Target master 350 reseal or run

[Rockinpcranch]

Just picked up a target master 350. It has 10,000 documented miles but, has been sitting for 8 years since being pulled. a mechanic friend remembered he had it in the barn. When he stored it he put oil in the cylinders and plugged it off and wrapped it in plastic, as when he bought it after hearing it run the intake and valve covers were removed. I had been pricing what it cost to rebuild the original 350 that came out of my 84 K 20 and had been estimated $1,100 to rebuild it. I picked the target master for $400 I'm thinking about resealing and dropping in the 84. I was planning on front and rear main seals a timing cover gasket and oil pan. Should I go ahead and replace the head gaskets or just run it? I'm thinking that even with a gasket kit I can beat the rebuild price and still have a good engine. what do y'all think. head gaskets or not?

 

[firebane]

Reseal it.. New oil. Prime.. Give'er.

 

[chengny]

If the motor is an unknown quantity and you want to get a the best idea of whether it needs a major overhaul - before blindly buying parts and tearing it apart - do a leak down test.

A leak down test on an "out of vehicle" engine is wicked easy and can be done in less than an hour. The results of a leak down test are far more indicative of the true condition than a compression test. When you are done, you will have a real good idea of how tight the combustion chambers are -and exactly where any leakage is occurring.

Say you get 15% leakage across the board; you are tight. Gamble on the head gaskets - they can always be done "in vehicle" later on if you have to. If the head gaskets are leaking to any real degree, it will become apparent during the leak down test.

Flip the engine over. Pull the oil pan, get some Plastigauge and check the mains/big end bearing clearances. If they are within spec, close up.

Use a Felpro Permadry oil pan gasket (given it's age, this engine will take a one piece oil pan gasket and they never leak) and a rear main seal. I would gamble on the timing cover and front seal -(how often do they leak?).

Total cost for test materials and good gaskets will be under $100 - and you will feel confident about dropping the engine in.

You might consider a new oil pump with a steel - not nylon - shaft coupling.

When you are done wash it down real good. That way if you have any external leakage, the source will be easy to locate.

 

[Rockinpcranch]

Chengny I hadn't thought about the oil pump coupler. Good call I'd rather have steel than nylon any day. I had done head gaskets in the truck with the previous engine. I can and have done them in the truck, but I'd rather do those on the stand if I can. I think I'm going to go with a felpro gasket kit if the clearances and leak test are good. give it a good cleaning and a little paint got to make it look decent. all else fails I have another good core for rebuild.

 

[bucket]

If I have a motor out, I always do head gaskets along with everything else. It doesn't take much longer and SBC gasket sets are cheap.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Head gaskets are cheap and easy to do and why not do it with the motor right in front of you instead of laying under the hood! I also like to replace the freeze plugs and even a block heater if you need one. I even get so picky I like to install new oil gallery plugs

 

[Rusty Nail]

Just run it dude, it's a Chevy small block for cryin out loud.

 

[68post]

I'd re-seal it also, and use shim head gaskets. Those engines are @ 7.9-1 compression and can use the bump in compression. Get rid of the nylon oil pump shaft collar and any nylon timing gear too (has to be brittle by now !).

The cam has 18x* intake duration and is done around 3,000 to 3,500 , I know - I had one of these. Good time for even the slightest upgrade.

When you pull the heads you can see if there is any cyl wall rust , hopefully the valves were backed-off so some springs haven't sit compressed all this time.

$.02

 

[chengny]

Just run it dude, it's a Chevy small block for cryin out loud.

HAH HAH! Finally, somebody has the balls to say what I was thinking.

The motor only has 10K miles on it and was purchased from a trusted friend (I'm guessing for $200 or so). It was tested and then taken out of service - for reasons unrelated to it's performance. It was pulled and stored properly.

And finally, as the Nail reminds us; we're talking about a Chevy 350. As Bill Belichick always says; "It is what it is".


If it were me, I'd take a chance and drop it in. What have you got to lose?

 

[firebane]

LOL SBCs are bloody bulletproof. As long as they have oil in them they will run!

 

[68post]

"Sitting 8 years" ! Gaskets dry-out and/or shrink , nylon gets brittle, oil runs off cyl walls easily , steel shim gaskets rust, - it's just a common sense approach to insure a long/or longer life instead. Very affordable to do.

SHOULDN'T NEED MUCH, if anything !!

Besides - I'd use it as a chance to pull that production 305 cam and snap it in half ! (... and install a better, but very small, cam )



$.04

 

[68post]

I had a bud "BITD" that pulled a Pontiac 428ci 370 hp 10.75 compression engine outa the 'yard and plopped it into his excellent '69 'bird. Mid-winter Indiana - no garage.

Couldn't get him to re-gasket it and install a new timing chain set - he was in a hurry.

Fired it up and the head gaskets were out , bitched to the 'yard and they gave him a low compression ponti 350 in trade. POS , clapped out and clattering lifters - but ran.

Whata waste !!

 

[Rockinpcranch]

Thanks for the replies. I went the just run it approach with the engine that's in the truck now and it lasted 2 years before it locked up when the bottom end failed on me it was a salvage engine. I'm gonna do seals and gaskets its not much more and I need this engine to run for awhile. I would like to do a cam any suggestions on one good for towing and trails. I do have a Duramax for heavy towing but I'd like to use this truck if i need or want. Thanks again