Pulled my intake, its ugly..am I screwed??

This is one of those mystery motors, ''It was running when we pulled it to put in a big block''.. well this was probably 10 years ago when it last ran, I turned it over by hand and it turns fine, can hear compression, but the inside of the intake manifold looked rusty and dirty from sitting so I thought id pull it and clean it and get a good look at what i'm dealing with. Its a 69' small block fyi.. so theres this sludge just built up towards the center of the motorsides and i'm curious as to why.. and the rusty ports on the back make me think twice about cleaning everything best I can and slapping it back together and get it running.. I just want it to run, Can some of you guys with motor experience tell me if i'm wasting my time or will be ok???
Anthony

 

I would pop the heads to have a good look first, you may get away with a good clean up?
Doc.

 

Pull the heads check the bores. After you reinstall the heads and intake pull freeze plugs and flush the water jackets to get the **** out.

 

I'm with the others. Pull the heads off and see.
If its ok it owes you some head gaskets. If its not and you fit the motor then you'll wish you had pulled the motor down further when it was sitting on the ground.
I'd say a few head gaskets is cheap insurance.

 

Ports look clean,
it's only a water p***age with the rusty mess.
clean up the water p***age,
visually check the back of the valves for rust,
and if there is compression just fire it up,
and see if the smoke clears.
If the smoke clears and the motor runs on all eight, then just fit it and see how it goes.

 

I'd be more inclined to clean out the oil pan rather than pull the heads. The head gaskets ain't that cheap. You can check the compression on each cylinder without pulling the heads. That'll tell you more than looking at the cylinder walls.

I can't tell from the picture - is that just sludge? That's all I'd clean out. New lifters for 50 bucks would be good insurance you wouldn't have to pull the intake again. Clean all the good out from under the rocker covers.

 

Looks like that is just baked oil from the bottom of the intake caused by
crossover heat in the manifold. Crank it over with a starter to watch the
valve train action and take a compression check. Pull the heads if you
see something you don't like after doing this. Good luck.

 

I'm With TUDOR on this one. Sounds like good advice!!!!!

 

I've cleaned up allot worse and then put 200K miles and more on. Pull the heads inspect and clean everything up. Pull the pan first to see if there is any spare metal in it slap a new Oil pump check the timing chain for slop. Have the valves reground and new seals while the heads are off. Slap it all back together and change the oil after a hundred miles.

 

I wouldn't pull the heads on the basis of what I see in your pic. Pull the plugs and screw an air hose fitting in the plug hole, apply pressure and listen for air getting past the valves. If they hold pressure, leave it alone. Pulling the pan to clean the goop out is a good plan, though.
When and if you do the pressure thing, be sure to hold the flywheel from turning off TDC! A strap from a bellhousing bolt to the flywheel/ring gear will do it.

 

typical pennzoil motor..

 

I got one of them "ran fine when pulled motors" aswell. I was tearing it down to bare block anyway and when I got to #3 piston I found a broken ring. Also the camshaft was worn out aswell. Hope for the best when you decide to start it up but expect the worst.

 

Aint that the truth.
I'd pull the heads and the pan, what's an extra hour or so now?

 

I'm doing a sbc that's a similar deal except it's still in the original car.

In this case it came apart due to oil leaks, and I'm replacing every seal and gasket EXCEPT the head gaskets. As long as your drainback holes are open, sludge can't hurt a head gasket.

The oil pan is coming off later today, and then I'm doing the unthinkable........attacking the engine with purple degreaser, a garden hose, and maybe a can or two of carb cleaner. Gonna soak and scrub that ****er within an inch of it's life. Last steps will be a thorough blowdown with the air hose, then will spray wd40 til my hand hurts, then will spin it a few times and repeat the wd40.

I've done it before and will probably do it again. As long as the pan's off and the plugs are out, you could literally dunk the engine in water without hurting it. The key is following up with drying, oiling, and turning.

BTW, since it's an old chevy, just replace the cam now. Then you don't have to worry about any garbage down in the lifters and will gain cleaning access.

Good luck!

 

Put the intake on and run it. I got a free motor from a friend of mine that sat in his yard for 2 years, under a tarp, I took the intake off and it had ice in the intake ports, I got it to spin allthe way over in April, Put another intake on it and fired it up, IT RUNS JUST FINE maybe I was just lucky. Life is a chance, you make the call.

 

I wouldnt sweat it..
scoop out what you can..pull the pan and clean it out..
do a compression test (if good)
put it back togeather, and put a good oil in it..
run it change the filter and oil after the first 500 miles and that sludge will be gone after the first few oil changes..

that engine was probably never run up to full temperature much..short runs
they tend to build sludge if they are run cold..and short.

 

It's an S B C...............S****e that **** out, and drive it.........I got a dollar sez it will run with no problems.

 

Also consider removing the oil filter adapter and replacing the byp*** with a recessed-hex pipe plug, then use premium filters. Cheap filters are not to be used with this full-flow modification.

Once you start disturbing crud it has a tendency to continue on it's own, the oil pump is sturdy and will chew that stuff up, but you don't want it going past the oil pump into the pressurized p***ages. Those byp*** adapters are always byp***ing a little bit past the filter

If it's that sludged and you start driving with modern oils, the rear main will begin dumping in no time. Just go ahead and replace the rear main and add a one piece pan gasket. You won't regret it.

