About to Start Engine for the First Time in 5+ Years - Procedure

[Brabham]

Hi guys,

 

getting close to being able to crank the engine in my project zed, just need to sort out a few issues first. It is a stock L26 with an electric fuel pump. Engine has not run in the 3 years I have had it and guessing it has not run for 5-10 years. Have turned it over by hand with a socket on the crank pulley. Is there anything in particular I need to do before firing it - ie spraying fuel into carbies or cylinders? Was going to crank engine over until it got oil pressure with the starter. Any other tips?

 

Cheers

[RB30X]

If youre going to do that with the spark dissconnected it'll still be sucking fuel through. Maybe do it without the fuel pump running too.

 

 

At the bottom of my first build up thread I got my L24 going after who knows how long.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,4425.msg39854.html#msg39854

 

[Scoota G]

Pray! No seriously i like to account for variables. Have a fire extinguisher and a planned exit. Am i making you nervous yet?

[Gordo]

Yer, tell the Neighbours of your intention, and turn the key with a long stick. Good one Scoota.

[Brabham]

Thanks guys will have the fire extinguisher at the ready. Aside from that just got to hope there was nothing wrong with it. Was told that it used to run . Will update build thread once i try it.

[Scoota G]

If you broke up with a girlfriend within the period that it didn't start crank it over a few times with a socket on the pulley to make sure she didn't stuff anything into the spark plug holes. Them females can be crafty types!

[PB260Z]

Gidday,

 

If it hasn't run for a number of years I would be thinking about getting oil into all the bearing shells and vital areas.

 

For what it is worth, this is what I did last time with a car that hadn't run in years.

(assuming you have already put in fresh oil)

 

Remove the plugs & block off fuel supply. Then crank the engine until you get oil pressure, then re install plugs etc and start with the cautions mentioned in the replies.

 

Good luck bringing her back to life.

 

Cheers

 

PB

[Zedman240®]

When I had fitted the RB25DE, bought from a wrecker and been sitting there for who knows how many years, first thing I wanted to see was oil pressure. Cranked the engine with no plugs to make it easier on the starter and battery and also spin the engine a tad quicker. Since the oil pump was dry, I got no pressure at all even after a few attempts so had to get compressed air into the rocker cover breather with the oil filter off and blocked off any other hole to keep the block sealed to build pressure up. Once the engine was cranking, forced air into the block, before you knew it, liters of oil came gushing out of the oil filter mount! Re-installed the filter, cranked the engine again, hello oil pressure gauge movement! Then powered up fuel pumps, ignition etc, engine came to life! Oh, make sure you have plenty of water in the cooling system and fresh clean oil. And a can of "Aerostart" to spray in the carbs when you are ready to start!

[RB30X]

When I had fitted the RB25DE, bought from a wrecker and been sitting there for who knows how many years, first thing I wanted to see was oil pressure. Cranked the engine with no plugs to make it easier on the starter and battery and also spin the engine a tad quicker. Since the oil pump was dry, I got no pressure at all even after a few attempts so had to get compressed air into the rocker cover breather with the oil filter off and blocked off any other hole to keep the block sealed to build pressure up. Once the engine was cranking, forced air into the block, before you knew it, liters of oil came gushing out of the oil filter mount! Re-installed the filter, cranked the engine again, hello oil pressure gauge movement! Then powered up fuel pumps, ignition etc, engine came to life! Oh, make sure you have plenty of water in the cooling system and fresh clean oil. And a can of "Aerostart" to spray in the carbs when you are ready to start!

 

Nice advice.

 

Scoota you must have been a piece of work when you were younger.

My missus wouldnt even know what a spark plug was. Let alone remove one and put something in there.

[MATTY]

If you broke up with a girlfriend within the period that it didn't start crank it over a few times with a socket on the pulley to make sure she didn't stuff anything into the spark plug holes. Them females can be crafty types!

 

i had my ex threaten to trash my Zed after sh*t went sour .....

 

Be sure to check fuel line and fuel pump. i found this out the hard way with my old 300zx (Z32) after i tried to get her running after a couple of years, the fuel pump had just given up and the lines was dry and cracked. (dodge job from the previous owner didnt help)

 

+1 for the fire extinguisher idea but

[Brabham]

Cheers guys hopefully the weather is a bit better over the next couple of weekends, we needed the rain, but this is going a bit far! Checked the fuel lines (replaced some) and filter and they all look good. Can't remember if there is an easily accesible connector on the fuel pump to disconnect it while I am cranking engine over. I am guessing the electric fuel pump will pretty much force fuel right up through the carbs when I am ready to start it. Fingers crossed!

 

PS Scoota have cranked it by hand and nothing came out that shouldn't have 

[Zedman240®]

Best thing to do is remove the fuel line and place a nice sized glass jar to catch whatever liqiud comes out as most likely it will be stale fuel. BTW, those 260 fuel pumps don't work when they are dry; you'll have to remove the base (like a light bulb bayonet base) and fill it with fuel before it can pump it. I took mine out and did that from memory. While you are cranking for oil pressure, run fresh fuel through the lines.

[mikmarda]

Best thing to do is remove the fuel line and place a nice sized glass jar to catch whatever liqiud comes out as most likely it will be stale fuel. BTW, those 260 fuel pumps don't work when they are dry; you'll have to remove the base (like a light bulb bayonet base) and fill it with fuel before it can pump it. I took mine out and did that from memory. While you are cranking for oil pressure, run fresh fuel through the lines.

 

+1 to that.

 

I have also found that self priming electric fuel pumps are not self priming at all... I drained the tank, then filled it 3/4s, ran an electric fuel pump off a battery for a while to clean the crap out of the lines

 

 

[Magnet]

Started mine the other day after sitting for 5 years

 

Took plugs out to take pressure off the bearings, dropped a bit of oil down there for rings and turned over by hand.

 

Took a bit to get running, a lot of backfiring, which was fun cause I don't have throttle linkage so did it by hand. What seemed to get it going was tapping the carbs

[Six_Shooter]

If it'a really dry (like an engine that hasn't ran in a long time), I would change the oil, but I remove the cam cover when adding the new oil and pour the oil over the valve train as you are adding the oil, usually a liter should do. Turning the engine by hand can help get oil between the friction areas. Usually not necessary, just depends on how anal you want to be.

 

Another way to prime the engine and is my preferred method, would be to modify an distributer drive shaft, so that it doesn't engage the crank, and has a way to attach a drill to the end where the dizzy would be. You can then run the oil pump from the drill and getting oil into everywhere before turning the engine over at (starter) speed . Once oil pressure comes up, I like to turn the engine over a few times while priming to get the oil to coat all bearing surfaces.

 

This is more easily done on engines where the dizzy is ran from the camshaft and in turn drives the oil pump, but can be done some engines, like the L-series with a modified drive.

 

This is usually not very necessary on engines that have ran, because oil will basically be impregnated into the bearing surfaces, so there is usually at least a little lubrication there, and turning over the engine with the starter for several minutes can get fresh oil to these surfaces. This is more of a problem on fresh rebuilds that have sat for a long time.