Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:I loosened the rockers and took the belts off (power steering pump is locked up) to see if it made any difference.
With a tool that's made for turning a ring gear, and a whole lot of extra leverage from a two inch wrench, I got nothing. This thing is locked solid.
That sucks.
That does suck.
With enough advance notice, I might be elligible for a wrenching weekend. Mom is in Palm Coast so I can head over and spend the night at her place while helping you out, I need to get that set of fans to you and have to get a trailer worth of engine to Stampie.
GOT IT!
I've been trying it repeatedly every day, and I always try to knock out one small task every night before I go to bed.
Lately, that's included trying to turn the engine over. Success!
Tomorrow I'll see if it's free enough for the starter motor to turn it.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Maybe a cheap bore scope first? Also congrats.
Stampie said:In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Maybe a cheap bore scope first? Also congrats.
Cylinders are full of oil. Don't know how much I'll see. I'm considering trying to make it run. I don't know how I would do any more damage to bores.
im expecting to have to pull the heads, but if it's not pushing compression gas into the coolant I might not take them off
One full crankshaft rev says there's nothing binding in the crank pistons and flywheel. Two full revs says there's nothing binding in the top end. After that, change the oil and hook up the starter!
Take the plugs out entirely for the first try with the starter. You don't need any extra compression force slowing you down AND you want to push any oil you can out of the chambers.
Plus it might help prime the oil system too I guess.
In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :
Just watch for oil spray out the holes.
I primed it when I put the starter in a few weeks ago. Got the oil pressure up to about 25 lbs.
I haven't rotated it all the way around yet, only about 90 degrees and back again. Tried to rotate it with the starter just now. No go, just managed to kill the electrical system while trying to bump it repeatedly. I will see if I can get two full rotations by turning the flex plate before I clean up tonight.
The plugs are still out, belts are off, and the rockers are still loose. The only thing that I am trying to move is the reciprocating assembly.
I borrowed a cooling system pressure tester today. Multiple leaks. I'm thinking I'm going to need to re-engineer a lot of this.
Just to make my day even more fun, I started with rotating the tires on the Ralliart wagon. The fronts were close to needing replacement (should have done it months ago), and one of the back tires had a nail. Four new tires will be in tomorrow.
Turned it over twice. I had to put the wrench on the handle of the tool to get it started again, and it was pretty tight the entire time.
After that I sprayed a bunch of PB Blaster in the cylinders and turned it back and forth a few degrees. I think it's all pointless, I don't know how to avoid taking the heads off. I was planning to pull them today, but then it broke loose last night.
The sooner I get a look at the cylinders and check the heads for cracks, the sooner I'll know what I need to replace. On the other hand, maybe I should just get another engine.
Friday the 13 and/or the 20th, maybe I should be in Jacksonville on junkyard patrol.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
I'm free both Fridays and willing to help. I prefer Go Pull It. Their website is www.gopullit.com.
Stampie said:In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
I'm free both Fridays and willing to help. I prefer Go Pull It. Their website is www.gopullit.com.
I'll be following up with you.
1990 350, already pulled in Lake Wales, says $200 OBO in the text
In reply to Mr_Asa :
Thanks, I'm going to try to locate a Vortec engine so I can reuse my intake manifold and cam (although that might be a roller block). I don't know if my heads are good but I have to assume that they're not until I can check them for cracks.
The engine hasn't loosened up at all, it's still very difficult to turn over. I'm going to try and pull the heads today or tomorrow. I'll have a lot more time available this weekend than intended..
I'm supposed to be at the Speedway right now helping with autocross course setup, but someone I was with yesterday morning tested positive at lunch time.
We had our masks on, neither of us are sick, and we are both vaccinated, but I knew I should cancel.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Hope you and your friend stay well.
What year? I thought Vortec started in the mid 80s?
In reply to Mr_Asa :
Vortec 350 (5.7L) was used in most trucks from 1996 through 2002. IIRC the combustion chambers and maybe the ports are quite similar to the cast iron LT1, but with standard (Gen1) SBC cooling system. Vortec 350 is also desirable because one piece rear main seal and roller cam hardware. Those heads are really efficient.
Some progress, or maybe just movement pretending to be progress. We'll see.
I pulled the intake manifold and right cylinder head. Bores look good, only a bit of rust at the top of number four. Pistons have an appropriate amount of carbon on them, as do the combustion chambers, so no obvious sign of a cracked head or blown gasket.
The head bolts were not all torqued evenly. The second bolt in the middle row and all of the bottom row were probably no more than 20-30 ft/lbs. The rest of the bolts, I had to use a wrench to extend the ratchet handle to get enough torque to loosen them.
Paper head gasket, so lots of scraping to do. Then I plan to use one of the dye kits to crack check the heads.
Even with one head off, it's no easier to rotate it. I need to get the engine out and drop the pan.
Wonder what the other side is going to show.
In reply to Stampie :
Me too, ran out of time. We'll see...
Left head is off. Still very difficult to turn it over.
Some rust on the valves and combustion chambers of five and seven.
cylinders look okay. I need a hoist for the next step-engine out and pan off.
Edit- the accumulation on the bottom of the last two cylinders wiped off with a finger tip. Normal cross hatching underneath.
That's very odd, it should spin easily now. You don't have any belts on the crank pulley right?
I'm nervous for what you'll find below...
In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :
Nothing but the reciprocating parts now. I loosened the rockers and removed the belts a few steps back.
jfryjfry said:I'm nervous for what you'll find below...
Yeah, last pieces of the puzzle.
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