Engine Damage at Season Startup????

[Jim Marshall]

Starting an engine after long storage????



The fellow who rebuilt my engine told me that more damage is done to engines because of the long period without lubrication. The damage is done at startup. He suggested either a drill kit oil drive (removing the distributor) or a pressurizing system.

I also noticed a 12 volt pump (pressure to 20 lbs) that could be hooked to the oil pan and then to the pressure side of the oil channels. This would be similar to the systems used on turbochargers. I suppose it could be also used with a tee and valve to drain oil.

I was in the automotive store and saw Lucas Oil Additive claiming the same thing, showing how a 4 to one oil to additive will do the same thing.


Does anyone have comments about the best way.

Jim

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

I never prime my engine for the 1st start of the year. But would do it on a new engine for the 1st start.

How long of storage are you talking about? Also what year and engine are you talking about?

 

[Jim Marshall]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

Normally it will be out of water for six months.

Jim

 

[Jim Marshall]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

It is a 74 ford 302 coupled to a volvo 270.

Jim

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

The bearings will be fine without pre-lubing for these 25 "dry" starts over the next 2 decades.
That's the thing about oil, it is slimey and forms a film that lasts more than 6 months, without the Lucas-Schmucas.

This would be similar to the systems used on turbochargers.

there is no such thing on the thousands of turbochargers I have seen, but we used to crack the oil supply line and crank with fuel off until we saw oil to the turbo feed fitting when engine was rebuilt or new turbo installed

 

[KJSmitty]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

It is a 74 ford 302 coupled to a volvo 270.

Jim

I wouldn't bother with anything more than below..

I fog each cylinder during winterizing and only put the plugs in finger tight. In the spring, I pull the plugs, re-fog and crank the engine with the plugs out at 5 second crank intervals until I get oil pressure etc. Only takes about 20 seconds of cranking. Install plugs and crank her up. I've never had any oil pressure or engine issues. Mine sits for about 7 months each year.

Cheers

 

[Don S]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

That is why you change your oil in the fall when winterizing. Then run the engine and fog it. 6-10 months, no big deal.
2 to 4 years, yeah, use a primer, or just take the plugs out and crank the motor over with no load on anything. 5 or more, I spray lube in the cylinders, and use the primer and change the oil ASAP after running the engine to warm the oil so it can be pumped out. That removes any moisture built up from setting for years.

 

[Jim Marshall]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

Regarding the turbochargers, I had a friend that made and sold pre-oilers for Turbos. It was just a little electric pump that fired up before the startup. We had an Isuzu diesel truck that ran through one turbo and the mechanic said the lack of oil got it.

The engine I had was in storage for ten years. I fogged it and before I pulled it down I put Kroil in the cylinders and everything looked okay. An odd thing, however, was the fact that several of the freeze plugs had dropped out over time but there was no damage to the block.

I did change the oil each fall before winterizing and drained the block and manifolds and cracked the water pump open to drain it as well. I used Castrol. The engine was clean inside when it was rebuilt.

Anyway, fog or not I definitely would not recommend ten year storage and I have gone through every bit of the engine and outdrive. Per forum recommendations, the water pump, circulation pump, starter, and fuel pump are USCG approved. Even the new fuel hoses are marine at $3 plus per foot. The Volvo outdrive was like brand new BTW and needed only seals.

Don't you just hate unreliable boats. We used to charter some in the gulf islands and there was always something wrong like batteries, propellers from bad zincs, or miscellaneous plumbing. One had a new fresh water cooling system that was leaking like a sieve. We pulled into some little harbor in Canada, borrowed a torch and some solder from a plumber and fixed the connection.

Jim

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

Regarding the turbochargers, I had a friend that made and sold pre-oilers for Turbos. It was just a little electric pump that fired up before the startup. We had an Isuzu diesel truck that ran through one turbo and the mechanic said the lack of oil got it.

that's not how turbos fail from lack of oil.

A turbo suffers from a hot shut down. i.e. you have the engine under load, with the turbo spinning 10's of thousands of rpm, and you shut the engine off... the inertia of the turbo allows it to spin for several minutes after oil flow ceases.

your friend should have made the pump come on after the engine was shut off, not before... then he'd have an effective product

that's not to say there isn't a specific problem unique to one model of Isuzu engine where the turbo lacks oil at start, but in general turbos do not need prelubing every start.
They don't spin serious rpm until there is high exhaust flow

 

[Jim Marshall]

Re: Engine Damage at Season Startup????

You are right about the turbo. We lost the one at shutdown. I believe he did at shutdown.

Getting oil at startup after storage is another problem.

Jim