hello, i inherited a sbc 350 engine that was my brothers, that he has had rebuilt, but then sat under a carport for about 2 yrs. i've had it about 5 yrs. in my garage. what would be the best thing to do first before attempting to start it after sitting so long.i'm getting very close to doing this, so all suggestions will be appreciated. also, i have a edelbrock manifold #c355 3x2(50's) i would like to use, would you know if it can be used with a 1987 non-roller 350? all the intake holes in the head are at the same angle.thanks alot, kurt.
it probably got some condensation in it, unless it was sealed up very well. I'd be tempted to take it apart to see if the bores are ok, see if it has dirt in it, etc. At least look in the ports, and into the spark plug holes with a flashlight, etc.
ive been told coca cola and marvel mystery oil in spark plug cylinders and crank motor over (without sparkplugs) and let the oil and cola squirt out, and do that after you pull the pan and look at what you have going on inside
The C355 intake manifold won't work with the 350. It's made for 1955-57 265 and has really small ports. It will bolt up but will never seal right. I had to trade mine for a C357 to work with my 350. If it's in good shape it's worth a bit. I sold mine for enough to buy a new C357.
i did some more research and found out that it's not an 87'. the block number is #14016379. 78-85 or 77-78 depending on the website you want to belive.
As squirrel said, a tear down would be best. At least a partial one to relube the cam and lifters (***uming it was never broken in) along with a squirt of oil in each cylinder and on all of the valve stems, as well as with anything else that moves. Then prelube with a drill before firing.
If you want to figure out what year it is, look for the casting date on the back near the number you already posted. letter follwed by two to four numbers, like D 14 8 the last number is the last digit of the year, so in my example that would be April 14, 1978 for a block that was produced from 77-85 also see if there are numbers stamped on the front of the block, on the deck surface right in front of the p*** side cylinder head. Post the numbers we can help you figure it out.
i already had looked in the ports and seen orange/brown color, and thats what made me post this. you were right though squirrel, i pulled the heads last night and it does have signs of condensation in three cylinders and some rust build up on the head chambers,valve stems. but everything else looks like it was done yesterday. super clean. i cleaned out everything out that i could and sprayed some lube around and cleaned again, then i rocked the crank back and forth with no problem. i just moved it up and down about 1/4'' as i did not want to drag anything past the rusted spots in the three cylinders. so thats where i'm at! any suggustions to keep this train wreck moving forward? could the bottom end have the same trouble? oh, the pistons have been marked 030. over.they look new though.
If it has rusted spots in the cylinders it would be best to pull it apart and hone the block again. hopefully it's not pitted very deep.
check oil then=If after a [quick spray of wd 40] in each hole=,it turns over a complete reveloution=with a socket and breakover bar, try this...... fill the carb[thru the vent tube on top] with gas from a squirt bottle,wire up the dist and coil and with engine setting oil pan in an old tire[on wheel] fire it out of the car and run it for 30-60 seconds...that will show you wether it needs torn down quickly...Never tear down a motor for no reason except to look inside, that is just silly.... wont hurt anything if ran a short burst like this even with no coolant....
Don't care what block it is when it comes to intake manifold fitting or not,, alla same on deck height. What matters is the heads. Dave
well i geuss i'm done doing yard work for the day and can get back to more important things. my car. i posted some pics. to show where it's at. not pretty, but most of what looks bad can be knocked off with your finger nail. i took a piece of 400 grit paper and the spot i worked go perfectly smooth but shows the discoloration. i don't know what going on inside with the rings, but it did have to come apart. a friend said pull the pistons and re-hone, but it's not his money! if i need to, i will. last pic. shows the project. getting close! or so i thought. again, i will look forward to your opinions on my mess.
Alot cheaper and easier to tear down and do right at this point ,than have something go bad wrong later. Go with your gut,not your wallet!!
That is a cool ride! And I whole-heartedly agree with upspirate; "go with your gut, not your wallet!!" If deep down you feel like it needs to come apart, take it apart. That way you'll never have to wonder when you're cruisin' down the road if it's gonna come apart the "other" way, or if you've shortened the lifespan of your mill by running it rusty. Way easier (and less expensive) to do it now than later. And finally, remember one very important truth; opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one and most of em stink (including mine). Good luck with the project and keep us posted!
I've done it both ways, and usually find that spending a little early saves a lot later,plus think of the labor to take it apart later!!! If you think you can do it yourself(tear down and re-***emble) a hone for your drill is cheap....just keep things clean.I'm no engine builder,but have ***embled 2,and have lapped valves by hand.I'd clean the heads,lap them and hone the block checking everything. Oh yea, Nice coupe!!!
clean up the heads with a wire wheel....the engine will run as is but I would take it apart and use a bottle brush hone on the cylinders....otherwise it might smoke....as Squirrel said..." hopefully its not pitted" ....do it right.
I had a 1/4 inch of rust on the walls of a 265 ci , marvel-mystery oil and s****ing followed by honing brought it back. Looking at the pairs of combustion chambers (and their bores), I'd tear it down and hone it. Then good sealing and power will result.
Good point. You are correct, sir. In my case, the C355 manifold would not work with my early 350 heads due to the larger intake port sizes on the heads. I would recommend that the OP try the manifold on his setup to see whether it work or not, because an earlier poster said he had no problem using the C355 with his 350.
well, i'm back from a crazy weekend, and can get back to this. i took the heads to a machine shop to check them out, but i need the block in place for a couple of days still for other things. i told him what lead up to this point and he said the block should be checked as well. i geuss i knew that this would need to be done but did'ent want to take the steps backward. the c355 manifold will be put on temporarily and i'll make some reference marks to see where things will actually hit. maybe it won't hang down low enough to cover the ports on the heads. could a person weld a bead across the bottom edge and mill it flat? i liked the idea of useing this old piece.
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