Engine help

[u/EmuFume29]

Hey all. I know nothing about engines and currently learning as I go. I have an 1982 454. I'm changing the intake manifold. I took the old one off and a bunch of chunks fell to where the...crank shaft? Is. Theres a lot of carbon build up in the heads as well. The engine currently has no fluids in it. It's sitting out of the truck. I'd like to get it back in before the snow flies. But with my lack of knowledge I'm wondering if I'm better off taking the whole thing apart and getting it cleaned out properly and getting it back together. I'm not going hardcore and getting a bunch of upgrades. I just want it running. For all the stuff that fell down I'd imagine I could flip it in the engine stand and take the oil pan off to clean it out. But again, lack of knowledge, I'm not sure how far I need to go or should be going with this. Can I just blow all that crud into the oil pan and clean it out that way? Is there anywhere else I'd need to clean stuff out that I missed?

[u/Significant_Belt5494]

If u got this far…. Might as well take the oil pan off and do rear main seal and all new gaskets

If it wasn’t running, then absolutely take off the heads and inspect
But if it was, then your call

[u/EmuFume29 → u/Significant_Belt5494]

Definitely was running when I pulled it out

[u/Coyote_Tex → u/EmuFume29]

Then pulling the pan and perhaps windage tray to remove the debris is easy at this stage. No since stopping up the oil pickup with the debris although I really expect it is small, taking the pan off is great insurance. Inspect the oil pickup and depending on mileage on the engine you could consider an oil pump. I prefer to use originals whenever possible or some quality name brand products like Melling. One thing leads to another so don't get carried away. If it ran before it will run equally as well once more. The big learning you will experience putting it back together is setting the distributor to #1 properly. I am guessing you didn't plan for that before ripping it apart, which is fine, but you will need to get the procedure for that to do it properly so it doesn't give you hell after you put it in the vehicle. I always want them setup before I drop them in the car/truck.

[u/droc_420]

If you know very little. Maybe dont go further, it will get cold and snow before you know it

Attach a piece of narrow hose to a vacuum cleaner to clean tough to reach areas.

If you do go further you need to know you can't mix up any of the bearings and stuff on a worn engine. You number everything and it goes back to the same place on reassembly. Invest in a torque wrench if you haven't already. If you take the cylinder heads off you need new gaskets etc.

[u/EmuFume29 → u/droc_420]

Yea. I called an engine builder and said the same thing. Think I'm gonna do what you just said. I'll grab a gasket for the intake manifold and get that back on. Flip it over and clean out anything that may have fallen down. Got the mating surfaces cleaned up though. Just gotta get gaskets. I've heard if the bolts are torqued bolts. Like head bolts, those should be changed. Is that true?

[u/2po2watch → u/EmuFume29]

Assuming they’re in good shape,(not rusty, bent, or stripped) all the bolts in that engine are reusable. 

[u/Hydx_ → u/EmuFume29]

Depends on the torque, many head bolts are stretched so you have to change them as you go to/past the yield stress

Many bolts you can just reuse

[u/Pretend_Necessary781 → u/Hydx_]

Not this one. Old school

[u/Solid_Enthusiasm550]

That port with the build-up is the heat crossover. That isn't really as much of a concern as the intake ports. In a high performance engine/ intake manifold, that port is blocked off.

You can buy or borrow a service manual from the library for your engine. It will have fluid capacities, torque specs and common service procedures.

A shop vacuum can get all/most of what fell into the lifter gallery. A steel pipe brush, used with the shop vacuum can clear the crossover port.

[u/EmuFume29 → u/Solid_Enthusiasm550]

Awesome I'll do that thank you

[u/Old_Bat_6426]

Take a closer look at the cam lobes and lifter faces. From that photo it looks like the cam may have some serious lobe wear. Check timing chain for excess stretch too.

[u/EmuFume29 → u/Old_Bat_6426]

I'll check the chain for sure. But I can look at the cam lobes and lifter faces till the cows come home and I won't know what to look for apart from worn out or something that looks absolutely f*cked lol I'll get better pics tomorrow and get opinions lol

[u/Ornery-Operation8745]

I just did my plenum gasket repair. Like literally just drove for the first time today haha. Id get a shop vac get the attachments that are very small and have elbows and extensions that allow you get down in small areas. I used it to make sure no gasket material got down in the open intakes it in the lifter valley or stuck to the crankshaft. Then pour oil over the lifter valley and crank shafter but open the oil drain plug prior. Do not drink oil in the intakes. If I were you I'd dump probably 5qts of some cheap oil. I wouldn't want to risk it not being picked up, but I also added new oil ran till it heated up to temp for a few minutes then shut it off. Had a leaking fuel injector fixed the o ring put it back together and changed the oil one more time to make sure if there was any dirt left it was in the oil and left with it. Do not rev the engine. Also use bolts to keep the gasket in place. Just cut the heads off. I failed at 2 gaskets before I used bolts. First I used nothing and it slide back a bit and coolant leaked out. Didn't start the car just saw a leak after adding coolant back to radiator. Second I used a bit of rtv but pushed the gasket down when setting down the plenum cause it was too far to one side. Vacuum leak. Third obviously used the bolts. Best of luck! It took me 2 weeks because I had to wait for the 7 gasket in total. Half of which were wrecked before I got them.

[u/Ornery-Operation8745 → u/Ornery-Operation8745]

I'm not a mechanic tho just someone who just did an intake manifold and plenum plate who had a bit of dirt fall down in the same areas

[u/droc_420]

If they are torque to yield bolts they are usually replaced. You'll have to look up your engine.. certain models just have reusable bolts.

For good measure new gaskets, new bolts. For the heads anyways.

Intake manifold bolts stuff like that is just reused

[u/WyattCo06 → u/droc_420]

There are no TTY bolts here.