new (reman) engine...sat for a while, not run yet

[gmchevroletruck]

The engine was built by a reman facility (Grooms Engines in Nashville, for anyone who is familiar...)...

94 model 5.7 TBI motor, bought it from them mid-July, and still haven't started it, it's been a project that's been on the back burner for a while. Will probably finish the miscellaneous items and start it for the first time this weekend, but have a question...I've put in engines before, and done the break-in procedure, but have never let one sit for almost 3 months before doing so. I know it has engine assembly lube on it, but I want to be sure I haven't let it rust or something by letting it sit this long...

I do have an oil pump primer, and have used it once recently on this engine.

Another thing - would you recommend using the oil pump primer (down in the distributor hole, driven by a drill to spin the oil pump) again, immediately before the first start-up?

The main thing I'm concerned about is, do you think I've done any damage to the engine, letting it sit this long without an oil coating on all the internal parts, since it's never been ran. Or do you think, when it was "bench-spun", it was done with some oil added, to coat everything in oil...?

 

[Jason2007]

I would put fresh oil&filter and prime the oil pump before I started just to be safe. I doubt any damage has been done. ive known engines to sit for a couple years and run just fine.

 

[gmchevroletruck]

crazy question...how could it "not" have fresh oil and filter...it's a new motor...?

 

[river_rat]

I've sat a rebuild for more than two years in my basement before firing it up. Turn it over by hand a few times to distribute the assembly lube, prime the pump, and go for it.
If there is a failure (highly unlikely) it wont be from setting a few months unless you let if sit ouside and fill with rain.

 

[c502cid]

Certainly prime it first. Cannot hurt it to squirt some oil down the spark plug holes and turn it over by hand a few times. The rest of the internals will be fine since they were covered with assembly lube. That doesn't run off easy!

 

[PT1]

Pre-oil it with the drill for 3-5 minutes and squirt some MMO in the cylinders and you should be good to go.

 

[mechtech2]

Forget the MMO in the cylinders.
All that will do is foul plugs at a time when you need then to be perfect.
But prime it for sure. It is easy.
Make sure your drill turns clockwise on that engine!

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Forget the MMO in the cylinders.
All that will do is foul plugs at a time when you need then to be perfect.
But prime it for sure. It is easy.
Make sure your drill turns clockwise on that engine!


MMO will not foul the plugs. 1 squirt in each cyl will coat the walls and prevent the rings sticking. The pistons will rotate numerous times before any fuel even gets there on a stored engine and it prevents 100% cylinder dry start. I have been doing this on stored marine engines for almost 30 years. Not 1 fouled plug. The MMO gets consumed in 2 seconds. On an engine that has been sitting like that I would usually hit each cyl with MMo and rotate the crank by hand a few turns before starting. The MMO is on the cyl walls not on the plugs at that point.

 

[Zaedock]

Don't worry about it. Crate motors sit in warehouses for years. Prime the oil system and fire her up.

 

[mechtech2]

If you squirt oil [MMO] in the cylinders, it will get all over.
Some will get where you want it to. But most will coat all the parts in the combustion chamber, with no benefit.
Why put oil on new clean spark plugs? They may not foul enough to warrant replacement, but why soak them in anything?
If the engine was assembled with correctly oiled pistons and rings, don't add anything to the combustion chamber.

Maybe use the MMO in an engine that has sat for years, especially if it sat outside.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Why put oil on new clean spark plugs?


The plug will be out when you give it a shot.

 

[onion]

I wouldn't worry about it. I've installed a couple of reman engines the had been sitting for 2-3 years. Didn't even prime them- just made sure the filters were full. No problems to report.

In my own vehicle, I'd probably prime the oil system if it was fairly easy to access. Otherwise it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: gmchevroletruck
The engine was built by a reman facility (Grooms Engines in Nashville, for anyone who is familiar...)...

94 model 5.7 TBI motor, bought it from them mid-July, and still haven't started it, it's been a project that's been on the back burner for a while. Will probably finish the miscellaneous items and start it for the first time this weekend, but have a question...I've put in engines before, and done the break-in procedure, but have never let one sit for almost 3 months before doing so. I know it has engine assembly lube on it, but I want to be sure I haven't let it rust or something by letting it sit this long...

I do have an oil pump primer, and have used it once recently on this engine.

Another thing - would you recommend using the oil pump primer (down in the distributor hole, driven by a drill to spin the oil pump) again, immediately before the first start-up?

The main thing I'm concerned about is, do you think I've done any damage to the engine, letting it sit this long without an oil coating on all the internal parts, since it's never been ran. Or do you think, when it was "bench-spun", it was done with some oil added, to coat everything in oil...?


You answered your own question quite well.

Prime it with the drill method just before you fire it up.

I have done this with reman motors that sat for years, also.