Getting my car going after long break

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 .

-- Regards, Noddy.

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