Finally got a Dart, been sitting a while...

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Bl1zzard

Bl1zzard

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Hey folks,
Me and my son finally found a Dart. 1974 Swinger with a rebuilt 360 and rebuilt 904. Trouble is I don't know how long it's been sitting since the rebuild. I think the guy ran out of money or time. Either way, all I know is that the last time it was on the road was 1985. The engine could have been rebuilt last year or last decade. It's very clean, not dusty. Assembly lube still in the plug holes. Other than that it's dry. No coolant, no transmission fluid, no oil, no power steering fluid, no gas. The only fluid in the whole car is the brakes.
Question for all you fine folks who know more than I do. Should we go through the regular procedure of starting up a rebuilt engine or would you recommend pulling it and disassemble to look for any corroded or seized up issues? Is there a way to tell if it's ready to start up by cranking it, manually, by hand, really slowly? Thanks in advance for the advice.

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If it was stored inside out of the weather, I myself would pop the valve covers off, take a look in there and if all looks good and it spins over ok I would go for it.
 
Welcome aboard. Nice ride!
Well, your options range from complete tear down because of the unknown state of the engine, to fill it and crank it. But you already know that. Question is, do you feel lucky?
I honestly don't know what I'd do. I'm pretty sure I would do a lot more inspection before I decided. I'd probably pull the valve covers, intake, pan and maybe heads?
Smarter people will chime in. Good luck!
 
pull plugs and look in there for rusty cylinders. IF they are clean fill with oil, prelube with a drill and turn the crank a few times with the plugs out. If it was rebuilt in 86, was the cam ever broken in? Assume it hasn't and run it like its not. Tough call: what would you do if you pulled the pan and you has some slight patina on the dry crank? Would you take it down to a bare block and start all over or just start it and blow the dust out? Id be so excited to start it Id just say F it, fill it and fire it!
 
First off beautiful car I love the color. Love the steel wheels too. I agree with pishta. I would pull the plugs and valve covers make sure nothing is rusted and seized. Then I'd fill it with oil and tranny fluid prime the oil pump and fire it! Make sure to use the break in process with the zinc oil and all that just in case it's a new cam and lifters.
 
I guess it all boils down to what I paid for it and how much I have to spend on it. With pre lube in the plug holes you would think he lubed everything else also. I think I would also pull the intake to see if the cam and lifters are all lubed up. Now on the other hand you could tear it all down and start from scratch. You know your gonna get about 50 different suggestions
 
RAT ROD AL said:
I guess it all boils down to what I paid for it and how much I have to spend on it. With pre lube in the plug holes you would think he lubed everything else also. I think I would also pull the intake to see if the cam and lifters are all lubed up. Now on the other hand you could tear it all down and start from scratch. You know your gonna get about 50 different suggestions
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The fact it still has prelube tells me it probably hasn't been that long since it was completed. That doesn't look like a 35 year old paint job to me.
 
Damn I LOVE that green.

I'd see if I could get a peek in the cylinders with a camera and look for rust. Take the valve covers off and have a look. If it all looks new, throw some oil in it, prime it and treat it like a fresh fire up.


If it was me...because I trust no one, myself included I'd pull the engine and and us take it apart and have a look. I'd want to know exactly what cam it is, and if I liked it and I'd damn sure know the cam was degreed because I'd check that too.

There are several ways to do it, and none will be wrong unless you fire and it spits up on you. If you are afraid of that, pull it apart.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I think we'll do a fairly through top end inspection, valve covers and peek inside the cylinders. I have access to a inspection camera. Also pop the oil pan off and see what the bottom end looks like. If I don't see anything that worries me, I'll fill er up with fluid and rotate it a few times by hand to make sure nothing is binding or grinding. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been started since the rebuild, so I'll have to break in the cam as suggested above. Wish me luck.
 
Pulling the pan is a good idea it could be rusted inside crank, block, rods, My friend had a 12 HP briggs that was rebuilt and then sat for a couple years and he put oil in it and it wouldn't run so I got it and some one put in new valves and never grind the tips them so they wouldn't close all the way, anyway all that cranking wasted the new rod because the crank was rusted.
 
Put oil in it. Pull the spark plugs. Turn it over by hand. If all feels good, pull the distributor and drive gear and prime the engine to get oil pressure. Put the distributor back in and fire it up. That car looks way to clean to be full of rust. Hell I've got engines running that sat outside for years that where rusted up running without taking them apart.
 
Bl1zzard said:
Thanks for all the advice. I think we'll do a fairly through top end inspection, valve covers and peek inside the cylinders. I have access to a inspection camera. Also pop the oil pan off and see what the bottom end looks like. If I don't see anything that worries me, I'll fill er up with fluid and rotate it a few times by hand to make sure nothing is binding or grinding. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been started since the rebuild, so I'll have to break in the cam as suggested above. Wish me luck.
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I think you are on the right track here!
no point in overcomplicate things,however if you see something you dont like,rip it all apart,before it gets a chance to haunt you later.

That looks like a fine car you found there!
 
Make sure all the lifters rotate when you turn it over by hand. Some may be sticky after sitting. If they spin hand cranking they will definitely spin when you break it in. You could pull it and take pan/front cover Off plastigauge the bearing clearance. Find out what the cam is and degree it. For the cost of a gasket set you would know and have a good father/son learning time.
 
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