Two years without starting. What should I do?

[mechtech2]

I'm a real mechanic.
Piston rings can be dried out and score the cylinders and seize in the lands.
Bearings can be wiped out quickly. this can be a rod knock that goes away when revved up, or a perpetual one.
I'd use a light oil down the plug holes, and let it sit for awhile. Prime the oil circuit by a drill or by cranking the engine over with the plugs out[if that's all you can do].
Maybe add 1/2 qt extra oil for various splash lube points.
Then start her up.

 

[OVERKILL]

Andy:

The 351W is also a Windsor, and the 351 Cleveland can be primed in the same way

The modular engines cannot though. The 4.6 and the 5.4.

 

[Kestas]

I'd say it depends on how much the car is worth. If the car is tired and beat I'd go with Bob's advice. If the engine is in top condition or recently rebuilt, I'd go with Andy's suggestions, or however far ambition will take you.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: alreadygone
How many of you guys positively, without doubt, diagnosed by a REAL mechanic know of an engine that's been damaged when started after storage???

Bob


2 years is a lot shorter of a duration than many of the marine motors that I've started after sitting. Some of which have been sitting in excess of 40 years. (These engines were all fogged before storage, a seized engine would be a different story).

Practise for an engine that has been sitting a LONG time (many of our boats routinely sat in dry-dock for a summer or two with no issues) involves pulling the plugs and spraying a light oil like Krown, Rust Check, MOOVIT....etc in the cylinders and letting it sit overnight. Then, with fresh oil in the sump, priming the oil system by either the distributor method I mentioned above if it was a Ford, or by rolling the engine over without the plugs in the head(s) (so there is no compression, and no load on the bearings) until pressure is observed on the oil pressure gauge.

This has always worked for us.

 

[AndyM]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Andy:

The 351W is also a Windsor, and the 351 Cleveland can be primed in the same way

The modular engines cannot though. The 4.6 and the 5.4.


Right, I've got several friends with windsor powered stangs and had a couple myself with the coveted 302.

To original poster, do whatever you think is best, but the method like overkill has said is really simple, and it gives you an opportunity to go ahead and tune the car up by putting in new plugs and wires!
Either way, I think you'll be fine.

Andy

 

[drivewaytech]

By no means any suggestion, by my 77 GMC that still runs like it's new, was cranked 7 years ago after it had sat in a field for 19 years. The son of the owner of the truck told me he hooked up a new battery and poured some gas into the tank and a little bit down the carburetor. If you are doing the math.... yes the truck only had about 19k miles on it when it was given to me. I drove it for about a month with the factory plugs still in it. They had never been removed.

 

[Kestas]

It seems like a waste to put fresh oil before starting the engine. I'd rather have the moving parts break up the static corrosion products and get them in suspension before changing the oil. Old oil should be good enough for the 10 minutes or so the engine is exercised this way. Once all the loose stuff is drained, then fresh oil makes sense.

 

[AndyM]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
It seems like a waste to put fresh oil before starting the engine. I'd rather have the moving parts break up the static corrosion products and get them in suspension before changing the oil. Old oil should be good enough for the 10 minutes or so the engine is exercised this way. Once all the loose stuff is drained, then fresh oil makes sense.



Eh...you're probably right. Wouldn't hurt I guess.

 

[ChiTDI]

Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
You could drain the oil and pour it (or a measured equal amount of fresh replacement) into the top. If you can work on it a little bit - you did say there were restrictions.
An alternative would be STP or Casite "Motor Honey" just added before you begin to crank. Change it out when you can.
I'm not a big fan od putting Goo in an engine but your options may be limited.



How would "Motor Honey" help? Extra thick so it would take longer to ciruclate. This is a bad idea in my opinion! Maybe some fresh 5w20 in there would be a better idea!


Top of the engine is dry. Additive can gravity drain on to some of the lifters, providing for some lubrication.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
You could drain the oil and pour it (or a measured equal amount of fresh replacement) into the top. If you can work on it a little bit - you did say there were restrictions.
An alternative would be STP or Casite "Motor Honey" just added before you begin to crank. Change it out when you can.
I'm not a big fan od putting Goo in an engine but your options may be limited.




How would "Motor Honey" help? Extra thick so it would take longer to ciruclate. This is a bad idea in my opinion! Maybe some fresh 5w20 in there would be a better idea!


Top of the engine is dry. Additive can gravity drain on to some of the lifters, providing for some lubrication.



Unless he filled the valve cover or pulled the intake, this isn't happening. Drain-back holes in the heads on a Windsor are located in the corners of the heads just below the end top head bolts. There's no way anything is going down the pushrod holes.

 

[Propflux01]

OK...So did he start it yet? And what happened????