How to start an old rebuilt engine?

[MarcDeSoto]

I have a 1948 DeSoto business coupe which has been sitting in my garage since the 1980s! The engine was rebuilt in 1982 and I assembled it with white grease. But it has never been started! Yes, it turns over and I have periodically put oil down the spark plug holes. It also has a new clutch, brakes, radiator, starter, generator, wiring harness, etc. I plan to get it started this summer, but I have received conflicting advice all the way from "just make sure it has oil pressure and start it up" to "you should take the engine apart, check for corrosion and reassemble". What do you guys think? Thanks, Marc.

[ptwothree]

I'd say if you live in a high humidity part of the country to take it apart enough to determine if it has any corrosion and what that white grease has morphed into. Might have some stuck valves too. Could possibly use a new gasket or two.

I once had a furd flat 8 that developed a stuck intake valve from sitting too long..Popped thru the carb till a can of Rislone fixed it.

[greg g]

pull the plugs, and the coil wire, Crank withthe starter, you should be able to build oil pressure within a few rounds on the starter. If so, Do a compression test, if you have compression across all the cyliders should be in the 90 to 125 psi area, or higher with some oil down the plug holes. If compression is good, check your static timing a TDC, see if you have gas in the carb, try to start it. You might just suprise your self.

[yourpc48]

The 47 Plymouth I recently started driving sat for 25 years (as far as I know) without being run. The car was sitting in a field in Cottage Grove Oregon most of that time. I put oil in the spark plug holes, freed up a few valves, new points etc. in the dizzy and got it running. My suggestion (right or wrong) is to pull the plugs, put in fresh oil and spin that thing over till you have oil pressure. Put the plugs back in and fire it up. Mine has about 40 to 45 lbs oil pressure and no smoke to speak of. I got lucky on my old beast but you have been mantaining yours while in storage so yours should be fine. Good luck.