Best way to start an engine that sat for twenty years

[Steve Bakken]

So I just got the opportunity to buy a low mileage '78 Calais from my old high school friend. Ran great when he parked it but the engine hasn't turned for twenty years. Aside from the obvious fluid changes, fresh plugs, etc, what would be the best procedure to free up and rotate the engine so I don't cause more damage?

 

[ssn696]

What's your plan to deal with the remains of 20-year old gas - tank, lines, pump, carb? If that's solved for sure, then proceed...

Pull the spark plugs and fog the cylinders with WD40 or Marvel's Mystery Oil. Take the crank pulley off, put the bolts back in and bar (rotate by hand) the engine a few times around. Mark where the distributor rotor points, then pull the distributor. Borrow or buy a prelube rod. Take the valve covers off. With fresh oil in the pan and a new filter, chuck the rod in a power drill, insert it down the distributor hole into the oil pump shaft's slot, and spin the pump (clockwise) until you draw oil up into the engine and it starts to come out of the lifter rods / rocker arms. Now you're primed. Put the distributor back in, and make sure the rotor matches where it was before. May have to lift and realign the gear a tooth one way or the other.

If the motor turns freely, the radiator is holding coolant, and it's got fuel in the carb, try lighting it up.

 

[Texas82GP]

ssn696 gives good advice above. While the valve covers are off, before you try to turn the engine by hand, you might consider pulling the rocker arms and hitting the top of each valve spring with a rubber hammer to make sure the valves are free. I've encountered stuck valves on engines that have sat up that long. The valve stem is stuck in the guide. In that case, when you go to turn the engine, it doesn't want to turn and if you lean on it with that bar or try to turn it with the starter motor, you can bend a push rod. You will feel if the valves are free or not with the rubber hammer. If they are free, the spring will compress slightly or in other words, you'll feel the slightest amount of give whereas if the valve is stuck it will feel hard as a rock. If you do encounter any stuck valves you should be able to free them up with the rubber hammer. I would suggest putting some of that Marvel Mystery Oil in both the crank case and in the fuel (follow instructions on the can). Having it in the fuel will help provide upper cylinder lubrication and having it in the oil will provide some extra detergent. After you have it up and running for a few hundred miles I would change the oil again. Before you start driving it you should really look over the brakes and don't trust them too much at first. Don't trust those tires or the rubber stuff under the hood either (belts and hoses). Hope this helps. Let us know how you come out.

 

[Steve Bakken]

Thanks for the info. Ya i plan on dropping the tank and draining the lines. Good idea about the brakes. I had the engine on my mind and didn't even think about that. Should maybe do the rear diff too

 

[Bill Creller]

I use a pre-oiler on engines that have been sitting for long periods. I remove the oil pressure sender & plumb the pre-oiler into that port.
turning the engine by hand while pressurizing the oiling system lets the crank get oil through the passages to the rod bearings etc.
X2 on Marvel Mystery oil..great stuff for decades...

 

[pontiacgp]

In addition to some other suggestions I would remove the valve covers would seriously overfill the crankcase by pouring the oil over both heads with the thinnest oil I could find and let the oil lubricate all the bearings for a day or two with rotating the engine by hand a 1/4 turn slowly ever few hours with the plugs out of course.

 

[Steve Bakken]

Just a quick update. Got it home and pulled the plugs. Put a 50/50 of brake fluid and trans fluid down each plug hole. Came back after an hour (I should have let it sit for a couple days but curiosity got the best of me) grabbed the bottom pully with my bare hands and it turned over just like butter. Letting it soak some more now while turning it every couple days, just to make sure the bores are nice and clean. Here's a pic of when we pulled it out of the guy's barn and one after my son cleaned it up. I already have a '79 442 clone, so this is my twelve-year-old's project. Been begging me since he was ten to build a "real" car for when he gets his license, so he was pretty exited when this opportunity came along

 

[clean8485]

Just curious. Are those Ontario license plates on the car? Are you somewhere in Ontario?

 

[clean8485]

BTW, nice looking car! Hard to believe sometimes that the Oldsmobile division is long gone now, and that the Cutlass used to be the best selling car out there at one time. That Calais looks like a time capsule.

 

[87BlazeLS]

Very nice ride you got there. The Tee Top and a really straight looking body and paint looks good too.
Lets just hope the motor will run. The gas tank however may be the biggest hiccup.