How to test a 440 long block?
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Bruzilla
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Is there an oil pan on it? If so, check the oil and look for any milky strands in it. You see any white or light creamy colors in the oil, expect a rebuild or worse.
First test would be to get a breaker bar or long ratchet on the crankshaft bolt (in the center of the lower pulley) and see if you can turn the engine. If it turns, keep going. If it doesn't, you've got problems.
Next step would be to check out a compression tester from your local chain parts store, and check the compression on each piston. Should be about 110 and all eight cylinders should be within 10% of one another. If you've got good compression on all eight, keep going. If not, you've got problems.
Lastly, pull the water pump housing and put a hose into the upper water galleries on each side and make sure it flows through and comes out the bottom. If it does, and has passed all the other tests, I would feel safe installing. If not, you've got problems.
First test would be to get a breaker bar or long ratchet on the crankshaft bolt (in the center of the lower pulley) and see if you can turn the engine. If it turns, keep going. If it doesn't, you've got problems.
Next step would be to check out a compression tester from your local chain parts store, and check the compression on each piston. Should be about 110 and all eight cylinders should be within 10% of one another. If you've got good compression on all eight, keep going. If not, you've got problems.
Lastly, pull the water pump housing and put a hose into the upper water galleries on each side and make sure it flows through and comes out the bottom. If it does, and has passed all the other tests, I would feel safe installing. If not, you've got problems.
Compression test is a must, I'd pull the pan as well and have a look while it's out. The most neglected part of a motor in my opinion is always the heads, I've torn few motors apart that don't need new guides and a valve job but unfortunately it's hard to tell without tearing them down.
I have a tuff time going threw the trouble of installing a motor or tranny without a complete tear down but I like to punish myself..... or I just don't trust anybody?
I have a tuff time going threw the trouble of installing a motor or tranny without a complete tear down but I like to punish myself..... or I just don't trust anybody?
brentwab
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Thanks for the info: Oil looks and smells good and the engine spins free with no issues. I am going to borrow a compression tester for the next step. Thanks again
moper
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My opinion is there's never a replacement for a visual inspection. Pull the heads, pull the pan, pull a couple rod and main caps and see what the stuff looks like. Gives you the chance to re-gasket it, get all the info about what you actually have, and lets you see if there are weaker areas without bolting it in a car or spending more than the gaskets.
Bruzilla
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All true, but then you apply Aaron Kaufman's law of "if you go looking for trouble, you're going to find it".
Once you start looking for issues, you always start finding stuff that really isn't a big deal but quickly falls into the "while I have the engine out, I might as well fix it" arena and that gets expensive in a hurry. If you're building an engine for racing or similar extreme use, that's what you need to do. If you're looking at daily driving, not so much.
Bruzilla
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Nice thing about heads is on the grand scale of things, they aren't hard to change out after the engine is installed. Now installing an engine and finding it smokes like a chimney because the rings are shot, or has bad bearings... that really sucks.
Daves69
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If you don't have the want to do a tear down I'll add this to go along with other items already mentioned.
Expansion plugs still in it? Maybe you can plug all the coolant ports and leak check the block with compressed air.
Still have an oil filter on it? Open it up and see what it holds.
Good oil and new filter. Slap an oil pressure gauge on it and see what the prime will give you.
Expansion plugs still in it? Maybe you can plug all the coolant ports and leak check the block with compressed air.
Still have an oil filter on it? Open it up and see what it holds.
Good oil and new filter. Slap an oil pressure gauge on it and see what the prime will give you.
My brain just doesn't function that way but instead thinks "I know damn well if I don't open it up I'll be yanking it right back out".All true, but then you apply Aaron Kaufman's law of "if you go looking for trouble, you're going to find it".
On the other hand your right, I once pulled apart a Ford 460 to rebuild that had ran just fine...... had 3 broken pistons and I mean almost no skirts left but it still ran perfectly fine.
dieseldazzle
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Just fire it on the garage floor. I did this just last week with a 68 440 out of a new yorker. I even keep a **** points distributor and eddie carb around for this very reason. Got a **** for low deck motors too. Got some **** headers too. I call them sluts because they been passed around and used so many different times
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