The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Bringing a V8 back from the dead?

Guys,

I just bought a '72 Pontiac LeMans as a parts car for my '67 LeMans. The PO said the P-350 in the '72 was locked up from lack of oil in 1996. Well, I put a ratchet on the crank snout and she's free! How can I tell if the crank bearings are shot without putting a lot of work into the engine?

thanks
chip

First point would be to check the oil . . . best way is to pull the pan and look at the bearings.

You could always just change the oil and start it up and see what it sounds like . . .

I agree with Ken. If the bearings are bad they're bad. May want to put a squirt of (magic juice aka Mavels mystery oil)your choice in the top end (spark plugs) to give it a little lube before starting it. But I say go for it.

Maybe it wasn't locked up at all, maybe the battery was dead.

Thanks guys.

These GM A-bodies cram the engine down on the front X-member, so pull pan = pull engine. The crazy thing is the PO wasn't an idiot, but said he couldn't get the engine to move with a cheater pipe. I got it to spin with a small ratchet. Engine has some oil in it.

I have a bill of sale, but no title yet. The points ignition system is apart, and the ign key is gone. So I'm not gonna put much work into this thing before I get it legal-like.

Will bad bearings rattle when I spin it over with the starter? I hear a little noise when I turn it over by hand, but unsure how serious.

chip

Chip, looks like you've found another engine to destroy! I bet the guys at the machine shop go running for the john when they see you coming in the door.

Hearing noises when turning by hand sounds to me like broken rings. Bearings usually don't make any noise until they're under load.

That noise is nothing to worry about, just the broken end of a rod banging on the block.Buy some "rebuild in a bottle" from JC Whitney and a special HEI distrbuter conversion, you'll be good to go.

Yup, I figgure if I can get it to run long enough to drive by the PO's house, it'll be worth it. I figgure some "smoke no-mo" and some slick-50 and she'll run for another 50K miles, right? .

Heck, don't you guys ever try to get an engine to run just cuz others say it can't be done? At least then I can tell if the tranny is any good, and maybe turn the car around in the yard.

How long can gas sit in a tank before it won't burn?

I recently bought a 50 Chevy 1/2 ton from a guy down the street had sit for 4 years outside unprotected in the harsh NY weather. Engine was set up, I freed it up got it running on 4 year old gasoline in the tank, took a fresh gas prime to get it initally started.Ran like crap, blown head gasket, a few bad valves, spend 200 bucks to make it run correctly, but it smokes a little.
I ran it up and down the road while the guy was outside his house, he refused to look