Hey Dudes,

Say I was wondering what you guys thought of my method for starting an engine after long sit time ( 6 months)

All I do is spray some starting fluid into carb(s) before cranking over.
The engine usally pops right off.

This saves on battery , starter, and I would think oil pressure would come up quicker so less wear on "dry engine". Not to mention flooding out the engine, and getting gas into the cylinders and oil.

So what do you guys think? Ive never thought to ask any one before but the older I get I realize I know less and less.

I did it today and after 5 months of sitting, my '65 F250 started on first crank!

Next weekend Ill get it on the road.

peace out , C & R

 

Stupid! That is what I think.

What are you want to save the battery and starter for??

Should my truck sits a couple of weeks I will turn the iengine over until the oil pressure guage flickers, then pat the gas (electric choke) and it fires right up with the oil pressure maxing out at the same time.

The oil has to be pumped into the system, letting the starter do it gives it time to do so at a much easier rate than with starter fluid in one. If I caught you doing that to my truck, I'd shove that can up your butt.

This aint a personal attact, I just answered your question.

John

 

I take out the plugs, spin the engine over till fuel pressure and oil pressure are present, put the plugs back in and start it. Often after six months the fuel has evaporated in the carb and it is gummed up. Making sure all systems are go before firing the engine makes sense to me, but then I am old and much more cautious now.

 

My grandad allways used wd40 for starting fluid.sais it was better to use over eather starting fluid..Tom

 

Hey C&R, what's up the "spring Thaw"?

That's a brutal way to fire up a resting engine man!
Consider this; After a week or so any oil left on Cylinder walls and/or rings drains back into oil pan so top end of engine is virtually all dry. Starting fluids, especially ether based ones wash any last molecules of lube off rings and walls. They're washed & dry!

Engine fires up and runs, while oil pressure builds and circulation of the dirty old stale engine oil begins, the unlubricated rings are scraping new raw score wounds in the Cyl walls, and the rings are losing their edges too, as the cylinder temp rises, finally some oil arrives, but it thins quickly because the unlubed cyl temps spread it out too fast.

Eventually the oil will prevail, and the damage & errosion of the rings & walls will slow & quit, and the whole top end will stabilize. but there is somewhere betwen 5K & 10K worth of wear that happened in the 45-50 seconds things ran dry, which is not good. But the addition of such a strong solvent as starting fluid is like adding cutting oil to a milling machine, has caused damage beyond the Norm. People who rely on starting fluid generally use a lot of engines or burn a lot of oil and lack power. . .

That is what prompted JOs' totally honest answer. It's what I thought too as I read your post. But then perhaps some of us have learned a little more than others. William does it sort of like I do it, but I add a few drops of Marvel Mystery Oil thru the plug holes, then break or open up the fuel line B4 the pump, before I spin it over.

I also usually change engine oil & filter, as well as the fuel filter, unless I don't care about the engine.

Once I get oil pressure up & know I had internal circulation, I reconnect the fuel line & crakn it 'til I have a full carburetor. Next replace plugs, fire engine block,air flow thru radiator & take engine temp up to 220/ 230 (assuming cooling Sys works well), remove the cardboard air block and drive the vehicle.

I don't have to replace many engines because of wear problems, I never use starting fluids EVER.

Also FWIW, a "Plews" pump type oil can can fill the carb float bowl by putting fuel in the float bowl vent tube. You will know the Float Bowl [read Carb there] is full when the accelerator pump can squirt fuel as the accelerator linkage is moved open. I have cranked engines that have not run for decades using this type of proceedure.

But the most important thing of all is, Pickle it when ya park it! Stabil in the Fuel tank & run through the system before shut down, as you shut it down pour Marvel Mystery oil in the carb so the engines internals get coated. After it quits, bag the carb with a plastic bag to keep atmosphere out of the intake, and stick a rolled up sock in the exhausts.

May sound extreme, but it does everything that needs to be done to preserve an engine, I also disconnect B A T T E R Y, or else trickle it with a half amp or so.


FBp

 

Man, boy did i blow that one!
Do you guys know the best way i can adjust my odometer to catch up to those 5-10 thousand miles I put on? Jack up the rear and let it run ?
Or maybe hook up my cordless drill to the odometer cable?

tx C & R

 

T&C
Can't put that genie back in the bottle man! But it behooves you to be conscientious about running Great engine oil keeping up with it, and use Motorcraft Oil FIlters. Plus let the engine run on idle + choke increase speed until it pressures up every time.

Like me. . .when I get up out of bed slowly and get my A$$ in gear I'm good to go all day, but if I hafta jump up & scoot, I need a nap in the afternoon. . . "Ol Engines" are the same way I think. And just use the starting fluid on your snow blower or chain saw instead.

It's just a jolt to the system, way you did it, sort of like "disrespectful too". Tell ya what though, had it been a bowtie you'd be askin where can I find a good deal on a new engine folks. So all in all there's another good reson for ownin a Blue Oval, it gave you one T&C!

FBp

 

Hey I talked yesterday to a dude with a chevy 51 Pu 235cu inch stovebolt six. original engine . And he says he does the starter fluid trick every spring with his ride.
Then he gave me the usual crap about bowties being better than the blue oval. Then he said you guys are nuts .
Ill see him next week. Give me some crap that I can give him .

tx Tim