Motor feels "stiff"

[MprDoc]

OK, so my motor has been out of the car for almost two years now. I have it torn down to the short block with the timing chain set installed but as I was installing the chain set it I noticed the motor felt like it was turning kind of stiff.

Could this be an issue if I drop the motor in, prime it and start it? Should I tear it down and throw some oil or assembly lube on the rotating parts to make sure everything is all lubed up as a precaution??

 

[BillGrissom]

Definitely remove each spark plug and pour ~3 tsp motor oil in each cylinder. Not too much it could hydro-lock. Turn it over by hand with a wrench on the crank (1.25" socket I recall).

Most people prime by removing the distributor and gear and spin the oil pump with a hex rod and drill, but that is a pain and you risk getting your timing off and not priming at all if you spin the wrong way. Instead, I rigged up a little pump spray bottle (weed killer type $9.) and connect it at the oil pressure switch port. After a quart disappears from the bottle, I am sure there is oil in all the passages and bearings.

 

[69B-Cuda]

Definitely remove each spark plug and pour ~3 tsp motor oil in each cylinder.

original post said tore it down to short block, if it is just the short block, and has been sitting for 2 years, most definitely at least pop the main caps off and put some lube on the mains, then pop the rod caps off and lube the rods up. I'd also wipe the cylinder walls down with some oil and make sure all moving surfaces are lubed.... If it was me, I'd pop the timing chain back off, pull the cam, and lube the cam bearings as well. This wil lalso give you a good visual to make sure no brass is showing on bearings.

 

[MprDoc]

Thanks for the help, was gonna do the mains didn't think about the rods though, good call. I just put a new cam into so I relubed all the bearings and put assembly/break in lube on all the journals and lobes.

Thanks for the help!