I would echo the suggestion to tear down the engine before installation. I put in a nicely rebuilt 216 that had been sitting on a shop floor for many years. It turns out there was a mouse nest in the cooling jacket and the head got plugged and cracked.
If you have the space, a spare engine makes sense to me. I have a 235 on the floor just in case.
Last edited by Stove; 09/24/2019 1:15 PM.
