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Author: Subject: Firing Pinto up after long layoff
James

posted on 21/1/19 at 03:31 PM Reply With Quote
Firing Pinto up after long layoff

Greetings!

So, still intending to get the Locost back on the road this spring.

Has been a couple of years since I fired the engine up.

Thinking would be a good idea to change the oil and filter before doing that. Which leads to a question:


Bearing in mind on a normal car service I'd warm the oil before changing. Would you fire up the engine to warm up the oil BEFORE changing it? Or shall I just drain the sump as things are?

What I'm thinking is the old oil will now be sitting in the sump so why contaminate the rest of the engine with the old oil before putting in fresh. Or, is the benefit of draining warm oil such that it's worth spreading old around inside the engine?

If relevant: the oil is probably about 10 years old but it's only done 2000 miles!

Cheers,
James





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overdriver

posted on 21/1/19 at 03:50 PM Reply With Quote
Personally, I'd run the engine to warm up the old oil. Although to a certain extent the type (viscosity) of oil will determine how easily it flows in a cold state, you are more likely to enable a thorough draining when it's warm.

The other point being that you will have proved that, after a two year lapse, the engine is functioning correctly before throwing another twenty to thirty quids worth of fresh oil in!

Michael.

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rusty nuts

posted on 21/1/19 at 04:50 PM Reply With Quote
Pull the plugs out, isolate the ignition then crank the engine until you have oil pressure before starting. Might be worth changing the timing belt ?
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nick205

posted on 21/1/19 at 04:54 PM Reply With Quote
I'd run the engine with the old oil in it to get a little temperature in the oil to help it drain better. If it's been sat un-run for a long time you may want to whip the rocker cover off and pour some fresh oil over the cam shaft to make sure it's lubricated at start up.

ETA - removing the cam cover might mean you need to replace the cam cover gasket as I don't think they respond well to being disturbed and reused.

[Edited on 21/1/19 by nick205]

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Slater

posted on 21/1/19 at 06:05 PM Reply With Quote
Might I suggest turning engine over by hand first. My zetec had a 5 yr layover, it turned by hand (spanner on crank pulley bolt) for 1 turn then it jammed up. Upon removing all the timing belt plastic cowling I found the waterpump had leaked and filled the pulley area with antifreeze fur and corroded aluminium gunk, I'd dragged this into the pulley teeth and the rubber timing belt jumped 2 teeth. If I'd turned it over with battery the valves would have probably got bent.





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perksy

posted on 21/1/19 at 08:38 PM Reply With Quote
A lot will depend on how its been stored

I'd turn it over by hand first

The only concern I'd have with firing it up with potentially 'thick' engine oil in it is the chances of the oil spray bar holes being blocked or partially blocked and the cam lobes not being lubricated (Pinto achilles heel)

The last one I rebuilt, this is exactly what had happened and the engine had been briefly started on a number of occasions, So ended up fitting a new cam & followers (Although to be fair this had been standing for more than 2 years)

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02GF74

posted on 21/1/19 at 09:48 PM Reply With Quote
Can't say I understand the logic of replacing the oil, it was underground for millions of years, what's another 10 in a car going to do to it? Its not as if it is going to react with the metal and any moisture, which there should not be any, will soon boil away once warmed up.... or am I missing something?






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mcerd1

posted on 22/1/19 at 09:07 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by perksy
A lot will depend on how its been stored

I'd turn it over by hand first

The only concern I'd have with firing it up with potentially 'thick' engine oil in it is the chances of the oil spray bar holes being blocked or partially blocked and the cam lobes not being lubricated (Pinto achilles heel)


^^ what he said, the oil spray bar has got to be the biggest concern

burton's do rubber cam cover gaskets these days that are meant to be good (haven't tried mine in anger yet), so if you do take the cam cover off they might be worth a shot.
https://www.burtonpower.com/rubber-cam-cover-gasket-ford-sohc-pinto-narrow-08-83-ft779r.html
https://www.burtonpower.com/rubber-cam-cover-gasket-ford-sohc-pinto-wide-from-08-83-ft779ar.html


I guess the question is how careful do you want to be ? and/or how tuned is your pinto ?
if its a stock engine with a stock cam you've not got nearly as much at stake compared to some
I'd see what the oil on the dipstick looks like first at the very least...



also what kind of ignition are you running ?
if your using a distributorless system like megajolt, then the dizzy body is only their to drive the oil pump - so you can pull it out (temporarily) an make an adaptor to drive the oil pump directly off a drill (priming the whole system and testing the spray bar if you've got the cam cover off)
you can still do this with a dizzy based ignition system, but you'll have to re-set the timing afterwards





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Mr Whippy

posted on 23/1/19 at 12:40 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
Can't say I understand the logic of replacing the oil, it was underground for millions of years, what's another 10 in a car going to do to it? Its not as if it is going to react with the metal and any moisture, which there should not be any, will soon boil away once warmed up.... or am I missing something?


yip you are

youtube linky

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Mash

posted on 2/7/20 at 08:50 PM Reply With Quote
Sorry to resurrect this but I've just got mine going after a long rebuild.

It had sat there for just about 2 years, so I turned it over with no fuel for a bit to get some oil pressure then fuelled it and started it and it fired uo first time

I'm about to change the oil and filter, so I'll whip the cam cover off and check the spray bar at the same time.

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