panel to the battery, with smelly results.

Make sure the petcocks in the radiator and the block are closed, then fill the block with coolant through the thermostat hole. Install the thermostat and its gasket, then the housing. Fill the radiator with more coolant -- save a little so you can top it up after running the motor the first time.

Pre-fill the oil filter as much as you can without the oil running out when you turn it horizontally -- you want to get the oil pressure up as quickly as possible on the first start. After the filter's on, fill the motor with oil up to the top mark on the dipstick. We recommend that you do not use any additives for the first 5000 miles or so.

Initial valve setting (check the specs that came with your cam kit): turn the engine so a valve is fully down, then adjust the corresponding valve listed below. The actual order is not important, just so you get them all.

On carbureted engines, carefully remove the fuel bowl covers on the carbs, fill partway with gasoline, and replace the covers.

Check everything a fourth time. If you haven't already, hook up the (fully charged) battery.

Ignition timing initial set:

1. Remove the distributor cap.
2. Turn engine so that the rotor is pointing towards #1 and timing marks on the pulley indicate the nominal timing setting (usually about 14 degrees BTDC).
3. Remove the rotor.
4. Turn the body of the distributor counter-clockwise enough to close the points.
5. Turn on ignition to the "run" setting.
6. Turn the distributor clockwise until the points just "snap."
7. Turn off ignition, lock distributor collar and reassemble (don't forget the rotor!).

Check everything a fifth time. Pull the center lead out of the coil so the motor won't start, and crank the starter for five - ten seconds to get some oil pressure going. Reconnect the coil lead.

You should now be able to start the motor. You should have good oil pressure in the first few seconds -- watch for this! For few minutes, run the motor at 1500 RPM to establish a good initial wear pattern on the cam and lifters, and to wash the assembly lube out of the bearings. You can then let the motor idle until it reaches its full operating temperature. It's not unusual for the water temperature to get a bit high before stabilizing on the first start, but you should not get actual overheating. Shut down the motor and let it cool down. Top off the radiator if necessary, and check carefully for coolant or oil leaks.

Remove the valve cover and give the head bolts a final torquing down to 65 lb/ft (now you see where the crowsfoot wrench comes in -- you can get to that rear bolt without removing the rocker arm assembly). Check the valve clearances and reset as necessary. Put the valve cover back on.

Congratulations! Your motor is now a going concern. In pretty short order, you will want to tinker with the tuning, reset the valves with the motor hot, and generally worry about making everything perfect.

After about 500 miles, change the oil and the filter, and check the torque on the head bolts once again. Keep an eye on the valve clearances for the first 5000 miles or so; after that, they should have settled in (we check them with every oil change, but they rarely need adjustment). Breaking the new motor in should require nothing more than avoiding extended steady speeds and heavy loads at first. You might also want to make the first few oil changes sooner than normal.

That wasn't so bad, was it?