Finally dug out the 408 Windsor I've had sitting around, figured out it's been sitting for 14yrs!!! Where does the time go? It's survived four moves, a divorce, and being leapfrogged by the Mercury project and is finally ready to work on it again.
Anyway, the engine was dyno'd in 2004, installed in car but then shelved. Hydraulic roller cam deal. It's been in good dry storage, but it has been subject to temp and humidity swings. I scoped the cylinders, they actually look very clean although there is some surface rust on the cylinders above the top ring line. Nothing major, but it's there.
I initially would turn it over every couple months but that halted at some point. In my opinion since it was run, the springs would have had their initial break in, but then shouldn't have lost any tension while sitting. I do have an Intercomp spring tester so I can squeeze them up and see how they check out.
So, my plan is to pop the heads off and take a look at the cylinders. If it's as expected, I'll just do a quickie cleanup on the surface rust at the very top of the cylinder to make sure it hasn't crept and hang up a ring. I'll tear the heads down to check the valve spring pressures, and make sure nothing varnished in the guides, as well as make sure the valve seats didn't get rusty.
Bottom end, just pop a rod cap or two off, and a main and make sure it doesn't have any rust.
Other than that, repaint the block, clean up the aluminum bits, button it up, prelube, and run it on my test stand.
Anything I'm missing?
