Testing for leaks in a 308

I have to confess at this point that I've been baiting Dave a little bit because he's been so renentful that I would even consider an engine that has sat for forty years as usable. Dave, most recently you've implied that me or, at least, my expectations weren't "reasonable". I've been waiting for some concrete example of what you think changes within an engine that sits for a prolonged period. If you'll recall, my only question was whether anyone could offer other suggestions for testing for cracks in a 308 engine because it's an issue that a potential buyer would want addressed as fully as possible. Mr Mendenhall addressed that quite well, which I appreciate. The truth is in my forty-two years of buying and selling cars, I've ressurected many barn, field and backyard cars. It was, in fact, something a of hobby within a hobby for me. Though I kept several such cars for lengths of time, for me there has always been money to be made buying a dormant car and getting it running, washed, licensed and drivable, and then selling it to someone to restore. No matter how much work a car will need eventually, guys love to be able to drive it home (or at lest around the block) when they buy it. In my experience I've found that very little changes within an engine that sits for prolonged periods. Front and rear seals dry out and have to be replaced if the engine has sat for many, many years. Fortunately, this particular engine never froze from sitting, but even still, piston rings can be initially reluctant to seal against the cylinder walls because they get stuck to their lands in the pistons, but this usually clears up when some miles are put on the engine. I've been fortunate to have not had much trouble with valves that were frozen up, but that can happen and when it does, care must be taken to get everthing moving freely before any attempt to start the engine. Of course carbuetors, fuel pumps, gas tanks and flexible lines need to be dealt with, as well. Those things having been said, if it ran when it was parked it, it will run again. The only other things that I've run into other than the aforementioned is mouse-eaten wiring and bushings in need of oil in the peripherals(distributors, water pumps, starters and generators). In short, nothing in my experience condemns an engine because it's sat for a prolonged period of time and, most certainly, no mystical process takes place that weakens connecting rods, softens bearings or any other metal. This particular 308 has many, many great miles left in it and I think that it's next owner will run it with confidence knowing that it's a factory engine, assembled by Hudson. The engine is in Minnesota and I'll give this board a heads up when I decide to list in a couple of months.