Man I don't recall how I ever plucked and replaced engines before I got my cherry picker and the load leveler. I used to do it with a come along - holding the hook at various points along the chain with a screwdriver. So darn easy with the right tools - even when fitting an M41 into a snug 544.

While the motor was sitting there all bare I tried to fit a D-jet manifold to it as I had schemes of installing injectors on one for my future Megasquirt project. But alas - it sticks out too far and hits the narrow tapered front end of the engine compartment. I could possibly wallop out a large bulge on the inner fender, or possibly cut and shorten the intake runners slightly. Or just procure a set of DCOE style throttle bodies to go on directly in place of my DCOE's - thus also solving the issue of needing to add injector pockets to the D-jet manifold (I have some weird late model modified head without injector ports - not sure of the provenance on it - could be R-sport, marine, foreign market, late model replacement head - who knows).

Put on the Webers, hooked everything up, filled with fluids. Took the sparkplugs out and cranked it around about 20 or 30 times until I saw a blip of oil pressure, then put the plugs in and it started right up. I kept it revved up to about 2500 for about 10 minutes, then shut it off. Oil pressure stayed right on 75 psi the whole time. It was dark out by then or I would have been tempted to take it out for a quick drive without the hood on. But that can wait until this evening after I retorque the cylinder head.

I'm using a copper headgasket, and for some reason I'm having some last minute FUD factor about it. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and keep on checking the coolant and oil for contamination for a little bit. I have no real reason to doubt it, it's just something new.
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I'm JohnMc, and I approved this message.