Thorkle's advice about the oil pump and timing chain is worth listening to. Cheap reliability.

 

I dont see what the problem is... A little sludge, and some surface rust in the runners... Yea, the coolant p***ages look kinda krusty, but that ****'ll flush out. IMHO it looks good for a 40 year old motor. Personally, I'd flush it with kerosene, and pickle it with marvel mystery oil for a weekend, then just run it.

But if it really bothers you, remember, it is a SBC...

Hit the swap meet, and find that old guy with the beard and harley davidson t-shirt... You know, the one who sells new cams for $15, lifters for $30, gasket sets for $25, rings for $17.50 and a complete bearing set for $19.95.

Also pick up a set of valve springs for $30 and a new oil pump for $10...

Un-screw the motor and swing by the local el-cheapo auto supply and machine shop for a valve re-grind for $50, hone the block for $40, polish the crank for $40, and hot tank everything for $30 more.

Re-***emble it in an afternoon over a 12 pack of budweiser with a friend or two, and BINGO... You just rebuilt the ****er for $250.

That's the beautifull thing about a SBC

 

It could be the head gaskets leaking water into the engine (you would have to pressurize the water jackets to know for sure), I don't know why anyone in their right mind wouldn't change out "all" the gaskets, and seals while the engine is out of the car, unless your building a "rat rod".

 

If you just want it to run, then I don't see a problem.

Ok for how long and how well is another, if you want it to last or perform better than stock, then strip it, sort everything, and rebuild the whole motor from the crank up, piece meal is pointless, you might as well do the job properly or just go with it.

I see no point in stripping the thing just for the sake of looking inside, clean up and try it, it was running, therefore if you don't look it will probably run again, but sure if the aim is something more, then it would be better to do the lot while it's out.

 

I ran them worse than that. I pulled an intake once to replace the gasket and it was full of crud end to end. I blocked the drain holes as best I could and s****ed it out and used a shop vac. Not one problem after that we drove the car for many years after that.
If the oil pressure is good drive it.

 

Without meaning to dominate the thread......

A big part of the risk is how you're gonna use it. If you're the type to run it hard, then expect sludge to come loose and start moving in big pieces. That's pure badness.

Run it reasonably and there's probably no issue at all.

IMO the sludge is secondary. At that age, it's foolish to put it in a car without new pan gaskets and main seals, it's guaranteed to leak all over in a few months.

So now we're talking about having all the tins off to be resealed. Why wouldn't you clean that sludge & carbon out of there? It's pure risk and it's right there in front of you. Not only that, but if you can keep the oil clean, the engine will last virtually forever.

Good luck whatever you do, they're tough old bullets and will probably be fine no matter what.

 

Hit the swap meet, and find that old guy with the beard and harley davidson t-shirt... You know, the one who sells new cams for $15, lifters for $30, gasket sets for $25, rings for $17.50 and a complete bearing set for $19.95.

Also pick up a set of valve springs for $30 and a new oil pump for $10...

Un-screw the motor and swing by the local el-cheapo auto supply and machine shop for a valve re-grind for $50, hone the block for $40, polish the crank for $40, and hot tank everything for $30 more.

Man I got to move where you are !thats 700$ easy here

 

At the car show here this past Febuary, "that guy" was here, and he had a table full of discontinued and close-out SBC cams for $10 each.

Most [if not all] of them were el-cheapo chinese stock replacements, or brands I had never heard of... But the point is the same. They are out there.

E-bay is another good source for cheap parts

 

I'm with Pir8Darryl, my bro-in-law rebuilds sbc's all the time, with some machine work and a rebuild kit from Northern, the he can turn and sell them at a profit for $500. He hasn't had one come back yet...for what it's worth

 

A good shop vac, put a bag in it, will take most of that up. I'd re-gasket it too, timing chain, pull the pan and see what you have. It might run OK, but cleaned up it could be even better. On the lifters, if you have the ones with the dark stripe around the bottom, reuse them, keep track of where they went, but you can't buy lifters that good anymore. Containing the **** is the main thing. After taking it up,a litle wipe down with brakecleen, some right stuff with new gaskets and a fesh coat of paint you may have somethng to be proud of. Pulling it down you may find something that needs addressed, why not? Its on the stand?

 

last block I had cleaned 5 years ago was 90$ boring was 65$ per hole Valve job (grind valve &seats) 165$ per head plus parts if anything needed replacing at one point when my son lived in North Carolina near Yadkinville we were talking about bringing a bunch of SBC motors down because he could get a 350 bored for 100$ per block !

 

Leon,
Wow! I just dont know what to say. Those prices are rediculous. If people up there are actually paying those prices, I'd look into opening a machine shop!

Clean the block?
3 cans of [lye based] oven cleaner from the dollar store and a trip to the car wash.

Grind the valves?
One of the $5 suction cup tools that goes on the end of a drill and a $7 tube of grinding compound.

$50 parts washer, $150 blasting cabinet, and a $75 shop press from Harbor Freight.

$50 ridge reamer and $70 ball hone from E-bay.

And a $10 roll of emory cloth do de-glaze the crank journals, and you could do all of it in your garage... Wouldn't even need a machine shop!

 

While I agree with all of the above, I tend to to take the safe way out and send it to my trusted machine shop. A couple of "upgrades" usually benefits both my machine shop and myself.