Help I just bought a motor that was rebuilt a year ago and never run. My son bought a truck sight unseen and had it shipped 3,000 miles from California only to find the motor was no good. I found one on CL the guy wanted $1100. He got it as a spare with a car he bought. It's never had gas added and the seller knows nothing about it. Carb, intake, fuel pump dist and wires and everything else external are all new. I told the seller I didn't want a $1000
boat anchor and wouldn't pay that for an untested motor. He came down to $700 for this 390 ford to go into a 76 Fi50. I figure the externals are worth that.
Soooo My question is after sitting for a year should I fog the cylinders before turning it over. I was thinking of the spray engine fogger that I use on my outboard. Or should I use something else? As always thanks to you experts and I apologize for the fact my son isn't into Corvettes.

 

Sounds good to me. Something is better than nothing. Also...due to it never being cranked and broken in. I would use a "break-in oil" of your choosing ( I use AMSOIL break-in oil myself...AMSOIL fogging oil also) While turning this engine..I would be priming the engine with oil it at the same time.

DUB

 

Thanks Dub I figure I'll prime the oil pump but I'm concerned about scoring the bores the first few cranks. I didn't realize Amsoil made a fogging oil. I'll have to look for it.

 

I would also crank it by hand first, just to make sure nothing binds up.

 

Just my $0.02, but before I went to the trouble of putting the motor in and connecting everything up, I'd hook up a mechanical oil pressure gauge, and use a drill to run the oil pump. If you see at least 35 psi, and with a valve cover off - you see that the rocker arms are getting oil - that would be a very positive sign.

After verifying oil pressure, I'd also pull the plugs, put a little light oil in each cylinder and try to turn the motor over by "hand" (several bolts in the balancer holes, and a pry bar should work) - with the plugs out - there won't be compression to fight with.

Before starting, put the distributor back in and spend some time getting the timing as close as you can to correct before trying to start the motor.

What you do right after start-up has a lot to do with what type of cam/lifters you have. If the motor has roller lifters, you can just start it and run it normally. If the motor has non-roller lifters, you need to make sure you keep the RPM between 1,750, and 2,750 for half an hour or so after you start the motor - Don't let it idle !!! This allows the cam to properly break in with the lifters. If you have a non-roller cam - you also want to make sure that you have a "break-in" oil (or a break in oil supplement) in the car - it has some extreme pressure lubricants (ZDPP) that should help with the cam break in.

Personally - I normally do an oil & filter change after about 1/2 hour of run time - I know this seems excessive, but if you think about how much metal is being "sheared off" during break in - I'd call it cheap insurance. (There is probably more metal in the oil & filter after the first half hour of running than there is in the 40,000 - 50,000 mile lifespan.) You also have a lot of solvents that are used during the rebuild process, and they all end up in your oil. I've seen oil drain out like water after the first 1/2 hour...

I know it sounds like a fair amount of work, but so is installing a engine - you really want to do some homework to verify that what you've got is good - so you won't end up having to pull a boat anchor back out, and replace it again.

 

If it was built right and they used assembly lube on all of the parts it should still be there but for just in case id do what the others have suggested and pull the dist. and spin the pump with a drill till you get good oil pressure.

 

What good does fogging do? There should be no oil on top of the pistons. No oil gets past the rings when the engine is running.

 

I do manually turn the engine while my priming tool is oiling the engine....to make sure ALL rockers get oil.

ALSO...this can "bite you"...if you do not check. In some cases...usually with a specific name brand of lifter...the lifter can stay stuck in the "plunged" position. I have been burnt by these lifters before so I now VERIFY that when I am rotating the engine..I can see that the lifter plunger does come back up. They can be hard to see but with a good light...I have no problems. Nothing is worse than having to pull the intake and remove all of the lifters and break them down ...clean them...re-assemble them...re-oil them...and re-install everything again.

AS for draining the "break-in" oil right after the cam break in...I have heard to drain it all out...and then I have also heard that it needs to be in there for about 500 miles. This is due to all of the good lubricants that are used can aid in lubrication. I kinda am on the "fence" on this one. I honestly would replace the oil filter with a fresh one and then add some oil. OR...use one of these oil filters...which I am now starting to use.

http://gopurepower.com/

AGREED!!! (Bold type comment)
Read his post...the engine SAT FOR A YEAR. WE do not know if it was bagged up with moisture paper...or left open...who knows??? And knowing that cast iron can rust depending on the level of moisture/humidity...using a fogging oil can not hurt. UNLESS he has a bore scope and can looking into the cylinders and see how they look above the piston. It is only a misting oil and not like pumping oil directly into the cylinder with an oiler. The fogging oil can help out...but if the cylinders are badly pitted due to rust...nothing can help that issue.

DUB

 

The time for fogging oil was a year ago. If it is rusted it is rusted.

 

BUT...something is better than nothing... and it is his choice....and I have seen guys use oil in the cylinders in many motors that were seized and not started in a LONG time and got them "free-up" to fire up and run....and last for a quite long time...and other engines that were not so lucky.

I am trying to keep the positive "MOJO" flowing.

DUB

 

I appreciate the positive mojo. We went and looked at the motor but didn't buy it. The motor mounts holes didn't line up. I think he's going to have what he has rebuilt. Thank you all for inpuy.
Dave