Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it?

Posted By: convertriple

Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 05:01 AM

I haven't started my car in a year, had a heater core leak that turned into an interior restore job.

Should I pull the distributor and reprime with a drill or just start it up? Alternatively, I could crank it for a while with the coil wire off, but not sure if that would better or not.

Anyone got experience with this?

Posted By: elmor

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 05:08 AM

You might get by just spinning it over, but why take the chance? Personally I would prime it to be safe.

Posted By: Kern Dog

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 07:19 AM

I've read in some auto repair manuals to pull the coil wire and spin the motor. I'd like to visit the authors and give them all a swift kick in the ass. What a crappy idea.
It isnt too difficult to pull the distributor and oil pump drive so you can prime the motor. After only a few days, the lifters can bleed down, as well as all the oil galleys. Once the pump starts spinning, the crankshaft gets oil first, then the cam bearings. Dry cranking an old motor will accelerate wear everywhere.

Posted By: DaytonaTurbo

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 07:27 AM

Hit the key and start it, it'll be fine. I've left mine sitting that long or more without issue.

Posted By: BeEtLeJuIcE !

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 10:19 AM

AT the least ...I would pull-the-plugs and spin it over with the starter uNtil you get oil-pressure.

Posted By: POS Dakota

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 10:33 AM

If it's been sitting a year you NEED to reprime it.
There's no way I would start it without repriming it after sitting that long knowing what I know now.

Posted By: dartman366

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 02:39 PM

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If it's been sitting a year you NEED to reprime it.
There's no way I would start it without repriming it after sitting that long knowing what I know now.

better safe than sorry.

Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/11/11 03:11 PM

Quote:

Hit the key and start it, it'll be fine. I've left mine sitting that long or more without issue.

Put the key in, make sure to have a fully charged battery and gas in the carb., spin it over and start it. Not an issue. I do at least 2 of them year. One I fired last had sat 3 years and had instant pressure when fired. If you had good clean oil when parked it will not be an issue at all.

Posted By: Ramrod39

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/12/11 06:15 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Hit the key and start it, it'll be fine. I've left mine sitting that long or more without issue.

Put the key in, make sure to have a fully charged battery and gas in the carb., spin it over and start it. Not an issue. I do at least 2 of them year. One I fired last had sat 3 years and had instant pressure when fired. If you had good clean oil when parked it will not be an issue at all.

The only thing I might prime is the carb....

Posted By: Dean_Kuzluzski

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/12/11 10:32 AM

My biggest concern would be the rings/bores, I pull the plugs, spray WD-40 in each cylinder, and crank away. Since the fuel has evaporated out of the carb it's going to crank a long time until the fuel system is primed and working. Been doing this for many years on an old hobby car and it still runs hard.

Posted By: POS Dakota

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/12/11 05:51 PM

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My biggest concern would be the rings/bores, I pull the plugs, spray WD-40 in each cylinder, and crank away. Since the fuel has evaporated out of the carb it's going to crank a long time until the fuel system is primed and working. Been doing this for many years on an old hobby car and it still runs hard.

None of the bearings are a concern after a year? Just asking...

Posted By: 75DART440

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/12/11 07:29 PM

Quote:

My biggest concern would be the rings/bores, I pull the plugs, spray WD-40 in each cylinder, and crank away. Since the fuel has evaporated out of the carb it's going to crank a long time until the fuel system is primed and working. Been doing this for many years on an old hobby car and it still runs hard.

Started a 318 that had been sitting 20+ years. Pulled the plugs, gave each hole several squirts of motor oil from a pump-oiler type oil can, and cranked it several revoloutions. Put plugs back in, primed carb, and fired it right up. Had one lifter that ticked for 10 to 20 seconds, then it sounded fine. This was in an A100 van that had not been licensed or inspected for 23 years!!! Of course, I was using a jug with the fuel hose running into it, not the tar that was in the tank. And I did swap distributors rather than mess with the corroded old points.

Posted By: Dean_Kuzluzski

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/12/11 08:13 PM

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None of the bearings are a concern after a year? Just asking...

Common sense prevailing.......it wouild seem that the oil galley's would not drain down upstream of the oil pump and there would remain a film of oil in the rod & main journals (at least on the horizontal surfaces) for as long as it sits undisturbed from when it was shut off. Every running motor I've torn down had evidence of this. Soooooo, the primary concern of the "loss of prime" to the oiling system would be if the sump tube and drained down or not and the duration of time it would take to prime it and pressurize the oiling system. Since I've never had a problem with an oil system losing prime..............hence, the rings being a bigger concern.

And I've stored a fair weather muscle for winters here in MI every year for 24 years. One car didn't get fired up for eight years. Ran great, better than ever, last summer. Wish I could say the core/freeze plugs were up holding up so well.

Posted By: 70SportSatellite

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/12/11 08:22 PM

just started a 318 that has been sitting for over 3 years. spun it for a while to pick up some oil and fuel. primed the carb and fired right up, no issues. i've done this more than once and NEVER had a problem. but as said, in your case better to be safe if you are uncomfortable doing it.

Posted By: convertriple

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/13/11 04:09 AM

Thanks for the answers.

Anyone know if there is a place on a Holley vac secondary where you can fill the bowls so that the car doesn't have to crank forever with the mechanical fuel pump?

Posted By: DaytonaTurbo

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/13/11 04:59 AM

Pour a little gas down each of the bowl vent tubes. On my last build I just filled the carb bowls with an electric fuel pump, then hooked the mechanical pump feed back up once the carb was full. That way when I hit the key it was full of fresh gas and ready to go.

Posted By: Ramrod39

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/13/11 05:59 AM

Quote:

Thanks for the answers.

Anyone know if there is a place on a Holley vac secondary where you can fill the bowls so that the car doesn't have to crank forever with the mechanical fuel pump?

Actually, in retrospect, I agree with Dean K. Just crank it to get fuel to the carb. Oil will circulate before the engine lights. I've got a brand X hot rod with a mechanical fuel pump that sits for months at a time. It gets oil pressure showing on the gauge before it fires when I crank it. I never crank the starter for more that about 10 - 15 seconds at a time so I don't overheat it.

Posted By: 451 D*O*D*G*E

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/13/11 06:26 AM

One year isnt nothing for crank and pistons long as it was good dry storage.Had a engine wipe a lifter after sitting for three though but that was a chevy derby engine who cares

If you're really concerned pull dist,prime,rotate 90 degress 4 times and pull a tappet cover to look for blood

Posted By: MAVERICKSHEMI

Re: Engine sat for a year - re-prime oil or just start it? - 04/13/11 06:17 PM

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Quote:

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Hit the key and start it, it'll be fine. I've left mine sitting that long or more without issue.

Put the key in, make sure to have a fully charged battery and gas in the carb., spin it over and start it. Not an issue. I do at least 2 of them year. One I fired last had sat 3 years and had instant pressure when fired. If you had good clean oil when parked it will not be an issue at all.

The only thing I might prime is the carb....