Rebuilt engine that has been stored for years

[Scott Kiger]

So the numbers matching engine for my 68 RR that I am restoring was rebuilt by an excellent engine guy a long time ago. How long I have no idea. My best guess is probably 15 years or maybe longer. Anyway I took my endoscope and looked at all cylinders and in at the cam. It’s clean as a whistle. I was told that they turned it every so often and they sprayed fogging oil in the cylinders. It turns freely. It may be another couple years before my car is done. Part of me wants to disassemble it and make sure everything is good and part of me wants to put it on a stand and run it as good as it looks. If I go that route would you put some oil in it now and prime the pump to pump it through the engine or just wait until it’s about to be ran? Any benefit to circulating oil through it every six months or so? I pull the plugs and turn it over every few months now. Pics are taken with my endoscope. Engine is fully assembled. Thanks for the advice

 

[super-bee_ski]

I simply squirt 30 weight oil in each spark plug hole and rotate assembly with a 1 1/4" Wrench (1 1/8'?)

 

[eldubb440]

my buddy bought a project camaro for his daughter with a supposed rebuilt 327.......... was very clean and fresh inside, we figured it was done sometime in the 90s and assumed it needed a cam break in before pulling it out of the chassis...... so we hotwired it up, installed a radiator, and let her rip........... fired right up, survived the break in, and seems to be strong with no issues

 

[toolmanmike]

Lifters that are sticky in the bores and won't spin, is a recipe for a cam lobe disaster. It wouldn't be a bad idea to pull the lifters, check them for crown, clean them and the bores and reinstall with lots of cam break in lube on the lobes and lifter faces. Not in the lifter bores. Pre lube the engine before starting, making sure you are running high ZDDP break in oil. Fill the carb with gas through the bowl vents and make sure your timing is set to at least 10° btdc so the engine will light quickly without excessive cranking. Let's see, is that it? All I can think of.

 

[R413]

How dry is your garage?

It looks just fine so far so leave it.

I would not put oil in the cylinders, there is never oil in them when it's running, right. There is no rust in there at all. All oil is below the oil control rings.

I wouldn't circulate oil every 6 months either, do it when it's going to be started.

No cam lube in the lifter bores, only engine oil.

 

[Scott Kiger]

My shop is dry. Has a dehumidifier as well. Yeah I am just going to keep doing what I am doing and turn it over every few months and then put it on a run stand before I am ready to put it on the K frame and see how it does. Engine has no oil in it and hasn’t since it was built so that’s a good thing as oil breaks down over time even if it isn’t ran. Thanks for the replies.

 

[autoxcuda]

Loosen up the rocker shafts and take the spring tension off the valve springs.

 

[Don selleck]

I have read in a thread here somewhere that the breakin lube will drip off somewhat and lose some of the critical lube for cam/lifter break in/spin. and they did have an issue. I would at least remove the intake and valve cover to remove the lifters and relube those jmo. good luck!