What caused this on a 351w?

[Rutwad01]

I took a vehicle to be restored to a shop in 2018. The engine was not going to be used. It was a great running engine. Well, plans changed and we are going to use it. So it sat in a non-insulated, not climate controlled shop all this time. Did not even have oil in it as the oil pan was replaced just prior to taking it to him.

So last week the shop tried to start it for the first time after all these years sitting. Pulled valve covers. Said rockers are just flopping. So he said they were going to adjust the valves and try again. (Not sure you can adjust them??) Then he called to say a lifter is likely broken or cam lobe worn as #4 had a rocker that's barely moving. It makes no sense to me. I've been doing a lot of thinking. I'm no mechanic. But I do have what u feel happened in my mind. But to keep from influencing ya'lls opinion, I want to see what y'all think first.

Oh, he said when the engine was cleaned in a vat that whoever did that apparently did not clean the residue good. The oil ports were clogged. The lifter was dry. But that engine was rebuilt in late 1990's to early 2000's probably and 5000 miles ago. I've owned it since early 2000s. Hasn't been rebuilt since i had it. If that was the case, shouldn't that issue have arose before now?

He said they put a set of lifters in it yesterday and replaced 5 or 6 push rods that were clogged.

I'd love to hear what y'all have to say!

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

What year was the 351W? We had a 72 LTD with a 351W back in about 1975 and the valves burned up in it. I wish I was as capable as a kid as I am now because I would have been able to fix it correctly with help from the folks I know now. What I had been told back then was the heads had the valve stems running through a parent bore in the head without guides. I’m not going to go through the whole story, but it got down to 25 below and I was out trying to get it started. I finally got it running and my uncle told me to get it to a good mechanic. The mechanic said no compression. Total head rebuild was done. Ran good for a year and then started acting up so dad got rid of it. Pull the heads and check the condition. The bottom half of those engines is good. Find a good machinist and fix it right. Check your cam lift too. Get those heads done the way they should be.

 

[PontiacHO]

Sounds like there were sludge issues happening prior to the engine removal. After sitting for so long that sludge hardened. Did they at least pull the distributor and pre-lube the engine with the high zinc oil prior to starting? It may not have mattered anyway since it sounds pretty sludged up anyway.

 

[JohnnyG]

I think that the hydraulic lifters bled down. Without oil in them they won't work properly. What should have happened, instead of trying to adjust the valves on dry lifters, oil pressure should have been built up first, allowing the lifters to fill.

Clogged pushrods would only cause the top part of the rocker not to get any lube. The engine would have had to run a good while in that condition to cause damage, but they are hollow for a reason.

Now, if these are solid lifters, forget everything I just said.

 

[Rutwad01]

Sounds like there were sludge issues happening prior to the engine removal. After sitting for so long that sludge hardened. Did they at least pull the distributor and pre-lube the engine with the high zinc oil prior to starting? It may not have mattere10/3d anyway since it sounds pretty sludged up anyway.

My guess is that he did not prelude it before trying to start. I asked him what oil he was running and he said castrol. I asked what weight and he said probably 10/40 or 5/30. IHe said he would find out. Doesn't sound like he used a high zinc oil.

I'm thinking lifters collapsed due to oil seeping out. That would explain the loose rockers. Gas could have gummed up the valves. Oil residue. Or other. With only 5000 miles on the rebuild, i don't think sludge would have been present.

He's using the wrong oil. Likely did not pre lube it. I'm worried it may have scarred the cam. May have more issues. I'm pissed.

He's told me if problems asking the way with different things of the vehicle restoration. A lot of it isn't making sense to me. I do not think his shop/ men know much about what they are doing

 

[CleanSump]

Hydraulic lifters so they bled down. No big deal. No, they don't get adjusted, that's the point of hydraulic lifters.
Sludge in the pushrods and elsewhere is probably from sitting with conventional oil and whatever that Vat contained did leave crud that congealed. You don't tank an assembled engine. Jeesh.
He doesn't sound like he really knows what he's doing. Before starting after sitting so long he should have prelubed by spinning the oil pump with a shaft in a drill until he got oil coming out at the rockers and making sure the cylinders weren't dry.

 

[Rutwad01]

Hydraulic lifters so they bled down. No big deal. No, they don't get adjusted, that's the point of hydraulic lifters.
Sludge in the pushrods and elsewhere is probably from sitting with conventional oil and whatever that Vat contained did leave crud that congealed. You don't tank an assembled engine. Jeesh.
He doesn't sound like he really knows what he's doing. Before starting after sitting so long he should have prelubed by spinning the oil pump with a shaft in a drill until he got oil coming out at the rockers.

I'm saying if it was ever in a vat, that was over 5000 miles and over 20 years ago. It was rebuilt about 5000 miles ago

 

[bdcardinal]

A SBF is so easy to pre-lube when you have the tool from ARP and a drill. I think sitting for so long didn't help it any for sure.