My friend may have found a deal on a shrink wrapped 390. However it's been sitting on a stand for 7 years. Apart from performing an extended engine oil priming, are there any other concerns?

The rebuilder was supposedly TAM or TRAM up near Tacoma Wash. but has since moved to Arizona. Anyone know if these guys were/are reliable?

 

Shouldn't be anything wrong as far as the years sitting in a bag, as long as it never got wet. The 390 in my 68 Merc sat for that long in the car without starting, after prepping it to start after the long sleep, it started fine, no damage.

 

I would recommend checking the motor out.
I picked up a set of heads with seats from a guy that worked at a rebuilder in Tacoma. The motor they came off of was a fresh rebuild that had the bottom end grenade.
I don't know if it is the same place, but that's about the time frame when I picked up my heads.

 

i have a 300 I-6 that was rebuilt by TAM. it was very clean inside, but the pistons were pieces of crap. every one of them were wearing away on top. looks like it started where the mark is for "front". the top ends of the cylinders are kind of warped, and its already bored .040 over. they tell me the max is .060, i dont think another 20 will take care of the damage done. i would look very carefully at that engine before even considering to pick it up.

 

I bought a truck for $300. It had a 360 TAM motor in it. It blew a head gasket about 60k miles. But now I rebuilt it as a warmer 390, so it turned out well in the end.

 

You have to watch alot of those remanufactured engine house's!!

I have seen to many that used the old parts in a rebuild that should have been reground or replaced? And they just figure if its out of sight its out of your mind!!

Just my opinion!! for what its worth!! Good Luck!! Russ