New engine. Sitting for 8 months. What to do?

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

New engine. Sitting for 8 months. What to do?

Howmac · Guru

Interesting topic , as I have a couple rebuilt long blocks myself that have been sitting in heated storage for 3 years now . Mine were never run yet . I was wondering the same thing , as I sure do not want to tear them down again to inspect.

Bill shuba · Guru

I would pull the distributor and prime it useing adapter and drill ,pull the plugs and turn it by ballancer with wrench a couple times a month...thats what I did with mine anyways

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Bill shuba wrote:
I would pull the distributor and prime it useing adapter and drill ,pull the plugs and turn it by ballancer with wrench a couple times a month...thats what I did with mine anyways

As I read Mark's opening post and planned my reply, it was going to be exactly what you wrote Bill. I'd prime, prime and then prime some more!

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Howmac wrote:
Interesting topic , as I have a couple rebuilt long blocks myself that have been sitting in heated storage for 3 years now . Mine were never run yet . I was wondering the same thing , as I sure do not want to tear them down again to inspect.

If they don't have all the tin on them, I'd install it all and do the same thing, prime, prime, prime.

timbuk · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

yup agree with bill and carl

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

cdnpont wrote:
Is there anything wrong with just leaving it as is until next spring? Am I hurting the new valve springs that have stayed compressed?
Any thoughts?

I'm sure it's fine until spring. And I wouldn't worry at all about the valve springs. Lots of Canadian collector cars only run about 4 months of the year, no worries.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

So a prime, then dist back in, and couple of turns over. Sounds like good insurance for a newer motor.

Interesting about the prime though. Would a classic car owner ever go to that trouble after 6-8 months in storage. I never have. Anybody do this?

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

No, never have and I doubt if anyone does.

The reason I told you to prime prime prime is because I know you to be someone who is extremely detailed and 110% thorough with your mechanical stuff!

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Thanks Carl, but I've grown lazy this winter...but I'll take everyone's advice and give her a prime. For the extra 10 minutes it will take, it'll be worth it just for the peice of mind...

Bill shuba · Guru

yes I was priming mine alot,more for piece of mind,and couldn't leave it alone haha

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Done procrastinating...Just went out, pulled the plugs, removed and replaced the dist with the DIY priming dist. Spun it until pressure came up (which was immediate).

Cranked it over for a few seconds while priming it at the same time. Finished with the damper to #1 at TDC zero degrees with thumb on he hole. Done.

I still always worry about those damn flat tappet cams though. Even though it's broken in...I'm still apprehensive about cranking it too long. But it certainly did feel good to hear it turn over!

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Bill shuba wrote:
yes I was priming mine alot,more for piece of mind,and couldn't leave it alone haha

Bill, we want everyone to run out right now to prime and crank the project motors.

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

In the 70s on of our customers owned a Dodge motorhome. The family had a band and used the motorhome as the band vehicle. It was well over 100K miles and the engine was tired. The Chrysler dealer in Gananoque was having a close out sale and our customer purchased a new short block at the auction. Well, this thing had been sitting under a bench or something, and although it was wrapped in plastic it was full of crap inside. I had to wash it all out and the crap looked like floor dry and dust bane. We installed it, primed the oil and it was fine. It went many more years until rust killed the motorhome. I have no idea how long it sat unused but it didnt seem to hurt it.

Paul

64PARCONUK · Addicted!

My car always takes lots of cranking to get enough fuel in the float bowl to actually start (unless I used it the day before which is rare). The oil pressure is up pretty much at the start of the process (although obviously not at much pressure). Of course, the engine hasn't been apart in nearly 56 years and at least 110.000 miles (could be 210/310 or more?) so I couldn't really complain if it let go in a big way tomorrow!

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

4SPEED427 wrote:
And I wouldn't worry at all about the valve springs. Lots of Canadian collector cars only run about 4 months of the year, no worries.

I was going to say this.

