Getting ready to start up a 55 year old new never fired 283 chevy engine. History, I bought this engine from a Chevy dealer in Elgin, Il in 1978. The dealer bought it from GM in 1967, at that time it was already a two year old engine. According to the PM, GM had a clearance sale. he bought five engines. This was the last one. Skip forward to today, took it apart to check everything, good we did, looks like at the end of the day someone cleaned up their work area and dumped all the milling machine debris into the lifter valley and oil pan. Back together, getting ready to fire it up. Any recommendations, advise, precautions ? What break in oil to use? Brand name? Thanks in advance.
Uhoh oil thread. Use oil. Oil is good. Add zinc if you want too. Royal purple or brad penn if you can. Prime it. Get the oil pressure up. Fire it off. enjoy. I use 15/40. Some guys don’t. But never don’t use oil Any cam break line in on the lifters? Was it fired up by GM already decades ago? Hmmmm
I would buy or borrow a oil pump priming tool. It’s used best with a 1/2” drill motor. Pressure will come pretty quick but what you want to see is oil coming up the push rods and into the rocker arm balls. We wait until it does on all 16. It takes time. You can turn the engine over with wrench or on the starter while doing this.. Spark plugs out. This engine may still have the “spit holes” in the connecting rods at the cap split and are a big plus for me. Extra oil on the cam lobes. If the heads have the triangle on the top of the flat smooth rectangle on the front of the heads it’s a 195 HP. No triangles a 180 HP.
I have become a believer in break in oil for the 1st hundred miles. I used Lucas on the last engine because it was all that was available. If you go to Total Seals, website, they have links to a video showing why breakin oil is a good idea.
Keep in mind that Chevy valve seals are nothing,but rubber rings that fit the top of the valve stem.If you find the engine smokes, once running you can go back,and replace them. Same with rubber crank shaft seals. Time isnt always kind to rubber.
As far as priming the lube system before you start it; I pull all the plugs, disable the ignition and crank the engine over with the starter until I get oil pressure. Next, put the plug back in, enable the ignition and start it up. If it is an engine you just assembled, there should be plenty of lube on everything anyway.
"" Skip forward to today, took it apart to check everything, good we did, looks like at the end of the day someone cleaned up their work area and dumped all the milling machine debris into the lifter valley and oil pan. Back together, getting ready to fire it up.""
"Skip forward to today, took it apart to check everything, good we did, looks like at the end of the day someone cleaned up their work area and dumped all the milling machine debris into the lifter valley and oil pan". I'd be digging for the receipt with the intent to return/exchange.
If everything looked good, why was there metal shavings in the oil pan? Was there ever oil in the pan, before you took it apart? Bearings look good?
Borntoloze , Lol,,,,,,,you’re gonna try to return an engine after 44 years,,,,,,glad I wasn’t having a drink . I would have spewed it everywhere ! Tommy
If you found that much crap in the valley and oil pan, did you pull it apart completely and clean ALL oil passage's and check the oil pump internals, disassemble the lifters and clean thoroughly? Sounds like it may be kind of iffy, if you didn't. It's a damn shame this happened to you, good thing you were nosey and checked it out!
Well,,,,,it sat in the dealers shop for 11 years before he sold it . A lot of stuff floats around in a shop,,,,unless an engine assembly is bagged to keep all dust and debris out . Maybe some punks that used to work for the dealer was getting back at him for something. Young people can do a lot of destruction if they have motivation,,,,and a vendetta . Without pics,,,,,whose to say how much crap can accumulate . Also,,,,it sat waiting 44 more years to be used,,,,,I’m assuming it was bagged and covered all that time ? Tommy
You will have a better time breaking it in then most if the cam and lifters are 50+ years old, at least the quality will better. I break-in all the engines I build using Brad Penn ( PennGrade ) 30w break-in oil. Never had one go bad yet due to oil.
Far be it for me to say, but this smells like fish. I mean really...good story and all, just smells fishy.
That wasn't an uncommon occurrence for cheby crate engines years ago,I remember reading a quote from John Lingenfelter back in the 80's that said after they cleaned a handful of milling bits out of the LS-7 crate motors they would make excellent performance engines,he said while the parts were all top notch stuff the cleanliness left a lot to be desired.
Thanks for all the responses. Still tracking down some lose items, alternator, thermostat, radiator hoses, break-in oil, oil, oil filter (converted from canister type to spin on) throttle return spring, correct screws for the fuel pump and starter just to name a few. It's a human size automotive jigsaw puzzle. smells fishy, more sad than anything that it took this long to get this far and not there yet. Maybe it will smell like Castor oil some day I'm losing it, can't do simple math. it's 57 years old
A bud had his boastful pal help him install the (then) new 327 short block into his '57 Chevy Bel Air, in 1962. I cautioned them about the metal shavings/debris (!) in the valley, and advised they remove the pan... Big mouthed pal scoffed, said those shavings were in there for a reason! (Chevy shavings? Unbelievable...) They installed his old 265 heads, which had been ported & polished, along with a '57 four bbl intake. Engine developed a LOUD rod knock after a 20 minute 'run-in'... Out came the engine, returned for a warranty replacement! They were more diligent with the cleaning of the next one, but I 'ducked-out' so as not to witness any more of their lame steps. They both knew the Parts Mgr., but still surprised me that they got a replacement without a 24 page questionaire...
Tales and talks of those issue of debris in the pan with modern crate engines as well. I’d guess they were machined and assembled, then in transit the vibrations rattled loose the debris. What’s strange is you had debris on the top of the block.
Assume everything is dry. Might pull the pan and check some rod and main bearings. Some of those old break in lubercants can become like paste over the years and could block oil passages. Otherwise treat it like a fresh engine, prime, use zinc and a good break in oil. Do a good reskin of the camshaft and avoid excessive idling. Another concern is rust.hard to avoid moisture for all those years. Good luck on the engine, let us know how it turns out.
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