until the oil pressure comes up.

Details:
1. Head gasket desintegrated. Pulled heads, valve job and surfaced. New gaskets, reassembled, started her up.
2. The starter seems to spin the engine really fast?? Same as it was before. Does not make the noise while starter is spinning engine.

When I first started it it had a loud shriek. It lasted maybe 8-10 seconds then I shut it off. I started it again, noise lasted another few seconds then stopped. It ran fine and I drove it some. It sat for a couple hours before I started it again. The noise was back but only for maybe 3 seconds, until the oil pressure was up. Did it again this morning. Sounds like it is high on the left side. Could it be coming from the cam or distributor??? I just put $1k into this POS to make it good and now this. WTF???

 

Did you check your camshaft journal clearances? Too tight and it'll squeeze the oil out until pressure comes up.

 

No, but they are the same cams in the same journals, so how could they be tight?

 

Did you use assembly lube when you put it back together?
Did you prime the engine oil pump before starting it?