[Big Bear]

Just went through the same thing with a 389. Engine sat for around 25 years. No oil came out out when the drain plug was pulled. When the pan and water pump were pulled both the oil and coolant were jelly. Oil may have been dilluted with gas. When the the gas evaporated a solid was left. Disassembled it down to a short block, removed all the oil, freeze plugs, and main caps. Bearings looked good so the crank was lifted so all the oil feed holes could be cleaned. Had to use a steel rod to push the goop out of the oil galleries. Stood the block on end, used a long bottle brush and solvent, air and water hose to clean every orifice. Can be done. Engine is together and sounds great with good oil pressure. Is the juice worth the squeeze? You be the judge.

[2BadZ]

Originally Posted by Big Bear

Just went through the same thing with a 389. Engine sat for around 25 years. No oil came out out when the drain plug was pulled. When the pan and water pump were pulled both the oil and coolant were jelly. Oil may have been dilluted with gas. When the the gas evaporated a solid was left. Disassembled it down to a short block, removed all the oil, freeze plugs, and main caps. Bearings looked good so the crank was lifted so all the oil feed holes could be cleaned. Had to use a steel rod to push the goop out of the oil galleries. Stood the block on end, used a long bottle brush and solvent, air and water hose to clean every orifice. Can be done. Engine is together and sounds great with good oil pressure. Is the juice worth the squeeze? You be the judge.

Thanks for the reply. I'd likely go with the 455 if I have to tear it down, and the consensus is pretty much that I do, but I don't have the time to get into that right now. So for now I might try to clean up the heads, put the camera down the pushrod hole/s and up the drain plug hole and flush the hell out of it with whatever I have around. An hour here and there over a month or so.
I'd have to get rid of the Trans Am to have room to work on the Trans Am right now.

[HWYSTR455]

Curious, what's the rest of the car look like?


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[2BadZ]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Curious, what's the rest of the car look like?


.

I've attached a picture of the floor underneath. Pretty close to how it came from the factory. The two fenders will need repair to the bottom 6 or 8 inches, or I can replace them. Bottom of the quarters behind the wheels will need work, but I drove the car in Canada from 1979 to Oct 1995, so 16 years winters excluded. I turned the exhaust tips straight down when I replaced some exhaust sometime prior, and was advised that the exhaust would likely rot that area. I have the two repair pieces from roughly the marker lights down that I bought two, three, four?? years before I parked it. That area was going back then so no surprise there. Doors are excellent, hood is fine, trunk lid is good but I have two spares anyway. Wheel wells, cowl and upper cowl, lower corners of the dash at the windshield are all excellent. Roof has a Cars and Concepts T-bar that I added, aluminum frame with glass to glass panels, so the little bit of roof I have is excellent.