Starting the engine after 10 years

[ricky8664]

Working through a number of jobs before having the car painted.



Job 1, Adjusting the bonnet so it didn't foul the windscreen scuttle was easy.



The car has been off the road for 30 years but the engine was started 10 years ago to move it to my garage via a tow truck.



The engine is proving more difficult. Having not been started for 10 years (and oh boy, I wish I'd turned it over every year!) I intended to squirt some diesel down the bores and leave it for a couple of weeks before turning it on the starter. All the plugs proved difficult to remove but one has refused to budge. I never used to tighten the plugs that much so the difficulty is probably due to corrosion in the threads between the ally head and the steel plugs. Anyway, diesel squirted down 7 bores and there is about 1cm of movement off the crank pulley with a socket.



We decided to leave the stubborn plug in situ and in a couple of weeks see see if the engine turns more easily after the lubrication, and if it does, try to fire it up with fresh fuel after blowing the diesel out of the spark plug holes. The hope is that if the car runs, a hot engine will get some expansion of the ally in the head and unlock what are probably corroded head and steel spark plug threads.



Any other suggestions for actions to take before turning the engine over on the starter that don't include removing the heads at this stage?



THe engine has less than 60k on the clock and was running fine when last started up 10 years ago

[jorhenderson]

I would pull the distributor and spin up the oil pump with an electric drill before I attempted to start it, you may find you have no oil pressure at all until the pump fills (which it may not do) after all this time.

[neil55]

hi,
i have just returned to my rover after 2years away and started it ...no problem but have always even before... not happy with the idling or running.Thinking always its points,carb condenser..then having to lift the throttle with my foot to stop engine racing i traced it back to a frayed throttle cable ! New one in and it is like a new motor, so when you get it started and it does not run even, just check your cable because it might be restricting the carbs !
good luck neil

[ricky8664]

Well after at least 10 years laying idle (probably more like 15) got the engine started on Friday.

A couple of weeks left soaking with diesel in the bores freed up the engine so it could be turned over on the crank pulley nut several times. then turned it over without the plugs and it went freely, with oil light going out almost immediately, so then put in the new plugs and spun it again. No spark at any plug and then clear there was no power from the ignition switch to the coil, though it still turned over on the key.

Ran a live directly from the battery to the coil, squirted some go juice directly into the carbs and it started almost instantly and good oil pressure within a couple of seconds. Noisy tappets silent within about 5 seconds of start up and no noises to be concerned about apart from that v8 rumble which I've not heard for so long. 

We then accessed the ignition switch, pulled off the wire to the coil, put it back on again and there was then power to the coil! No idea what that was apart from possible build up on the contact surfaces that was cleared by pulling the lead off and putting it back again.

After that we drained the oil, fitted a new filter, dist cap, points and condenser and rotor arm. Took out the fuel tank to empty it of all the old fuel and then put it back in.

Next time, new oil, new petrol and run it up to operating temp and do the carbs, dwell and timing. 

After that, top up the transmission which has been leaking oil through the bellhousing ever since I bought the car, and see if she moves under her own power.

But with he engine running she's alive again!
 

[Phil Nottingham]

Well done - check the brakes work and the power steering and box  ATF is topped up before shifting into gear

[ricky8664]

Refitted the petrol tank last week, new fuel in and new engine oil.

Probably left a bit of the old fuel in the lines so it was reluctant to start at first but kept going once it fired up. Let it warm up but couldn't get it to idle without cutting out. Could not set the dwell as we just set the new points to a gap and I couldn't find my dwell meter. Not worried about the idle currently as it may just be gum in the carbs, which may clear with a bit more running with fresh fuel and I may have the carbs rebuilt anyway and with an electronic distributor it should be much smoother.

Now the oil from the leaking trans has burned off from the exhaust front pipes the engine is surprisingly smoke free, which I did not expect given that the engine did seem seized when we first tried to turn it over by hand a few weeks ago. The moral here is don't think the worst when the engine won't turn after it's been laid up for years. Oil the bores and see what happens - it might just free up. And don't try to turn it over on the starter without trying to turn it by hand first (without the plugs).

I'll have a better idea of the condition of the bores once the heads are off for the  SD1 replacements.

Couldn't get any non dextron auto trans fluid locally so have ordered from JRW with the remaining brake parts, so not yet been able to move it under power.

Will be getting the calipers relined along with the rear wheel cylinders. BTW, there was no brake fluid in either the reservoir or the master cylinder, so we can remove these to get access to the rear of the bulkhead to treat the crusty rust below the reservoir and see if it just needs to be sanded or if any holes exist.

THe servo was leaking when the car last failed it's MOT (about 1991) and fluid was getting into the vacuum chamber, despite my fitting an overhaul kit   previously so the new servo I bought 30 years ago for about £60 will be going on. They're 4 times the price now.

I cannot say there is light at the end of the tunnel - but I can now see the tunnel some way ahead!

[ricky8664]

Brakes are now dismantled, calipers and cylinders off for overhaul and other brake parts arrived.

SD1 heads are with my recommended rebuilder and awaiting their report on condition/overhaul cost estimate. They also have my brake drums for skimming, which should be done by tomorrow.

Still on course for having all the mechanical work, bar the gearbox overhaul, done by the summer. Decided to leave the box until the car is back on the road and MOTd as I don't want to pay to have it transported back and forth to the gearbox company, and without it being roadworthy, I cannot road test it anyway, so best to leave it till later (even after the respray).