Non-running 440

[SludgeWizard]

Hey y’all, I just scooped a 73 Gran Coupe with the 440 off of my good buddy for $1000 with 7k original miles. The downside is that it hasn’t ran in an estimated 25-30 years. Allegedly the previous owner ran it without the air cleaner and sucked part of the heat blanket on the hood down the carb and locked it up. I’m no professional, but this sounds incredibly unlikely. Regardless, where would y’all start with getting it running? I haven’t even tried to manually turn it over yet, don’t wanna hurt anything in the event that that story is true. Borescope down the spark plug holes perhaps?

 

[Justin Plant]

It happened to a friend's dad's 68 Chevelle with a 396 when I was in high school. They just finished, installed, tuned and tested it. One last adjustment on the carb or timing or something. I don't know which one shut the hood. But, the air cleaner didn't get put back on. Once they hit the highway and opened it up, it only took about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile before they were sitting on the side of the road. The engine had to come back out and back apart. Valves bent, I can remember one rod. That was 30 years ago. So, the total carnage is lost to time. A bore scope will certainly help you find where it all went.

 

[SludgeWizard]

It happened to a friend's dad's 68 Chevelle with a 396 when I was in high school. They just finished, installed, tuned and tested it. One last adjustment on the carb or timing or something. I don't know which one shut the hood. But, the air cleaner didn't get put back on. Once they hit the highway and opened it up, it only took about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile before they were sitting on the side of the road. The engine had to come back out and back apart. Valves bent, I can remember one rod. That was 30 years ago. So, the total carnage is lost to time. A bore scope will certainly help you find where it all went.

Man that must’ve hurt, that’s a bad day right there. Here’s hoping I don’t have to replace any rods lol

 

[MONC440]

Start by visualizing inspecting everything. Then pull all the spark plugs and disconnect the fuel line from the fuel pump. Then see if it will turn over with a bar on the front crank bolt. If it will turn a few inches each way, spay some fluid in each cylinder (I use marvel mystery oil or transmission fluid) let it sit for a few hours or even overnight. The turn the engine over with the bar and make sure it turns all the way around. If there is a spot hard to turn work the bar back and forth on that spot. Keep doing that until it rotates fairly well all the way around. Then crank it with the starter with the plugs still out for several revolutions. If all that goes well, see if you can get spark, if not fix the ignition system. At this point put in some good plugs, dump some gas down the carb and see if you can get it to start. If everything is successful to this point then start working on the fuel issues, after being parked that long it will need the carb rebuild and maybe a new pump and the gas lines are probably plugged and tank is full of crap.

 

[SludgeWizard]

Start by visualizing inspecting everything. Then pull all the spark plugs and disconnect the fuel line from the fuel pump. Then see if it will turn over with a bar on the front crank bolt. If it will turn a few inches each way, spay some fluid in each cylinder (I use marvel mystery oil or transmission fluid) let it sit for a few hours or even overnight. The turn the engine over with the bar and make sure it turns all the way around. If there is a spot hard to turn work the bar back and forth on that spot. Keep doing that until it rotates fairly well all the way around. Then crank it with the starter with the plugs still out for several revolutions. If all that goes well, see if you can get spark, if not fix the ignition system. At this point put in some good plugs, dump some gas down the carb and see if you can get it to start. If everything is successful to this point then start working on the fuel issues, after being parked that long it will need the carb rebuild and maybe a new pump and the gas lines are probably plugged and tank is full of crap.

Yessir good info. The intake, carb and valve covers are all currently off to try and see if the heat blanket ended up anywhere easily accessible, was gonna pull the heads if need be. After I scope out the cylinders I’ll likely put it all back together and go through this process

 

[CBODY67]

My first reaction was that the intake would need to come off to vac out any remaining fiberglass from the hood pad with a shop vac. But you're already to that point.

Then the use of a borescope to look inside the combustion chamber for any other fiberglass bits. Then some light oil soak action for the rings and cyl walls. BUT as long as the engine had been inactive, might be best (as an "insurance move") to go ahead and pull the heads for a few reasons. One is to really see what's in there, easily, PLUS to get a valve job done to find any time-related issues with the valve guides/seals or bent valves. Having access to the piston tops would also result in a more-accurate manner of delivering any light oil to the compression rings and seeing that all pistons were not stuck on the skirts.

With the intake off, full access to the lifters and valve train to re-lube them, too. Tips of pushrods and their top and bottom interfaces, too.

Add two other things into the mix when the heads are put back on and TDC is market on the balancer. A new roller chain timing set and pressurized oil into the oil galleys? In other words, treating it like a dry/initial start-up of a new long block engine. Might be more time and such, but with a higher level of insurance that all is well and ready for at least 100K more miles.

Take care,
CBODY67

 

[SludgeWizard]

Damn good write up. I’ll be taking all of this into consideration while I get it back to life. I’m gonna drive the hell out of it so it’s gonna need some longevity

My first reaction was that the intake would need to come off to vac out any remaining fiberglass from the hood pad with a shop vac. But you're already to that point.

Then the use of a borescope to look inside the combustion chamber for any other fiberglass bits. Then some light oil soak action for the rings and cyl walls. BUT as long as the engine had been inactive, might be best (as an "insurance move") to go ahead and pull the heads for a few reasons. One is to really see what's in there, easily, PLUS to get a valve job done to find any time-related issues with the valve guides/seals or bent valves. Having access to the piston tops would also result in a more-accurate manner of delivering any light oil to the compression rings and seeing that all pistons were not stuck on the skirts.

With the intake off, full access to the lifters and valve train to re-lube them, too. Tips of pushrods and their top and bottom interfaces, too.

Add two other things into the mix when the heads are put back on and TDC is market on the balancer. A new roller chain timing set and pressurized oil into the oil galleys? In other words, treating it like a dry/initial start-up of a new long block engine. Might be more time and such, but with a higher level of insurance that all is well and ready for at least 100K more miles.

Take care,
CBODY67