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Checking an Engine Not in the Car?

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RickAnderson

RickAnderson

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I have an engine that supposedly ran fine when removed, according to the person who sold it to the person I bought it from. What checks can I do with the engine out of the car? Should I remove the head, etc., or just install the engine and see how/if she runs?
 
I would definitely pull the oil pan and the bearing caps to check the condition of the crank journals. Not too difficult, and pretty much "non-invasive". If there's a way to hook up a starter and spin it over, you can do a compression check. From there, you'll know if you need to remove the head, which is not so "non-invasive".

You can also pull the crank pulley/balancer and remove the timing cover to check the timing chain.
 
If you brace up the engine similar to the one on your wesite with yellow valve cover, you can start the engine out of the car. Need 12v to coil and fill carb bowls with gas. Use jumper cables to starter and it should start. It wont run long with no gas supply so you dont have to worry about water for cooling. Worth a try.
 
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