Re: Starting a 10 year stored engine

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2008/7/10 14:41:44

As the engine is turning over freely, you may have an easy time of it. I'd pull the valve tappet covers and make sure none of the valves are stuck; if so a bit of PB Blaster may free them up. Then I'd drop the oil pan and clean it thoroughly, replace and install clean oil. Chances are the fuel pump, lines or tank need service so you might want to rig a gravity gas can overhead to feel the carburetor and either give the ignition a tune or, postponing that till later, make sure you have spark. Just before I tried to start it for the first time, I'd put a tbs of motor oil in each spark plug hole and turn it over on the starter motor for a few minutes to distribute some oil and to make sure you have oil pressure. Optionally, you may want to remove the carburetor top and make sure the needle and seat and float are functional. If the car is stick shift, make sure the clutch hasn't frozen in place, or to be extra safe, jack the rear wheels off the ground.