Hi everyone, I'm thinking about looking at rebuilt engine that the owner says has been sitting for 4 years. He claims it has been bagged and indoors for that time and judging by the pictures it looks true. Is this a bad idea if he hasn't touched it in that time or is it just going to be a gamble if there will be problems or not even if I prime it with oil now before starting it?

Thanks

 

I think to some degree it is a gamble and a question of your faith in the seller,

Back in the 90's I bought a kit car that had been sitting since 69-70 it was in a car port not garage, the owner who I did believe said the first year or so he would start it then just stopped so it sat like 20 some odd years,

I spun a rod bearing in a 350 that was in my 66 on the way to old town to see a real "Tucker"
So the wheels started turning, the kit car engine was a 327 with the old style oil filter,
The oil in it looked like coffee with too much cream, it had a home made adaptor to run one stromburg carb, I changed it, primed it, turned it over by hand then with the starter and started putting it all together my biggest mistake was installing it before running it,

The seals were all gone, I should have known while it did fire up and ran wonderfully the seals leaked like a sieve and it's no fun changing them while in he car, got lucky on that rear main seal.

That engine almost made it into the 13's in the 1320,

I just don't normally have a lucky face so I would have to get a really good deal to buy a engine that I can't fire off, that is why I didn't jump on that 427 hipo engine for cheap.

 

I'll be following this one, I'm in the same boat. I had mine rebuilt about 4 1/2 years ago and it's been sitting on the chassis waiting on me! It still looks pretty and it's been in my garage, but I've never fired it... hope it's ok!

 

I'd lowball the seller, and plan on a complete tear down, blueprint and rebuild.

 

Pull the plugs and see how freely it turns. If he's really had it bagged well, and he put some lube in the cylinders to keep them from rusting, the engine should still turn over pretty easily. If it doesn't, take a hike...

If it does, then you can get down to business of determining how it was rebuilt, whether you want it [or not], and how much it will cost.

As mentioned above, your belief/trust in the seller is a critical item in this deal. If you have no knowledge of this person, be very cautious.

 

remove the plugs and put some light oil in each cylinder, let it sit over night, turn the engine by hand with a wrench off the crank (you can buy a special socket so you don't snap the balancer bolt) this makes sure the rings are not stuck to the bores. If it moves free and the oil looks great I'd make an offer.
Once home with your new mill, drain the oil and remove the filter, if at all possible try to rent or borrow an engine preluber from a repair or engine shop. if you get one fill the new oil filer with oil and put the other 4 + quarts in the preluber. pressurize the preluber and attach to the block in the rear top (where you normally pull oil psi from) open the valve to prelube the engine.
what a preluber is, is a pressurized vessel that pushs oil in the engine and up through the oil line to the valve train/cam & bearing etc, in other words the entire engine is force lubricated before firing.
if you can't get on buy a preluber for your drill and do it through the distributer hole. please don't use an old screw driver blade, when doing that you only lubricate one side the block you need the lower collar to block off and bypass oil to other parts of the engine.
other then rings sticking to the cylinders from sitting the other things that don't like sitting is the valve train. when planning on parking an engine for long periods the rockers should be backed off the springs.
good luck with the engine.
Paul

 

 

I had rebuilt 2 engines, which then sat for several years (4 on one, 6 on the other). Both had all new seal and lots of assembly lube, both fired/ran great on startup and still run well 6-8 years later.

I also have a 402 from an early 70's Chevy truck. It had sat for decades. Did the prelube dance and it fired up nicely too, but leaked badly from the rear main seal. Ran it for 30 minutes on a stand, rear main stopped leaking. I will still replace that seal before installing.

If the seals are newer and never run, you may be OK. Older and/or run years ago, may be dried out.

Good luck,
Tom

 

Thanks everyone, I'll have to contact the seller and maybe the builder to try and get more details and go from there I guess.