It's a 2.0 motor with dual carbs on a '75

So I've never had an engine sit so long after reassembly before it's been fired up. But with the hold ups on my resto I haven't had a choice. It's been sitting for about 3 months since I got it put back together.

I did use assembly grease and an STP oil additive during reassembly as reccomended by the shop guy ("the shop guy" being the one whom I dealt with on having my case and heads boiled clean). I used the grease on the main components such as cam and crank bearings and wrist pin bushings because, obviously, it's going stay in place better than a regular oil.

The STP oil additive (as recommended by "the shop guy") I used in places such as the lifters and rocker arms and valves; also in the cylinders for the pistons.

Not that I'm trying to discredit "the shop guy" for recommending the STP as an assembly oil, but I'm just nervous about how well its stayed in place after sitting so long.

But I was also wondering if there's any way to prime the oil circulation system before you fire up an engine after a rebuild? I think this would help if there's not sufficient lubrication in place after it's been sitting. As far as rocker arms and valves go, I can probably pull the tappet covers off and hit those again, but the cylinders in particular are making me nervous. I'd hate to fire it up and scratch the shit out of the cylinder walls.

So what's the verdict here? Thanks.

A new engine will usually have its oil system primed before the engine is started. In a 914 you generally do this by disabling the ignition and cranking the starter until the oil pressure light goes out and you get oil pressure.

In my case, the pump would not prime when I did that. I wound up using a turkey baster to squirt oil up into the oil pickup, then buttoning up the motor again and re-filling it with oil. It primed after that, and I got pressure.


--As for the cylinders, you want them to be scratched, at least to some extent. That's what breaking in is about.

--DD

Dave gives good advice, as usual.

And never use "grease" when assembling an engine. It's melting point is too high, and until it lmelts oil can't easily break it's barrier.

I don't believe in fancy lubes or assembly grease- ALL I use is the same Brad Penn engine oil that the engine will see when it first fires up and for the rest of it's life.

I assemble by "feel" and those thick, gooey lubes really screw up the things that I feel during assembly. The key is to prime the oil system and spin the engine over with the spark plugs out to achieve oil pressure before initial firing.

The only components that I install with any lube thats different than plain engine oil are the lifters...Thats due to the point loading they see during assembly and initial prime.

Lube EVERYTHING during assembly until it's dripping with oil. NEVER install any two components without liberal amounts of oil!

I know that new engines should be primed. On american engines (which is where my experience lies), there's a nipple of sorts on the oil pump that you can access through the distributor bore and use a drill w/ the attachment to prime the oil system. The teener motor doesn't have that, so I didn't know how to go about priming the system before ignition.

And I realize some scratching on the cylinder walls is normal- I just didn't want to fire it up dry and have them scratched so bad that I defeated the purpose of rebuilding the motor.



I completely agree with you- using the same brand of oil that you're going to run in the engine is the best way to go; but I knew that the engine was going to be sitting for some time before I'd have the chance to fire it up and I didn't want to risk it dripping dry while I was working on the body aspect of the engine bay. I just didn't think it would be as long as it has.

That's why I elected to use assembly grease to begin with. I think that's why they reccommend it- because it has a thicker consistency than regular oil and has the tendency to stay in place better while you're getting the engine put back together. And to set your mind at ease Jake, everything in that motor was put back together with some form of lubrication, I promise.

Anyway, thanks for the advice guys.