Pre-lubricate engine - disconnect ignition?

[OceanRuns]

This is in regard to a vehicles that's been sitting a while, say anywhere from a few months to a year or two.

If you disable the ignition (pull wire to distributor for example), will cranking lube the engine?

Let's say it's a situation in which pulling plugs and adding oil isn't feasible.

Thanks.

 

[Surestick]

You'd be better off cutting fuel instead of ignition.

Unburnt fuel will wash the oil film off the cylinder walls and dilute the oil. A spark going off in an empty cylinder will harm nothing.

 

[tomcat27]

can you also disable the fuel injection? otherwise you coat the cylinders with gasoline

 

[Srt20]

Why would you want to do that?

The quicker its running, the quicker you get full oil volume to everything.

If you really wanted to pre lube it, you would have to spin the oil pump without the rest of the engine spinning.

 

[OceanRuns]

Interesting on the gas versus spark, hadn't considered that.

As to just starting versus gas disabled, just starting is better?

Car isn't in a situation where I can start pulling things and working on it. Disabling the fuel is easy. I'm not sure how I'd spin the oil pump.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Back in April I had to do some work inside the engine of my Jeep. Had to loosen up all 7 crank bearings and that caused all of the oil in the engine to drain out. Since I was doing a spark plug change at the same time, when I had everything buttoned back up I just pulled out the plugs and disabled the fuel pump and spun it over for a minute or two. Obviously without the spark plugs in, there is no compression and it isn't hard on the starter motor at all.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: OceanRuns
This is in regard to a vehicles that's been sitting a while, say anywhere from a few months to a year or two.

If you disable the ignition (pull wire to distributor for example), will cranking lube the engine?

Let's say it's a situation in which pulling plugs and adding oil isn't feasible.

Thanks.


If it is something like a SBF or SBC you can pull the dizzy and use an oil pump primer tool to get the oil pressure going. That is definitely one case where a SBF has an advantage.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Srt20
Why would you want to do that?

The quicker its running, the quicker you get full oil volume to everything.

If you really wanted to pre lube it, you would have to spin the oil pump without the rest of the engine spinning.


The idea is to get all of the oil galleries filled with oil prior to any real load on the engine (ie, it running). I agree that spinning the oil pump without the engine turning would be better. In practice, none of this is really necessary.

One of the vehicles in my signature (our MDX) would sit two or three seasons at a time in the desert southwest as my folks would tow the other vehicle around behind their motorhome. Once a year or so, they'd come back and swap toads. Our MDX has 143k miles, runs on 0W- and 5W-20 (and always has), and doesn't use any measurable amount of oil. My wife and I now both work at home, and our kids ride the school bus, so it's not uncommon for either vehicle to sit for a week at a time in the garage. No problems.

To the OP, I'd charge the battery, prime the fuel pump if it has an electric pump by flicking the key to "on" a few times, and just start the engine. For all intents and purposes, it won't be any different than any other cold start where the vehicle's been sitting for more than 24 hours or so.

 

[OceanRuns]

Forgive my ignorance, but what are SBF and SBC?

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal

If it is something like a SBF or SBC you can pull the dizzy and use an oil pump primer tool to get the oil pressure going. That is definitely one case where a SBF has an advantage.

 

[OceanRuns]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
In practice, none of this is really necessary.

One of the vehicles in my signature (our MDX) would sit two or three seasons at a time in the desert southwest as my folks would tow the other vehicle around behind their motorhome. Once a year or so, they'd come back and swap toads. Our MDX has 143k miles, runs on 0W- and 5W-20 (and always has), and doesn't use any measurable amount of oil. My wife and I now both work at home, and our kids ride the school bus, so it's not uncommon for either vehicle to sit for a week at a time in the garage. No problems.

To the OP, I'd charge the battery, prime the fuel pump if it has an electric pump by flicking the key to "on" a few times, and just start the engine. For all intents and purposes, it won't be any different than any other cold start where the vehicle's been sitting for more than 24 hours or so.


This is something I've wondered about. I think that sometimes it's easy to overthink/over-worry things. And, perhaps that's what I am doing.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: OceanRuns
Forgive my ignorance, but what are SBF and SBC?

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal

If it is something like a SBF or SBC you can pull the dizzy and use an oil pump primer tool to get the oil pressure going. That is definitely one case where a SBF has an advantage.


Small Block Ford and Small Block Chevy.

On engines where the oil pump is driven off the crank you normally have to use an outside pressurized source to pre-lubricate the engine before initial fire-up.

 

[OceanRuns]

Thanks. It's an old Toyota.

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal

Small Block Ford and Small Block Chevy.

On engines where the oil pump is driven off the crank you normally have to use an outside pressurized source to pre-lubricate the engine before initial fire-up.

 

[BrocLuno]

Just start it. It has oil in all the bearings unless you've flushed it with diesel or kerosene ...

 

[robertcope]

I'd cut ignition and fuel, pull the spark plugs, crank it until it has pressure.

robert

 

[Chris142]

Often an oil pump cant pump at cranking speed. Better to start it.

 

[Danh]

If this concerns you and it's fuel injected, just crank the engine with the accelerator floored: this cuts off the flow of gasoline. Lots of folks use this technique to "prime" the oil filter after a filter change. Whether it matters is another question.

 

[SHOZ]

I use to floor it when cranking which turns off the injectors, but one time it started and then it went full throttle on a cold engine...

 

[Srt20]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: Srt20
Why would you want to do that?

The quicker its running, the quicker you get full oil volume to everything.

If you really wanted to pre lube it, you would have to spin the oil pump without the rest of the engine spinning.


The idea is to get all of the oil galleries filled with oil prior to any real load on the engine (ie, it running). I agree that spinning the oil pump without the engine turning would be better. In practice, none of this is really necessary.

One of the vehicles in my signature (our MDX) would sit two or three seasons at a time in the desert southwest as my folks would tow the other vehicle around behind their motorhome. Once a year or so, they'd come back and swap toads. Our MDX has 143k miles, runs on 0W- and 5W-20 (and always has), and doesn't use any measurable amount of oil. My wife and I now both work at home, and our kids ride the school bus, so it's not uncommon for either vehicle to sit for a week at a time in the garage. No problems.

To the OP, I'd charge the battery, prime the fuel pump if it has an electric pump by flicking the key to "on" a few times, and just start the engine. For all intents and purposes, it won't be any different than any other cold start where the vehicle's been sitting for more than 24 hours or so.


I agree. I wouldn't waste my time doing all that to do nothing. Just start it it.

If he wants to get oil in to the "galleys" he can just dump 1/2 qt down the fill hole. But again, its a waste of time.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Surestick
You'd be better off cutting fuel instead of ignition.


+1

 

[ShotGun429]

we store cars here for people... in a enclosed heated building, dont mess around pulling plugs and shutting off fuel pump,on fuel injected cars and trucks. just start it up, if its a older car with carb and a flat tappet camshaft,and you want to crank it over to build oil pressure, DONT!!! the cam needs dipoff lube at once. cranking (with out starting) is the worst thing you could ever do to a older car. Also filling the carb with a bit of gas down the air horn is ok. also on the engine bearings: Ive taken apart engines setting around 50+ years without being run and the rod and main bearings are still dripping wet with oil on the crankshaft.