chevy 235

so I just found this 54 235 motor fully rebuilt on craigslist, It seems the guy I bought it from changed his mind and wanted to go with a v-8, must II, ect. He told me that the motor had never been fired but it was sitting in his garage for a very long time like 5 years . So I picked it up brought it home took it apart and It was a freshly rebuilt motor never fired. I took the head, oil pan,side cover off and inspected it very carefully and the only thing I could find is that the motor was very tight!!! I could barely turn the crank shaft over with a pry bar. I plastigauged all the mains and were all @ .001 Do engine bearings go bad from sitting? Is there anything I'm overlooking or is that just normal for an engine thats been sitting???

 

normal..check the valves and springs,,they do get weak from sitting in one spot.you should have oiled the cylinders before turning.

 

if you have the plugs out the engine should turn over fairly easy. if not keep looking, maybe pull the head and see if the cyls have surface rust.

 

rings will get moisture down to them and lock to the cylinder walls. especially if the engine was not assembled w/a sufficient amount of assembly lube or other lubricant. if you think this is the case, try soaking the cylinders in tranny fluid and brake fluid. i don't remember the proportions, but i am sure some one here knows them.

big ed

 

I'd be checking the ring end gaps. Never trust anything somebody else put together.

 

Is it just tight or does it stop at the same spot every time... I installed a cam wrong on one of these once and it went one way, then the other, but both times stopped at the same exact spot. Easy to fix if you catch it while turning it by hand.
Good luck.
Seth

 

i sent you a PM,i have a 235 for sale in San Jose.

 

A fresh rear main rope seal can require at least 50ft/lbs on a breaker bar to turn over. If you were to loosen the rear main journal, that would tell you if it's that or something else...