Waking an engine after sitting for several years

[77crewcab]

I have an engine I am trying to get going for my brother in law. It is a 350 TBI in a 90 Caprice wagon. It has sat somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-6 years. I tried turning it by hand and it was stuck. Soaked the cylinders with marvel mystery oil for a week and got the stuck ring to break free. Now it turns over by hand nice and smooth. Primed the oil and did a compression test and I have 145-150PSI in the holes. Other than priming the oil, is there anything else I need to be concerned about before running this engine? Bearings, rings, springs? It had no issues when parked. He got it from his grandmother who simply parked it in the garage and quit driving it due to being gone in the RV all the time.

 

[454k30]

sounds like you did everything you needed too. Check the airbox and intake for rat nests and make sure your wiring harnesses arent chewed through then start it up.

 

[77crewcab]

We have done all that. Put new gaskets in the TBI. It has been stored in a garage with Stabil in the tank. I just want to make sure that after sitting so long there isn't something else that needs to be checked. I would hate to get it running for him just to have a valve spring, timing chain etc break a few days later, and it be something I should have checked/replaced. But at the same time I am trying to keep the costs down to meet his budget of $500 total to get it running right now. His other car tossed a rod, wife is pregenant with twins and about three weeks from delivery, and he works as a youth minister. Money is very tight for him. I would hate to be the cause of more money out of pocket over something simple I missed.

 

[Drey]

Id give all the belts and hoses a good looking over just to be on the safe side.

 

[DEMON44]

I'd dump the oil and filter, them reprime it with a drill before cranking. verify oil at every rocker. then hope if its got hydraulic lifters that they pump back up quick.

 

[77crewcab]

We did all belts/hoses, topped of the tank with fresh fuel, coolant, trans fluid already. Changed the oil last week when I did the compression test and oil sytem priming. Everything looked good so I started it up tonight. Started on the first crank, sputtered a little (from the fuel I think) then smoothed out and ran like it was parked yesterday. Good oil pressure, no leaks. So we took it for a drive. Runs just like a 22,000 mile station wagon driven by an old lady should. It actually runs great no problems. I am still unsure if there would be any harm to the valve springs from sitting so long in a compressed state. But it is running good. So what say you, should the valve springs be changed after sitting for so long?