When Can You Start An Old Engine?

[Bingster]

Before starting an old flat head that ran about five years ago but has been sitting,  are their any more steps than these before attempting to start it again?

 

Drop oil pan, clean and add new oil?

 

Clean carb?

 

Flush radiator?

 

Empty gas tank and add gas with that additive that does something to old gas?

 

Replace plugs?

[DJ194950]

Use your list but forget dropping pan, change All filters and oil,

flush fuel lines and replace gas.

Remove spark plugs, oil cyl.s let soak, after 1-2 days turn over by hand plugs stiill out.

Clean points and regap them. check for spark

Install plugs and crank over with recharged battery, should be good to go if valves did not get stuck!

 

Best,

 

DJ

[Niel Hoback]

   Crank it until the oil pressure is up before you give it any spark.

[laynrubber]

I couldn't get oil pressure in my rebuild by just cranking. The pressure line to the gauge is pretty long, maybe bleeding that to ensure it was filled first may have eased my stress. I had confirmed oil pressure after about a minute of running.

[Niel Hoback]

  we used to pack the pump with grease before reinstalling so it would be able to suck oil immediately.   Prime it, some people used Vaseline petroleum jelly, but there's better stuff out there to use now. 

[_shel_ny]

If the oil pump was not removed it should still be filled with oil. It does not run out. Just a matter of cranking the engine over until you see some pressure.

[Bingster]

I haven't done anything to the engine or pumps since I brought the car home.

 

BTW, how do you flush the fuel line?

 

Would the oil strainer in the pan be full of gunk?

 

If the engine runs okay, should I replace the water distribution tube?

 

I see some of you are replacing the radiator with new ones.  I'd like to use the old one.  We have a radiator shop nearby.  Would they boil it out and/or recore?

[_shel_ny]

...

Edited January 24, 2015 by shel_ny

[meadowbrook]

It may take a while for oil pressure to build by cranking engine with starter. I started my 50 Dodge after 12 years of slumber by rebuilding carb, pulling plugs, changing oil, soaking cylinders with oil draining and refilling tank. It started after a long crank and some valves were stuck but progressively loosened the longer the engine ran. You could tell as each cylinder started firing when it's valves got unstuck as the engine got smoother and smoother.

I then had to rebuild the carb again because the fresh gas mixed with solid crap in the tank and contaminated the carb again to the point it would not start again. I had to replace the tank as the old one was also very rusty.

[pflaming]

I use an aux fuel tank, that way I know I have fresh clean fuel. That eliminates on possible problem. I'm doing a valve job on an old engine as we speak. Will do all as stated but with aux fuel tank and electrical fuel pump. I figure any gunk in the oil is on the bottom of the pan, the engine ran with the oil that is in it, so I use it to start, then replace it. Just my way. That was how dad woke up grain harvesters back in the 5O's. He always flooded them dead with light oil through the carb to put them to "sleep".

[Geekay]

My 53 Fargo is now running after 30 years asleep.

Everything said above, although I wouldn't necessarily pull the carby apart until you tried starting it as is.

I did remove the fuel tank and used my air compressor to firstly blow air through, and then when re-isntalled used air preesure into the tank to push fuel out the line (just remove the line before the fule pump).

I also used an auxillary fuel tank iniially to avoid any fuel pump issues (had to re-seal the diaphram).

After putting some oit down the plug holes about 6 times over a couple of months and giving it a crank by hand each time I found that when it eventually fired properly there where a few sticking valves initially but they seemed to have released now and idiling nice...and reving too.

I had removed the water pump and fan assembly and gave the block etc a good flushing with water and air. Seems to be okay although now some minor water leaks that I can easily fix.

I did remove the oil filter assembly and cleaned the lines to make sure no gunk had settled and blocked it.

Still used the same points, just gave them a clean and re set, same coil (looks like crap, but works), same plugs, same leads...quite amazing really.

 

My next step is to jack up rear wheels and see if the clucth plate works properly and then engage some gears.