Engine sitting for 10 years: should it be oil primed first?

[In The Ten Ring]

I commented on this other thread, where his engine sat for 15 years. My dad (original truck owner) is dead set against me priming my engine to lubricate before starting.

He reasons that "all the oil drips down overnight anyway" and that it will "take 15 minutes for my truck to start anyway, priming isn't necessary."

Also he feels that getting into the distributor will screw up the timing and I'll never get it started then.

What say you guys?

[Keith Seymore]

You should prime it.

However - one of the ways you could do that is to pull the spark plugs and spin it (with the distributor in place) before starting it.

K

[kingsolver72]

If it were my engine I'd change the oil,all the filters,new spark plugs and wires. Pull the distributor and prime the engine.

[Davidf]

The purpose of priming is to get oil to the bearings BEFORE the engine is spun. So, it matters not if the engine starts or not, the damage can be done.

[SS Tim]

Understand not wanting to disturb the dist. but priming is really a must.
I like to drop the pan on an engine that has been sitting for that long for a general inspection.

Pulling the plugs, lubing the cylinders and slowly turning it by hand is a small start. Changing the oil and filter is a must and spinning the oil pump through the dist hole is the best way but it can also be done with a pressuruzed pre-luber if you can get access to one.

It works by injecting oil into the galleries through a plug like the oil sender hole. Still not as good as sucking clean new oil up though the engine driven pump though.

[Shaky]

I'd pull the plugs and squirt some Mystery Oil in the chambers to get something on those nice, dry rings. Then I'd do what Keith above said. Some cheap, fresh oil might be good, with an oil change shortly afterward.

[GRX]

Sitting over night is LONG way from sitting 10 years. If it were me I'd spray some light oil in the spark plug holes, spin the engine by hand a few times, replace the oil and filters, then prime it with the tool at the distributor.

[1968aj]

I started a nice all original Cheyenne super without priming it. ran good for a minute then screwed the motor up.. DONT DO IT

[sboris]

Consensus say prime it. Dont short cut it and take a chance. Timing is not even a close second to scoring a bearing.

[7tee]

Originally Posted by sboris

Consensus say prime it. Dont short cut it and take a chance. Timing is not even a close second to scoring a bearing.

, what sboris said. Just wouldn't take the chance...

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

I commented on this other thread, where his engine sat for 15 years. My dad (original truck owner) is dead set against me priming my engine to lubricate before starting.

He reasons that "all the oil drips down overnight anyway" and that it will "take 15 minutes for my truck to start anyway, priming isn't necessary."

Also he feels that getting into the distributor will screw up the timing and I'll never get it started then.

What say you guys?

Tell your dad, "you're right, pop" then prime it when he isn't looking. Not a bad idea to remove the plugs, squirt a bit of Kroil in each cylinder let that sit a bit and jack the engine over with a deep socket and breaker bar on the balancer to be sure you don't have a rings frozen to the cylinder walls by surface rust. Better than scoring a cylinder with a busted ring.

Timing it is really easy. Aim the rotor at number one cylinder and it will either be near 0 degrees BTDC or 180 out. If you don't like that method, most engines have a plug on the lower part of the block right above the oil filter. Remove that, hook up a small 12 volt pump (a boat fresh water diaphragm pump works really well for this) outlet to that spot with the suction side in a gallon jug of oil. Then you do't have to worry about getting the timing correct if it is already set correctly. That's how I prime all of mine.

[In The Ten Ring]

Thanks guys, I think you are right and I am going to do all of these.

My dad is very sharp with decades of experience but he's not an car restoration guy.

I know you guys will walk me through any priming issues.

Oh ya, I showed dad a youtube video on oil priming and he walked off saying "you'll end up doing this anyway and then you'll have to get the truck towed to a shop!"

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

Thanks guys, I think you are right and I am going to do all of these.

My dad is very sharp with decades of experience but he's not an car restoration guy.

I know you guys will walk me through any priming issues.

Oh ya, I showed dad a youtube video on oil priming and he walked off saying "you'll end up doing this anyway and then you'll have to get the truck towed to a shop!"

I agree with everything fitz said except I shy away from the breaker bar on the balancer bolt. If the rings are stuck or something else is wrong you'll likely break the bolt and have a much bigger issue on you hands. I suggest a long screw driver on the teeth of the starter ring. They make a tool just for that actually.

[In The Ten Ring]

Is it possible for me to turn the crankshaft by turning the fan?

[GRX]

Not a good idea as you are putting undue stress on the fan blades. Especially if the engine is locked up. Turning at the flywheel is the better option. Front bolts and pry bar can work too. My favorite would be the crank shout socket which utilizes the key. But that involves a puller to remove the damper.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by GRX

Not a good idea as you are putting undue stress on the fan blades. Especially if the engine is locked up. Turning at the flywheel is the better option. Front bolts and pry bar can work too. My favorite would be the crank shout socket which utilizes the key. But that involves a puller to remove the damper.

Oh good. I won't do it anymore. My engine isn't locked up then.

[GRX]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

Oh good. I won't do it anymore. My engine isn't locked up then.

Just make sure it is not the belt slipping

[cdowns]

I bought a two wheel drive blazer that sat under an oak tree for 15years it started right up no priming and ran for 50000 miles including towin a heavy overloaded trailer 1500 miles to florida in fact the engine was still running strong when i got rid of it with a blown tranny and noicy rear end

never did remove that dizzy for any reason

[blue 72 gmc 4x4]

Yes prime it! I pulled the distributor on my 283 that had sat for 30+ years. The top end was dry, very dry and I'm sure the bearings were also. Put some oil in the cylinders and spun it around without the plugs in it. Fired right up and has run great since!

[sboris]

Good luck

[ol'blu72]

How long does the eng have to sit before you guys recommend priming it? Over the winters I dont drive my blazer, should I be priming it when I pull it out in the spring? Once it sat for just about a year. should I prime it then?

[MagmaJct]

Ugh, dads can make it so difficult to love them. I fail to see how priming an engine can require a tow to the shop. Even if one could argue priming is not necessary, how can they argue it would do any harm?

Pulling plugs is especially important. Not only because when the mixture fires, there's a sudden down-force on potentially dry rod bearings, but because the cylinders and rings are also dry, the force of compression along will force the rings down and out against the dry cylinders.

Even if the engine fires up and runs, how many thousand miles did you take off the service life of the engine anyway? Of course, there is still a chance the engine is already near the end of its service life.

In which case, even under the best priming conditions, the engine fails less than a year later. This will confirm your dad's right in his mind, and you will never live it down. I've learned to ignore my dad over the decades.

Regards,
Mike