First Start With Marvel and Motor Oil Cylinders?

[Bingster]

Somebody on this board a number of years ago, God rest his soul, told me that if I started an engine with the lubricating oil that I poured into the cylinders to keep them from freezing up, that something not too good would happen. I forget what it was.

 

A mechanic who helped me start the engine with no plugs about two years ago told me that was ridiculous. Somebody is wrong here. At any rate, when we did turn the engine over, still with no plugs, that lubricating oil shot out of the cylinders.

 

I think he meant that if the plugs were in and the liquid had no place to go, that the cylinders might lock up or something. There was a name for it.

Any help?

 

 

[vintage6t]

Hydraulic lockup.

[Bingster]

That's it! What do you think?

[FarmerJon]

Fluids don't compress. If there is a significant amount of liquid in a sealed cylinder when it is forcefully turned, bad things happen. Usually to the connecting rods. Google image search for "engine Hydraulic lock up" and I bet there is ample photo evidence.

Usually happens when someone foolishly trys to drive though deep water and the engine ingests it. 

 

With oil in a stored engine, I would think most would seep past the rings over the years. Spin it over a couple times without the plugs in first to lubricate the underside of your hood and shop ceiling. That should clear out enough of the liquid to safely start the engine. 

[Bingster]

Yes, I already did that!!!

[Los_Control]

If you fill the cylinders with liquid it can cause catastrophic  damage .... like bent connecting rods, push rods, valves .....

 

The liquid needs a way to escape .... plugs out is fine it escapes that way.

Typically the reason why you add oil to the cylinders is to loosen up the rings .... so the oil drains past the pistons into the crankcase .... the oil escaped.

 

If you were to add oil & filled up the cylinders til it came out the spark plug hole .... installed the plugs & tried to start it before it had a chance to drain .... could be a problem.

 

Same problem would exist if you had a 4x4 & were out mudding, you get the engine underneath water so it sucks in water & fills the cylinders while running .... you have bent rods.

 

Adding oil to cylinders usually means a few table spoons at a time, then letting it sit or run a compression check with the plugs out.

If the cylinder is not completely full, the excess is pushed out the exhaust valve as the piston rises.

If the cylinder is completely full, the valves are closed, the plug is in .... The piston can not travel upward to open the valves to release the oil ..... something will give away.

 

Just a matter of common sense. If the engine is stuck the head is off, you fill the cylinders to the top & watch which ones drain.

If the engine rotates, the head is on .... you add oil to the cylinders but not completely fill them up.

[Ivan_B]

How much oil did you put in there? As it was mentioned, for storage purposes you use just a table spoon for each cylinder, and crank it to spread it around the cylinder walls. If you are fancy, you can also get a spray can storage oil, which you are supposed to spray into each cylinder for a few seconds while cranking. This also lubricates the valves. In order to have a hydraulic lock-up, the cylinder must be full with liquid...

[Bingster]

I only put in enough oil until it just covered the top of the cylinders.

[Curt Lee]

Well; look at it this way. Two cylinders are close to TDC and have just a small amount of oil in them. Two cylinders are between strokes and are half full of oil. That leaves two at the BDC or close and those are almost full of oil. The valves being beside the chamber, there's no way for the oil to drain away except by leakdown past the rings. You can use a syringe to remove as much oil as possible and spin the engine over afterward to try and "blow" the excess down the exhaust. It's gonna smoke when it starts and for a good while afterwards.... not that the oil was a bad thing; just the total amount of it. Worse mistakes have been made! 

[Bingster]

I think I'll use a combination of answers before I screw in the plugs.

[Ivan_B]

22 hours ago, Bingster said:

I only put in enough oil until it just covered the top of the cylinders.

I just realized that you pored oil into the cylinders... You mean covering actual cylinders, not just pistons? In that case, pump it out with a syringe, as advised, and please do not do this again ?

[Bingster]

I'm sorry, I think I mixed up my terminology.  I added marvel mystery oil just enough to coat the top of each piston.

[Ivan_B]

9 hours ago, Bingster said:

I'm sorry, I think I mixed up my terminology.  I added marvel mystery oil just enough to coat the top of each piston.

Oh, good In this case, you probably do not need to do anything. Just turn the engine by hand, a couple of times, to make sure no oil comes out of the plug holes, and that's it. Put the plugs back in and fire away.

[Sniper]

Just remember once you get the engine running it's going to smoke until it burns off that excess oil

[D35 Torpedo]

This topic is rediculous. There is no way a starter will have enough torque to cause damage. You will stall the starter and foul plugs. Hydraulicing a running engine is completely different. Inertia will brake stuff.

[Hickory]

Maybe but why take the chance. Also if an owner had 12v hooked to a 6v starter as in a 12v conversion it may. These engines are old and I would try to remove as much as possible for no questions later if a problem pops up. How many of use have seen broken ring lands. That would be my concern before rod issues.