Getting my car going after long break

Hi all,

Just wondering what the best method is of starting a car that's been
sitting for around 6 months. The engine is a 265 hemi in a 1970
valiant. Obviously I'm gonna need to charge the battery (at the very
least if not replace it) but apart from that I was worried about any
damage that might occur if I just crank the old girl over as normal.


Any thought/ideas appreciated.


Cheers

A.

 

Change the oil, and the fuel.
Squirt some fresh fuel down the carby throat and give it a kick.
You may be surprised as to how well she kicks over, I have been with my
valiant.

 

Could also squirt some oil in the combustion chamber via the spark plug
holes although I don't it's of much value anyway.

 

Probably a good idea to spin the thing on the starter with nil sparks
for a little while.
Maybe even remove the plugs if that's at all easy to do.
The idea is to get an oil film going before combustion pressures start
snapping about the place.

 

If you really need to recreate the oil film (frankly, my guess would
be nothing needs to be done here but to turn the key), then use a
hand drill to turn the oil pump and build up some pressure and turn
the crank over by hand a few times.

 

If the battery needs charging, then do so. Then, open door, turn key, crank
engine until is starts .

6 months of sitting around is nothing.

 

I'd certainly endorse that. Also ensures you have nice full oil galleries.

now THAT I'd like to see you do

 

Done it with my Rangie V8, piece of plastic pipe in the drill chuck with a
nail across the end shoved down the dizzy hole, tried it for a bit before I
remembered pommy stuff goes anti clockwise

 

Just start as normal.

If it's a decent car you might want to squirt a bit of oil or CRC down the
carb before starting, but I wouldn't bother in most cases unless it's been
left outside for the whole time.

Consider changing the oil and filter once you have taken it for a drive to
warm it up.

 

Ya need a reversing drill

It'd be a challenge with my VL, where the pump rotor is a "ring' around the
front end of the crankshaft. Now, how to get a drill to drive the crank ....

I wonder how many other contemporary vehicles use the vintage
"dizzy_on_top_and_oil_pump_underneath" system.

 

I did and it worked a treat.

 

I'm not familiar with the 265. But on the American engines, you can
take out the distributor, put an adapter on a portable drill (just for
clarity, when I said a "hand drill" I meant an electric drill you hold
in your hand, not a hand-powered drill), and use this to spin the oil
pump. Isn't this possible with the Australian engines?

 

Six months? Absolutely no big deal. Get in and start it!

 

I was thinking the same thing. New cars sit on dealer lots far longer
sometimes. Think of the Pontiac Aztek.

 

No, of course it's not. Remember: They're in the Southern Hemisphere.
Think about it, you couldn't oil-prime the engine this way just as water
spirals the opposite way down the drain.

(Of course, I'm teasing you. It's actually because on the Hemi-6, just as
on the US-designed slant-6, the "spin it with a drill" technique is not
possible. The oil pump and the distributor each has its own pinion
driven directly by a single worm cut into the camshaft.)

DS

 

Ideally you would use the drill to get the pressure up and the galleys
full. *Then* you'd continue running the drill while someone cranked the
engine over for a few seconds with the starter - that's to be sure the
oil completely makes the circuit thru bearings that may be ported (i.e.,
oil flow blocked when mating parts are in certain positions - not sure
if that is the case on any bearings, but just in case...). Then put the
distributor back in and crank her up.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

They get started daily.

 

LOL ;-)

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful (and fast) replies. I'll get it
going in the next week or so, bring it to operating temp and then change
the oil+filter.

Cheers again,

A.

 

No, don't, you'll be happier.

Ted

 

Hi...

Guess I'm a bit over protective, and perhaps wasting my time,
but even after an oil and filter change I like to crank it
over disabled a dozen times 'till the filter fills and pressure
comes up.

Haven't had the opportunity to try it on Chrysler yet, but with
GM's you can watch for the oil light to extinguish when it gets
there.

Take care.

Ken