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

cdnpont wrote:
Would a classic car owner ever go to that trouble after 6-8 months in storage. I never have. Anybody do this?

I have. I actually leave the plugs a little loose in my stored cars/engines, so I don't have to work too hard to take them out when I squirt oil down the cylinders. No coil wire attached and no fuel pumped.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I always thought these Accusump pre oilers were a good idea,

https://www.cantonracingproducts.com/accusump

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

After only eight months, why would you have to pre oil an engine. Sure better safe than sorry, why not. The question almost sounds like what do you do after eight years of sitting ? but no the question is after eight months. To my mind, i would think why worry in any way after eight months. Unless of course you left the engine out side exposed to the harsh elements, then of course there would be a number of concerns. You hear of engines sitting for a number of years and it took so little to get them going. What ever you do, good luck with your endeavour and cheers.

cdnpont · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I know, I know, it's probably not worth the worry this subject. But to be honest, this was more to strike up thought on the subject. I was interested to hear the opinions.

Years back, a engine guy I knew said for long term storage, always back off all the rockers to preserve your springs. Kind of makes sense in an old school kind of way, but again, probably not worth a worry.

long stroke · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

cdnpont wrote:
I know, I know, it's probably not worth the worry this subject. But to be honest, this was more to strike up thought on the subject. I was interested to hear the opinions.
Years back, a engine guy I knew said for long term storage, always back off all the rockers to preserve your springs. Kind of makes sense in an old school kind of way, but again, probably not worth a worry.

Mark, as far as the whole "spring" thing. Well............ that is a bunch of whoweeee, i hope i spelled that right. You would have to keep a (spring) in a given position for a very very very very very looooooooooooooong time to worry. There is no need to worry here. Cheers. biggrin .

Glenn Musgrave · Addicted!

Sounds like a lot of work to me. Through the 80's and 90's I use to store my cars outside, on stands, with a car cover. I'd store my 2 summer cars while I drove the winter ones. I never touched them until they were going back on the road. The only thing I ever did prior to putting them back on the road was to remove the plugs, put 3 squirts of new engine oil in each cylinder, remove the coil wire and crank it until the oil pressure was up. Put the plugs back in, install the coil wire and they almost always fired up first turn of the key. None of those engines were ever opened, no oil consumption and great compression. The only maintenance, other than oil changes and tuneups, that was required was to replace timing chains and gears and carb kits every so often due to gas evaporating causing residue to build up. Now with gas stabilizers etc. the time between carb kits is greatly extended. This winter I bought a priming tool cause I thought it was a good deal and I will use it first start of the year because I like the idea of the entire engine getting oiled instead of just the cylinder walls.

I've heard guys worry about valve springs collapsing and rings sticking etc. but in my opinion, if your engine is healthy when you put it away it will be healthy when you take it out. I think the use of synthetic oil will go along way to helping these old girls reduce engine wear on dry start ups.

Bill shuba · Guru

I also put a electric fuel pump in a foot away from the tank,I use it only to prime and fill the carb so far !! I run it straight through the man pump really hate having starter and engine turn over so much after it sits a week or so to get fuel in the carb and fire ..

Pontiacanada · A Poncho Legend!

Glenn Musgrave wrote:
The only thing I ever did prior to putting them back on the road was to remove the plugs, put 3 squirts of new engine oil in each cylinder, remove the coil wire and crank it until the oil pressure was up. Put the plugs back in, install the coil wire and they almost always fired up first turn of the key. None of those engines were ever opened, no oil consumption and great compression.

Bingo.

otus · Addicted!

One time I got a 350 4 bolt from a friend that had been laying....yup laying around.. put it into a 72 gmc pickup but it wouldn't turn over with the starter so more wd down the plug holes and we dragged (literally) dragged the truck down the road dropping the clutch every so many feet to break it loose!! It did break loose and then ran like a scared chicken for about 2 thousand miles until the offending piston top let go and stranded us in Hinton alberta. Just sayin wink