I picked up this 12A yesterday for $150. It came out of a car that gave it's rear end to a LeMons car. The seller told me it ran, and I trust him. The engine is out of an '85 GS (just like my car, coincidentally) and includes all emissions controls and the whole carb assembly. I visually inspected the seals through the exhaust port, and they appear to be in good shape. I don't have a lot of experience inspecting them, but they were smooth with no discolorations or nicks/cracks that I could see. The engine turned over freely by hand.

What should I do to prepare this engine? I'm not going to break it open, that's the whole point of buying this probably-running unit. What do I need to do before I drop this in the car? I'm already planning on stripping it down to the keg and cleaning it thoroughly (I hate reinstalling dirty parts when I can help it), and I'd like to keep as much emissions BS as I can off of there since it's not needed where I am.

I'd like to "rinse out" the water passages, but I'm not sure if using anything other than water would be helpful, or would do more harm than good. What else do I need to know/do while the engine is out of the car?

 

Nice find man, good luck with it.

 

For a "budget" build runner, I would do a ghetto compression test to confirm good comp. on all faces, strip the externals, test the cooling system,flush, clean and inspect everything, lube with a little mmo, re-assemble and keep your fingers crossed.

 

Dump some 50/50 mix of oil and gas in a 20 oz bottle down each port of the intake. Split the 20 oz mix btween the ports. Turn over with the spark plugs in. This will pre lube all the hard seals. Turn over as fast as you can. You should get a good idea of the compression. You should have nice even swooshes.

 

Alright, thanks for the suggestions. I'll be taking care of that Friday, I've got several exams before then.