Some of you know that I have been working on my car and using this website as a resource for the last 5 years. The 2L four cylinder engine was in good working order with only a few thousand miles on a complete rebuild before I started the restoration. I'm very close to re-installing the engine and would like to properly prepare the engine after sitting for almost five years during the body restoration.
Many of my questions have been answered with the search function but I would like more information before starting. What should I do to prepare the engine before the installation?
A couple of before and after pictures:
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Full Version: How to Prepare an Engine
Nice job.
If it was me I would keep the fuel line off, add a few squirts of oil to each cylinder through the spark plug, then turn it over with no ignition and no fuel for about 30 seconds, several times in a row to get the oil pressure up again.
Then attach fuel and ignition and fire it up, outside, it will smoke a bit as a result of the oil.
Rich
If it was me I would keep the fuel line off, add a few squirts of oil to each cylinder through the spark plug, then turn it over with no ignition and no fuel for about 30 seconds, several times in a row to get the oil pressure up again.
Then attach fuel and ignition and fire it up, outside, it will smoke a bit as a result of the oil.
Rich
QUOTE(r_towle @ Dec 26 2014, 09:42 AM) 
Nice job.
If it was me I would keep the fuel line off, add a few squirts of oil to each cylinder through the spark plug, then turn it over with no ignition and no fuel for about 30 seconds, several times in a row to get the oil pressure up again.
Then attach fuel and ignition and fire it up, outside, it will smoke a bit as a result of the oil.
Rich
Thanks Rich. I'm still prepping for the engine install and have family obligations this weekend but hope to make some good progress next weekend.
Kelvin
Wow beautiful Teen!
My 75 1.8 FI I acquired was non op or been seating for 8 years from previous owners driveway. What I did is to clean the fuel tank, replaced fuel lines and vacuum lines, changed oil even tranny gear oil, replaced spark plugs. Then started it and run it for a few miles then changed oil again. That's it since 2011.
Bought it last sept. 2011
Click to view attachment
After restoring the paint with rubbing and still waiting for 5 lug coversion parts.
Click to view attachment
My 75 1.8 FI I acquired was non op or been seating for 8 years from previous owners driveway. What I did is to clean the fuel tank, replaced fuel lines and vacuum lines, changed oil even tranny gear oil, replaced spark plugs. Then started it and run it for a few miles then changed oil again. That's it since 2011.
Bought it last sept. 2011
Click to view attachment
After restoring the paint with rubbing and still waiting for 5 lug coversion parts.
Click to view attachment
Mr. Rich Towle wrote my reply for me.
I couldn't say it better.
Nice resto. If you did internals on the engine I'd run it at around 2000rpm for 20 minutes after following above oil pressure procedure.
Looks like a nice ride.
Looks like a nice ride.
QUOTE(r_towle @ Dec 26 2014, 11:42 AM)
Nice job.
If it was me I would keep the fuel line off, add a few squirts of oil to each cylinder through the spark plug, then turn it over with no ignition and no fuel for about 30 seconds, several times in a row to get the oil pressure up again.
Then attach fuel and ignition and fire it up, outside, it will smoke a bit as a result of the oil.
Rich
I had a similar situation. My well-sorted engine sat in the shed for 3 years during restoration. This is what I did when I fired it up again. I'm pretty sure one of my plugs got oil-fouled, but it cleared once I was able to take it for a drive.
PS: Your car looks great...well done!
don't forget about the injectors
- if they were stored without running dry, fuel in them when removed, it will be "varnished" and they will likely be stuck or sticky
put in only one gallon of fresh gas & dose that first gallon of gas with a can of BG 44K (find it on eBay)
- if they were stored without running dry, fuel in them when removed, it will be "varnished" and they will likely be stuck or sticky
put in only one gallon of fresh gas & dose that first gallon of gas with a can of BG 44K (find it on eBay)
What concerns me more than anything with an engine sitting up for a long period of time is valve springs losing their rate. When an engine sits without being rotated there's always one intake valve and one exhaust valve at max lift or very close. This means for all that time those valve springs are compressed and they weaken.
I can't tell you how many times I have seen an engine that had been sitting for a long period of time just break a spring out of the blue.
I can't tell you how many times I have seen an engine that had been sitting for a long period of time just break a spring out of the blue.
My engine sat longer. I took the plugs out and valve covers off, sprayed the combustion chamber with molly assembly lube as well as the valve train. I hand turned every thing a few times to make sure rings and valves etc wasn't stuck or not seated properly... Once I was able to easily turn everything by hand then I put the plugs and covers back on and cranked it a few times with dist. wire off build oil pressure then started after that.
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