Ok Gents, I am just about ready to fire up my 350.. It is a fresh motor, but has set now for over ten years. I have always turned it over and kept lube in the cyclinders. I still have the plugs out and I have taken a distributor shaft and run oil up to the top end...What's the safest way to start her up? And is it hurt any by the fact it has set so long without running? I sure hope not. Thanks, Scot
I'm coming up on the same situation. For my engine.... I'll be dumping the oil I put in years ago, taking the oil pan off and "filling" the back side of the pistons with oil. Why....because one of the easiest things to forget is the wrist pins. They need oil. I've watched as two friends started their new/but sitting engines, slowly loose rpm until they just stoppped. Upon engine removal, the engine was stopped by "ONE" wrist (two in the second case) pin galling to the piston. So yea..."I'd" soak the wrist pins in oil for a coupla days, along with the bottoms of the cylinders, turn it back over and reinstall the pan. Just fill the bottom of the piston, and keep the pins as covered as you can as the oil leaks out the oil ring return holes. Also, you mention the plugs have been "out"....In this case, I'd also pull the heads and make sure no creatures got in there to gum up things. A cooked spider on a valve seat could help burn the seat in that location. Also clean any dirt that may have gotten in there...yea, even if covered. Why did you leave the plugs out..!? Were the valves adjusted ? What type rockers.? I guess in any case, I'll be removing all my rocker arms and do the same thing as the wrist pins. Even roller rockers need oil..."before" they are expected to do work..! Ball rockers need MORE care. Put it all back together and prime the engine..."Properly prime it", turning the crank a few full revolutions with the drill motor running...(to fill ALL of the feed holes) with fresh good quality oil. Take this for what it may be worth...your engine, your money, but this, I'd say is the minimum I'd do. Mike
On a SBC if you just use an old distributor shaft or long screwdriver blade in a drill to spin the oil pump it only primes the left half of the engine. A proper priming tool seals off with machined ridges just like the distributor body and oil will flow to both banks. Easy to make using an old distributor. Push out the pin in the drive gear, remove shaft then hacksaw off the top of the distributor casting.Put the shaft back in and replace the gear. Now grind off the gear teeth so it doesn't engage the camshaft. I welded a 3/4" nut on the top of the shaft and turn it with an air wrench. It works real well and will hold 70# while spinning.
Why put the gear back on? Save the gear, you don't need it to spin the oil pump, those gears are 20 bucks.
If you can I would add some new cam lube/paste to the base of all your lifters. I know its a pain in the *** but could save your cam from going flat on break in. Most likely the original camshaft lube is not on there as thick as it was 10 years ago.
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