Okay guys, I bought the engine I posted about a couple weeks ago. 440, removed from a crashed mud bogger, edelbrock performer intake, deep sump pan. The guy dropped the price to $380 with the trans. Sold.


Fast forward. I got the engine home, pulled the trans, pulled the plugs and valve covers.





Everything looks clean with a light surface rust on a couple of the rocker towers at the front of the left head. Spark plugs had rust around them but I think the thing was stored a year and still has mud on it from its bogging days. Those two plugs with the rusty threads near the electrode were on the front left. I thought maybe moisture could have crept in from the exhaust port if the valve were open? There is no sign of breakage. One push rood was loose enough that I bumped it and it popped from under the arm. I can't spin the crank. It goes 1/3rd turn and goes clunk. So I pulled the pan. No shavings or ground metal. Oil is nice and smooth. All the rods, pins, pistons, cylinder walls, bolts, crank look fine. As I tried to turn the crank again I heard what sounded like a clash up on the left front... like the piston clunking into a valve.



What's next? I guess I strip her down, check the cam lobes and lifters. Everything looks so nice and moves pretty freely until it stops. The oil pick up has no metal in the screen and looks brand new.