thanks tech. tomorow i'll start by just putting tranny fluid in the cylinders, and let it sit for a few das and hope for the best. i'll post a follow up on my results.

Sounds good.

the tranny fluid didn't help, i let it sit and when i turned over the engine, i got a litle bit of combustion, which was the ranny fluid detonating. the next step is to change the piston rings. my mechanic said they were probably ceased inwards... i checked the oil, and its not more of an oil/tranny fluid mixture, and the crank shaft is twice as full as the "max" line on the dipstick. darn those piston rings. so on sunday my father and i will take the pistons out to change the rings...while i'm at it i thought to myself "what the ****...might as well splurge" so i'm going to pretty much rebuild that engine. my only question now is, should i leave the engine inside the car, or yank that puppy out? although it'll be slighty harder to remove the engine, it'll be easier to change the piston rings, and i'm considering bringing the engine block in to get hoaned out a hair or two, and get new pistons to go with it. i've read that machine shops will hoan engines for 20$/cylinder, or something in that range...not too bad. i don't know what a new piston will cost me, but its probably not a bad idea whiile i'm at it. the engine will get all the seals and gaskets changed too, since it DOES have 345 000 kms on it. i'm hoping the whole procedure won't cost more than a few hundred dollars, since i'll be doing all the work, and will only need to buy parts. does this sound like an accurate estimation?

lastly, i remember hearing about something like "let the engine idle for 20 mins when you first fire it up, to let the rings adjust...or was it "rev the engine really high for 20 mins, otherwise things will get damaged?

thanks all

I would yank it out and take it apart and then install the new parts.

You might spend a little more for the parst though.

Start it and let it idle for 20 minutes.

well, i found a donor car, and this donor car (a volvo 760 turbo in great shape) has now become the car i'll be driving...the first car, that 740, will make its way to a final resting place. it has no engine...but the body is in GREAT shape. its perfect... check out my new post "2nd volvo, 760 this time..."