Guidance needed
 

I trust everyones opinion here greatly that is why I am asking this question. Please forgive me . I just purchased a 1980 F-body that had an engine recently rebuilt 500 miles ago and I think the owner was just disgusted with it and sold it to me cheap. He reports that it has overheated and one of the heads cracked and he got it welded and replaced it . He told me that the guy that rebuilt it says it just needs the timing adjusted. When I drove home 2 miles it was pinging and felt like it had no power and stalled out at intersections . Where should I start? Would the bottom end of an engine become affected by an overheating problem? Thanks James

I's say start by checking the basics....compression test, etc. Since you don't really know the history, you need to establish a baseline.

Water in the oil would be a bad thing, too.

George

Are you sure it isn't still overheating? Does it have a working temp gauge? I would check that first. It may explain the pinging and lack of power.
Overheating can do a lot of damage but more to the heads, cylinder bores, pistons and rings, rather than the bottom end. Definitely do a compression check like George says to check bores and rings are OK. This will also check for a failed head gasket due to a warped head and for valves sticking in guides. If the compression check is OK, you probably just have to worry about carb and ignition tuning. It may just be running very lean.

Thanks guys, but I have some bad news. I pulled one of the spark plugs and it was covered in runny oil. What would you suggest? I am assuming it is strictly head related since it overheated? Would that explain the pinging and lack of power and stalling? Thanks

Also no bubbles on the dip stick or oil in the radiator. would you be nervous to just do a top end?

Oil all over the plug is probably not the head. A bad guide is the only source for oil from the head, and it will usually show up as one side of the plug clogged and the other clean. The pinging is probably detonation. Detonation (or pre-ignition OR too much timing) will "rattle" the rings, breaking the seal, and allowing oil into the cylinder. If the plug is soaked, your problems go much deeper. Sorry, dude...

Jim

What type of success can you expect to have re-ringing an engine like this one? It only has 500 miles on it. Thanks guys.

To say "re-ring it" over-simplifies what's required. Sounds to me like it needs a careful tear-down, noting everything that's not within specs, correcting every issue, and carefully re-assembling. Unless you got real lucky- like replace valve stem seals and find that nothing else is needed.

I am praying that by some chance when it overheated and the head cracked and he got it welded that may have something to do with it. Again I am praying because I do not know how I am going to pull this one off with the MRS. ? Thanks again.