How long can a small block...

Here is a loaded question. How long can a Chebby 350 set with out being run and still be good ?

Here is the envirement. The engine was a new 350 and now has approx 10,000 miles on it. The Van it was put in fell apart shortly after it was installed. The van sat without any movement since 2008, last time cranked 2010, Since then the distributer was pulled out about a year ago, and the dist hole was covered. The engine sits compete other wise......All Fluids ect.

I am gonna turn it over, the last time it was cranked over as previously stated was 2010 roughly but not started. Once again it was a new GM crate Motor not a reman....

 

I think it would be fine, considering the moisture conditions of the environment. I'd just squeeze a little oil down in the cylinders and rotate it a little over a few days, then fire it off!

 

pull the plugs and oil the cylinders and crank it over without the plugs in it. and then set it up to run. Should be fine.

Dang chaddilac. You got to be quick aroound here.

 

Too many factors, but it should be fine as long as nothing fell down that dizzy hole and there's no moisture buildup in the crankcase. I'd rotate it by hand a few times and prime the oil pump before trying to light it off.

I bought a '62 Impala from the original owner in 2002. He wrecked the car in '67 and parked it in the garage. The car was rotten, but had 14000 original miles. Fresh gas, carb rebuild, gaskets, hoses, belts, plugs, points, oil & filter and it fired off on the first crank. No smoke, no leaks, no noises. Engine is still running today, heads and pan have never been off.

 

Chebby, dizzy hole.... Is it ever going to end???

 

You like that.....


The engine has been out of the weather, other then getting cold and hot, no water or snow on it....

 

When a motor is turned off at least one intake and one exhaust valve are open. Fill the cylinders with some marvell mystery oil ,let it sit a few days. Turn the motor one revolution in one direction than the other a few times. Drain fluids fire it up. I had a 350 target master with 7000 mi. sitting 22 years.We tore it down light cleaning and had to hone 2 cyl. runs like a champ.

 

Do the above mentioned, except I would rotate by hand, then change oil and filter. Since it doesn't have a distributor in it, buy or borrow a oil priming tool that chucks into a drill and prime everything for a few minutes before you fire it off. They are only like 20 bucks or so.

 

The '89 Suburban I just pulled the motor out of was a driver until April of '09. I never started it or did anything special with it after the fall of '09, except I'd run it out of gas.

So in May I put some gas in it and a battery and once I got enough gas in it that the fuel pump could pump it, it fired off, ran, and I drove it around, just as ballsy as it ever was.

Now the motor's on a pallet waiting to go into my '50 Chevy -

 

Dang it hasn"t sat that long,pull the plugs,shoot a little oil in them,no need to fill them up.spin it over without the plugs,reinstall plugs,fire it up and go.

 

Most engines can sit quite a while as long as you keep them dry. it helps to loosen the valves so they don't get rust on the open valves or seats but otherwise it should be just fine.

 

I got a 62 with a 283 it sat for 24 years oiled her down fresh points Etc and she fired fine as frogs hair

 

Ran when parked!

 

I am thinkin or should I say hopin its OK. I will prime before I put the distributor in, and I will rotate the engine slow by hand after sea foaming the cylinders, just to losten things up. I may even spin it with the stater and then check compression before I put a fire in the hole...

Thanks guys, I am hopin for the best.

 

Unclee just fired one up after 20 years. SBCs are very resilient.

 

you said the last time it was turned over was 2010 was the distributor out then if so no oil was being pumped through bearings.may want to re prime oil pump and circulate oil through motor.????my 327 in my chevelle set for 15 years in storage no issues when i put it in my car

 

I'd suggest use of priming tool as above. Marvel oil in cylinders, turn 1/4 turn by hand while priming. Do 2 full rotations. Put plugs back in and fire it up.

 

Do all the priming and lubing mentioned above, but before firing it up , with the plugs out , spin it over for a bit on the starter. This will help make sure everything is freed up and lubed before you put it under the load of compression and combustion.

 

What's a Chebby?

 

A Chubby's little brother???

 

might be fun, when you have it out to get a gasket kit, pull it apart and freshen it up before painting. good insurance before going through the trouble of putting it in your hot rod.

 

No shit man

 

I got my 223 I6 running that had been sitting for 29 years.
Squirted some oil in it and turned it over by hand for a couple days.
Runs good.

 

just an out there thought but you might want to check that no critters went into that hole and made a home in it.we got a 59 ford one time.went to start it and it would hardly turn over.we took the starter out and found half of the front seat padding jammed in the bell housing.

 

Had a 327 Chevy that sat for 10 years before I got it in a boat, put Marvel Mystery oil in the bores a couple of times before turning it over it fired right up, after new points plugs etc. it ran like a brand new engine...I was a happy camper

 

my ford 302 set for 20 plus years in the car, out in the weather,,just replaced all the .tune-up stuff,, it ran great for awhile....

 

as others have said--marvel oil in the cyls--prime it for oil flow-turn it over some after it is primed and fire it--should be fine. Just fired a 62 327 that had sat here on a stand for 6 yrs in the same manner-no issues-

 

The 283 in my daily sat for 10 years before i got it offa craigslist, havent had a problem other that the rings are a little iffy so they musta not seated 100%

 

Don't use sea Foam in the cylinders. That will absorb moisture. use Marvel Mystery oil.

 

I would stick the dist back int, hook up a battery and crank it...but thats just me. It'll go or blow. If it blows...lots more 350 out there.