I am looking for advice on starting an engine that has been stored for some time. It is currently out of the car. The person I bought it off said he had put some oil down the bores when he took it out of the car.

The engine is from a Talbot Sunbeam 1.0 and is based on the Hillman Imp engine. It is all aluminium with cast iron cylinder liners, a single chain driven overhead cam, a single Stromberg carburettor.

I am going to use new:
Engine oil
Oil filter – filled with oil before fitting
Spark plugs
HT leads
Distributor cap
Points
Condenser
Rotor arm

I am going to:
Pour some engine oil down the bores
Take the cam cover off and pour engine oil over the camshaft and top of the timing chain, refit the cam cover
Dismantle and clean the carburettor of fuel deposits, etc and blow the jet through with compressed air
Turn the engine over by hand with the plugs removed, turn the engine over on the starter with the plugs removed, then fit the plugs and start the engine

There is currently no alternator fitted and the water pump will not be connected

Is there anything I’m doing wrong or anything else I should be doing?

Thanks

Seems like you have covered pretty much everything. Only thing I would say would be to clean the spark plug holes well so you don't suck any crap down there when you are cranking without the plugs in. Also with the cam cover removed, turn the engine over to check that there aren't any stuck valves.

Dave

Personally, if you can do all the steps you suggest, i wouldnt bother with new engine oil/filter until its been ran and warmed and your happy with it
hopefully then it will take a bit more of the standing crap with it, in fact if its an old one,
maybe even go onto a flushing oil before putting nice clean oil in it.
just my 2p

Thanks for the advice.
I hadn't thought of checking for stuck valves - a good idea, don't want the pistons to touch them.

when are you planning to try it ?