Can it be saved

[Salty Crusty]

Any chance a mouse or similar critter found their way through the exhaust into a cylinder with an open exhaust valve?
At this point, I'd probably go ahead and pull it so I could wail on it away from the confines of fenders and a core support. From the sound of it, the pistons are going to need more persuasion to move than you're going to be able to provide inside the confines of an engine bay and with the pan on.

 

[scenic760]

Any chance a mouse or similar critter found their way through the exhaust into a cylinder with an open exhaust valve?
At this point, I'd probably go ahead and pull it so I could wail on it away from the confines of fenders and a core support. From the sound of it, the pistons are going to need more persuasion to move than you're going to be able to provide inside the confines of an engine bay and with the pan on.

Haha! Well put!

There was some mice debris on the intake almost exactly where the rust was occurring on the rockers.

The gloves need to come off it sounds like!

 

[scenic760]

Any chance a mouse or similar critter found their way through the exhaust into a cylinder with an open exhaust valve?
At this point, I'd probably go ahead and pull it so I could wail on it away from the confines of fenders and a core support. From the sound of it, the pistons are going to need more persuasion to move than you're going to be able to provide inside the confines of an engine bay and with the pan on.

However, I don't think anything got into the cylinders as I went out and got a handheld inspection camera and ran it down each cylinder.. nothing was staring back at me, no skeletons. There was some carbon build up on #7 ..#5 seemed to be TDC but I could see a VERY small space between the top of the wear marks and the downstroke

 

[Salty Crusty]

^ most of the time you'll see their bedding or hoard of seeds, etc.
I had a 409 given to me that had been an irrigation well with short exhaust pipes. Mice had set it up as a high rise, livinig in the oil pan, lifter valley and several cylinders. So much mouse piss in the pan that it rusted the oil pickup off right at the pump. Busted my butt to try to save it but the mice won this one convincingly.

 

[scenic760]

^ most of the time you'll see their bedding or hoard of seeds, etc.
I had a 409 given to me that had been an irrigation well with short exhaust pipes. Mice had set it up as a high rise, livinig in the oil pan, lifter valley and several cylinders. So much mouse piss in the pan that it rusted the oil pickup off right at the pump. Busted my butt to try to save it but the mice won this one convincingly.

Hahaha...strength in numbers at that point!

I'm going to yank the intake tomorrow and see what it gives me....I would think at that point if nothing looked terrible, I could douse the valley with lube and try rotating it again?

 

[B1075]

Just an update on my project. I took some advice from some of the members that responded on my original post, shot a little 30wt in each cylinder and cleaned the spark plugs. I turned the engine over by hand a time or two, let it sit about a week. I put a new battery in it and fresh gas, filled the carburetor through the vent tube with new gas and she fired up and ran the first try. Runs like new. Don’t give up on that old truck... they want to live!

 

[scenic760]

Just an update on my project. I took some advice from some of the members that responded on my original post, shot a little 30wt in each cylinder and cleaned the spark plugs. I turned the engine over by hand a time or two, let it sit about a week. I put a new battery in it and fresh gas, filled the carburetor through the vent tube with new gas and she fired up and ran the first try. Runs like new. Don’t give up on that old truck... they want to live!

SWEET! Love the flame job!

 

[scenic760]

Ok...so I pulled the manifold off..or should I say I spent 2 hours unhooking all the smog stuff and then took the manifold off and I don't think it looks too bad?

The lifters are NOT moving so I soaked them in Deep Creep...should I try tapping on them to break them loose?

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[Dave M]

No, don't tap them, they will be seated on the cam shaft lobes. Keep going, pull the heads off.

 

[scenic760]

No, don't tap them, they will be seated on the cam shaft lobes. Keep going, pull the heads off.

Yeah, I'm committed at this point!

Quick question though, I don't see how pulling the heads off would help in getting the lifters unstuck?

 

[Dave M]

The lifters are not likely the reason your engine is stuck. If the rotating assembly is seized, you are going to have to pull the motor down to find out why, whether you like it or not. Pulling the heads will give you a visual of the bores and this is just another part of the "one step at a time" elimination process, next will be timing gears. Be prepared too pull the engine out of the vehicle and drop the oil pan. I hope at the very least , it's just a re -ring and bearing rebuild. Who knows what you will find wrong, the motor may be very worn or totally rooted, hence, why it seized. If it were me l would bite the bullet, pull it out, strip and inspect, then work out what is right/economical to fix or replace it. I'm sure you want to get out and drive the truck, and enjoy trouble free motoring. Invest a little in it, learn a bit from it and then you will enjoy it with peace of mind. Good luck with your project, respectfully Dave M

 

[Salty Crusty]

Pull the timing chain and rotate the cam gear to get those unstuck. They should all stick in the over-the-nose position.
This should help get the crank turning without those stuck lifters contributing to the problem.
Tear it down, you're not going to get this one running without some work.

 

[scenic760]

Thanks for the replies gents!

Yeah, I'm definitely in pergatory... I bought it to replace a 2003 Suburban that has over 250k miles on it, flaking paint and engine codes...I absolutely need the space of a Suburban for hauling people/gear back and forth to the beach etc..

My thought was a squarebody is going to be a LOT cooler rolling around in than a sprinter van and less electronics to go afoul. I rebuilt an 83 K5 (almost exactly same condition to start) about 25 years back so my mechanical skills are coming back slowly but surely, haha...

So my initial thought was to get this thing spinning, put some aftermarket heads on it and an MSD Atomic EFI and call it good. Now that I', staring down the barrel of a rebuild, does it make more sense to just buy a crate motor dollars and sense wise? I actually don't mind doing the work as part of this whole journey was to teach the kids how engines/cars work and have a nice product in the end.. I just want to be effecient at how I go about it and if I'm going to spend the same amount in parts as just getting a long block, I'd rather save the time.

Thanks!

 

[Grit dog]

I was going to ask what your intentions were with this motor a couple pages back but I wouldn’t spend 15 minutes more than it would take to pull that engine out and haul it to the scrap yard. Good running Chevy engines are dime a dozen still and for just a running truck engine, cheap.
Heck if you were closer by, my buddy has “donated” 2 different running driving no smoke no knock small blocks to his truck engine builder recently just to get them gone.
And has a running 402 ‘72 truck big block sitting on a stand now that also runs good. Told me $100 and he’d deliver it lol.
best thing for your current engine is for it to get turned into soup cans and lawn mower blades and just find one that isn’t rusted shut.

 

[scenic760]

I was going to ask what your intentions were with this motor a couple pages back but I wouldn’t spend 15 minutes more than it would take to pull that engine out and haul it to the scrap yard. Good running Chevy engines are dime a dozen still and for just a running truck engine, cheap.
Heck if you were closer by, my buddy has “donated” 2 different running driving no smoke no knock small blocks to his truck engine builder recently just to get them gone.
And has a running 402 ‘72 truck big block sitting on a stand now that also runs good. Told me $100 and he’d deliver it lol.
best thing for your current engine is for it to get turned into soup cans and lawn mower blades and just find one that isn’t rusted shut.

That was another one of my thoughts but I've scoured through Craigslist ads from here to Los Angeles and can't find anything other than rebuilds...maybe I should expand my search..haha