Open up new engine or no?

[jjk1224]

I just got my new (used, 85k) aspire engine in the other day that I had ordered online for 200$. The externals were very nicely cleaned up and a coat of paint was applied to the block, it almost looks like a freshly remanufactured long block. Anyway to the point, from the information I have gathered from you guys, I know I will have to swap the intake and exhaust manifolds, as well as the t-stat housing. After inspecting and comparing the parts, that much is clear to me now. My current dilemma is, should I tear down the engine spend a couple hundred $$$ on new gaskets, bearings, rings, and possibly any other problems I encounter? Or should I swap the needed parts and throw it straight in? I pulled the plugs and they look fairly new with a little carbon build up around the edges. I also checked the turn over torque and found that it was right around 20 ft-lbs (obviously with the park plugs out). Unfortunately I know that it tells me very little about the internal health of the engine, but I am unsure what other tests I can do with it on a stand without taking it apart. I am pretty sure I would need to use a starter in order to do a compression check? Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. I am getting very anxious to get my festy out on the road!

[Festy46]

You can do a leak down test. That doesn't require a starter to spin the engine over, but it's a good idea to turn the engine over by hand with a wrench a few times before doing the test. The valves will sometimes stick a little and give a false reading if the engine has been sitting for a long time. The tool is fairly simple, 2 pressure gauges, a regulator and some hose connections to connect to the spark plug holes. You also need an air compressor.