Engine Sitting for 10 Years...Tips for 1st Start?

[JohnnyG]

Grandfather/Father/Son project. Got a 2006 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab for free from a family friend. 10 years ago it had the frame replaced and rear leaf springs replaced under recall but the clutch went out shortly after. They put it on jack stands and took the transmission out but didn't finish the job. They are happy for us to take it away.

4.0L 1GRFE w/250k miles. Hasn't been started in about 10 years. We'll be going through every maintenance item, change the oil, drain the gas, etc. but I'm a bit concerned about the 1st startup.

Spray some oil in the cylinders and let it sit for a bit to lube up the rings? What would be best? Motor oil, penetrating oil, fogging oil???

Any tips on starting a vehicle that has sat for a long time? Thanks!

WD40.

 

[drtyler]

Along with all the other suggestions, I would be tempted to remove the valve covers and make sure the valvetrain is lubed.

 

[skyactiv]

Something people aren't aware of is fuel injectors often get varnished and don't work correctly on an engine that has sat for years.

 

[meep]

Something people aren't aware of is fuel injectors often get varnished and don't work correctly on an engine that has sat for years.

Yeah. Carb’d motors leave you with one fuel point, while a FI motor could have gelling in several.

Otoh, the fuel lines are well sealed and you could get lucky. It’d be great if you could drain all the fuel out, pump fresh gas through before trying to crank. I’d drain the tank, blow out the gas lines and the fuel rail and replace the filter. And use a full dose of Techron in the gas that goes back in.

 

[CleanSump]

WD means water displacement. It's neither a lube nor a penetrating oil.
Use a real penetrating oil to get lube past the rings then fogging oil if desired.

 

[Kurtatron]

I anticipate the engine will require very little to get up and running.

Maybe some lube refreshing and gasoline refreshing, and that’s it.

I am an avid believer that the conventional belief that engines need to be “exercised” is an outdated myth. Cars that are stored experience less detrimental wear and tear than driven cars.

I said it, and I won’t be convinced of anything else without scientific evidence. I’ve stored my ‘91 Toyota every winter for the last 10+ years and never had any issues with it.

 

[ClutchDisc]

I would pull the fuel pump fuse, crank it for about 20 to 30 seconds, put the fuse back in and fire it up. If possible to do a fresh oil change before doing that, I would also do that too.

 

[gfh77665]

If someone doesn't have "fogging oil" on hand, MMO would work great.

 

[Prison_Mike]

I anticipate the engine will require very little to get up and running.

Maybe some lube refreshing and gasoline refreshing, and that’s it.

I am an avid believer that the conventional belief that engines need to be “exercised” is an outdated myth. Cars that are stored experience less detrimental wear and tear than driven cars.

I said it, and I won’t be convinced of anything else without scientific evidence. I’ve stored my ‘91 Toyota every winter for the last 10+ years and never had any issues with it.

Kind of a big difference between 3 months out of the year for a regularly driven car and one that's done 10 solid years of sitting.

 

[CleanSump]

After 10 years the paint thinner smelling brown liquid in the tank is also in the lines, pumps, and injectors along with a coating of hard shellac. Been there done that.

 

[Kurtatron]

Kind of a big difference between 3 months out of the year for a regularly driven car and one that's done 10 solid years of sitting.

Yes, but let’s wait and see what the OP reports.

OP, hurry up.

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Yes, but let’s wait and see what the OP reports.

OP, hurry up.

It will be happening sooner rather than later. Hopefully in the next month or so. The family friend who is giving it to us spends most of his time in another state and says that a new clutch kit and flywheel is in his basement, out of the weather. He expects to be at the place this truck is at in the next couple weeks to find the parts.

We've done a quick inventory while it is on jack stands and most of the hard parts are there but the starter is MIA along with all of the bellhousing and pressure plate bolts, among others. Those are on order from Toyota as I write this.

The ex-owner is not a mechanic but "handy enough" and took way more things apart than necessary to drop the transmission for the clutch replacement. And after 10 years it is a bit of a Easter Egg hunt for some of the small parts.

I'll start a new thread once we start working on it....but it will be a long process before its ready for the road. My son has two years before he is ready to drive so we aren't in too big a rush. This will be a weekend project a couple of times per month with his father and grandfather. After we go through it top to bottom I'm going to drive it to work every day to shake out any new squeaks or rattles that come up.

The plan is to put the transmission back in and get it back on the ground so we can get it on a trailer and bring it up to my parents to work on. Ideally we will get it on the trailer under its own power.

We'll connect a hose to some fuel line (or rail) closest too the injectors and let the fuel pump chug all the varnish into a container. Check the oil, turn the engine over by hand a few times, prime the new fuel, then go for it.

 

[CleanSump]

Sounds like you have a well conceived plan forward.

 

[borgward]

WD40.

A guy offered me a 70's Chevy truck w/seized 350 in it. I pulled the plugs and applied penetrating oil. Let it sit overnight. I then put chain wrench around the harmonic balancer with a very long cheater bar and had my wife bump the starter. That broke it loose. After that, reinstalled plugs and it started right up. My wife used it for several years. I told her to always put non detergent oil in it. Pennzoil came out with those yellow plastic quart cans with w/twist off cap. That was the end of that motor as they had no non detergent oil.

 

[JohnnyG]

A guy offered me a 70's Chevy truck w/seized 350 in it. I pulled the plugs and applied penetrating oil. Let it sit overnight. I then put chain wrench around the harmonic balancer with a very long cheater bar and had my wife bump the starter. That broke it loose. After that, reinstalled plugs and it started right up. My wife used it for several years. I told her to always put non detergent oil in it. Pennzoil came out with those yellow plastic quart cans with w/twist off cap. That was the end of that motor as they had no non detergent oil.

Really? why?

 

[borgward]

If why non detergent oil in old engine, especially one that has been running non detergent oil. Detergent oil will wash all the crud out of the rings and you won't have much compression.

 

[OilyVelvet]

Fogging oil, for men.