Bringing an engine out of storage

[Mach5]

I have a '79 TransAm with a built 400 Pontiac. The car has been in my garage for 2.5 years while I did some work on it (non-engine related). I changed the oil with Mobil 1 10W30 before I parked it, with it only being fired up to move the car a few times since. The engine has a deep sump pan, so it holds 8 quarts of Mobil 1 ($$$). Should I change the oil after the car is ready for the road again?

I hate to dump $40 worth of oil that was hardly used, but it is a couple of years old. By the way, I will not being using Mobil 1 in this car again...the car is a toy that only gets driven ~1000 miles a year when it's on the road, and besides Mobil 1 doesn't have enough ZDDP for my flat tappet cam. I plan to use Delo 15W40 from now on.

 

[Steve S]

Can the Pontiac be primed like a Chevrolet engine by removing the distributor and making or buying a priming tool to turn the oil pump? To answer the question about the oil there is no way to tell if the oil is good with out an oil anaylsis for $20 ish dollars , so fire up the engine ,run the engine till hot then change the oil .

 

[Mach5]

Well, I was planning to pull the plugs, squirt some oil in the cylinders, turn the engine over, replace the plugs, etc...all the stuff one normally does. My question boils down to...do I need to dump $40 of M1 that has maybe 1 hour of run time on it, even if it is 2.5 years old?

 

[Mach5]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mach5:
Well, I was planning to pull the plugs, squirt some oil in the cylinders, turn the engine over, replace the plugs, etc...all the stuff one normally does when firing up an engine that hasn't run in awhile. My question boils down to...do I need to dump $40 of M1 that has maybe 1 hour of run time on it, even if it is 2.5 years old?

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[Steve S]

quote:

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Originally posted by Steve S:
To answer the question about the oil there is no way to tell if the oil is good with out an oil anaylsis for $20 ish dollars , so fire up the engine ,run the engine till hot then change the oil .

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[Steve S]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mach5:
I hate to dump $40 worth of oil that was hardly used, but it is a couple of years old. By the way, I will not being using Mobil 1 in this car again...the car is a toy that only gets driven ~1000 miles a year when it's on the road, and besides Mobil 1 doesn't have enough ZDDP for my flat tappet cam. I plan to use Delo 15W40 from now on.

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[Bryanccfshr]

run it. there's a 2 year old or older UOA from a porsche around here somewhere.

 

[nickmckinney]

RUN IT ALREADY - BRING THE DINOSAUR TO LIFE!!!

Really though I think people here get a little to worried about their oil when they shouldn't be. I would be more worried that the gas had varnished up the carb myself. Drop a bottle of GM EOS in it so you get the ZDDP up proper and run it for a year IMHO. Or drain that Mobil and run it in your regular car.

 

[Mach5]

The tank is going to be drained and replaced along with all the rubber fuel line before the car is driven again. 26 year old rubber fuel line doesn't respond well to today's gasoline.

After thinking it over, I will run the M1 for a short while, drain it, and then use it in my lawn mower. That way I'm not wasting it, but I still feel like I'm doing the right thing for my expensive engine.

 

[michaelc80]

Am I correct in assuming that this car was undergoing some body work? Lot's of dust, dirt and other contamination in the air? Lots of chances for that dust and dirt to work it's way into the oil?

If you're spending a lot of money and turning this car into a classic I would spend the extra few bucks and change it out now that it will be driven again. Why take the chance and run a 2 1/2 year old oil? You're already planning to use Delo, why not make the switch now?