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Starting a car that has been idle for a long while

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ynotme2

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With the recent purchase of the europa, I now have the process to start looking and rebuilding things before she goes back on the road. But the main component has been that the engine has not been turned over since 1998. I don't want to strip it down and do a rebuild. Any suggestions on how to crank it safely with doing the least amount of damage? I thought about throwing someoil in the cylinders and letting it sit for a couple of weeks or so and then hand cranking the engine slowly to free it up at first. Total fluid change over and such.

Thanks

Tony
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

Yup... I'd say "Marvel Mystery Oil" in the holes, let it set for a day or two. More in before trying to turn it by hand. Give it time and patience. All fluids changed, and again change engine oil and filter after a few "heat cycles." Is this a T/C Europa? If so, I'd also turn the water pump by hand a bit before spinning it with the belt on the engine under its own steam. You may need long thin arms /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Carburation? Strombergs: I'd say yank 'em right off and give 'em a good cleaning/inspection: float needles and jets will likely be gummed up after sitting that long, fuel filter as well.

Good luck!
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

Of course if there is a way to turn over the oil pump without turning over the motor, that would be a good thing. It's not possible on the twink, but the Renault motor is unknown to me, and may have an external drive for the oil pump.

Pop the valve cover off and pour oil all over the cams etc..

After you get the thing turning over by hand, make sure you pre-fill the new oil filter before you crank it, and pre-lube the oil pump ( on the twink it's pretty important cause sometimes the oil pump will not pump if it's not prelubed, and you wind up spinning the motor over for a while with no oil flow trying to figure it out..)

Now having said all of that, for the most part all I've done is the obvious motor turn over by hand, then fresh oil and filter, spin with no coil wire until oil pressure comes up and then put the wire back and go for it ( carbs should be clean, fuel fresh, and all that ).

I have probably started over fifty motors that have been left for dead over the years. As long as they are buttoned up when they are put away ( like no missing plugs or valve covers ) they generally fire up just fine, with no further damage being done.

My Cortina motor was over 20 years sitting.. ( well, a few owners may have started it, but when I got her she looked pretty much left for dead..) That motor fired up and runs as sweet as when it was new ( no lie, it only has 30,000 miles on the clock, and runs fabulous!! )

Yours should be just fine..
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

It is a TC. How do I pre lube the oil pump?
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

My suggestions are pretty much duplicates of the previous ones. I'd pull the plugs and drop a little oil in each hole. Leave the plugs out and pull the distributer cap. Put the transmission in fourth gear and rock the car back & forth a bit. Watch to see if the right things move - the rotor should move slightly as should the water pump pulley. It wouldn't hurt to remove the belt and try the pump by hand.

Often, an engine that's been sitting is free but an ancillary is frozen & something suffers.

If everything seems ok, I'd spin it on the starter without plugs for a while until you see some oil pressure. If all appears ok & you get pressure, change the oil & filter and then try to start it. If it runs, keep the revs low for a few minutes and listen for noises and watch the oil pressure. These engines often don't drain well (meaning oil draining from the head to the sump) and if anything's clogged it may take a minute to find out.

My limited experience "waking up" Twincams is:

1) that the clutch may be stuck.
2) that it'll smoke like crazy until it's driven a while.

If anything's stuck - I agree with the Marvel Mystery Oil suggestion although my own secret brew (until now) is MMO and some Kerosene if it's really bad.

Good luck with it.
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

[ QUOTE ]
It is a TC. How do I pre lube the oil pump?

[/ QUOTE ]The oil pump is gear driven, so turning over the engine manually will get the oil circulating, providing there is oil in the pan. If you have the car up on jack stands, remove the sparkplugs and with the car in second gear get the right rear wheel going in forward motion. Several turns should fill the lines. Then follow the previous suggestions, with the addition of spraying some starter ether in each throat of the carbs after taking off the air cleaners and then turn it over with the key. After a few pops and puffs of smoke you should have it running. If you have a stethascope put it to the valve cover and listen for any trace of valve slap. A broom stick or dowel rod will work in a pinch. Any unruley sounds and you need to shut it down.
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

Hey sorry I'm probably a bit late to answer you, as I was out of town for a while.. The oil pumps can be prelubed by removing them ( just three bolts and a new gasket ) and adding oil straight into the holes mating the block, then spin the pump around a bit by hand.. In extreem cases where the pump will not pickup even after this, you can use vaseline ( heavy grease is too heavy really..) Filling the oil filter up at this point just gets oil up into the motor faster, which can really help a dry motor..

Let us know hao it went for you..

And the comment about lot's of oil smoke at startup is right on... Don't worry about it unless it doesn't go away after a good long blast down the road.. It will smoke everytime you start after sitting, cause that's the way it goes with no valve seals, and the valves being so far down in the head.
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

pull your spark plugs when you 1st start cranking it by the starter. This will allow the motor to spin up faster and build oil pressure. Once you have pressure then reinstall the plugs.
 
Re: Starting a car that has been idle for a long w

TypeRboy Wrote:

[ QUOTE ]
The oil pumps can be prelubed by removing them ( just three bolts and a new gasket ) and adding oil straight into the holes mating the block, then spin the pump around a bit by hand.. In extreem cases where the pump will not pickup even after this, you can use vaseline ( heavy grease is too heavy really..) Filling the oil filter up at this point just gets oil up into the motor faster, which can really help a dry motor...

[/ QUOTE ]

In the past I've had good results with a "slurry" mix of engine oil and STP (or eqivalent)50/50 in the pump and filling the filter with straight oil. Usually builds pressure quickly when spinning it with the plugs out using the starter. I think I'd be more concerned if it ~didn't~ smoke a bit on initial startup.
 
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