Any advice or proceedures before I try and start a 2 year dormant engine? I plan to change out the oil, clean off the plugs, drain and re fuel; before trying to starting it. Should I pull the valve cover drain the fuel lines/filter? It's a carburated 4 banger that ran for over 20 years without a problem before the state of the rest of the car made me park it.
Ive had luck with putting oil in cylinders through the plug holes for a day before trying to start it.. manually turn it to be sure pistons are feed up.
Kinda' depends on what environment it's been stored... If it's been in a nice warm garage, probably get in and start it. I'm guessing it wasn't so some things to check out... While you have the plugs out, put a couple shots of ATF or oil down the holes then turn the motor by hand. You should be able to turn it without too much trouble. If it doesn't turn, the rings may be rusted to the cylinder wall. Let them soak overnite and see if they'll bust free (hopefully without breaking.) Valve seats may be all rusted up. Not much you can do about that short of popping the head to check them out. The carb is probably all dried out too. Whatever fuel that was in it evaporated and left behind all the goo. Probably wouldn't hurt to go through it or at least, pull the bowls and have a look. You can fill the bowls with gas after you're done and the dried out old fuel pump won't have to work so hard to fill them.
While the plugs are out, spin it with the starter to get op.
Sim> Any advice or proceedures before I try and start a 2 year dormant
Stored in the car, there isn't much to worry about. I had an engine that had been "stored" outside, in a logger's equipment yard, upside down, with the spark plugs out, for a year, in rainy New England. Since the engine had a reputation of being pretty good, I finally got it running, with the help of my brother, a can of ether, some Liquid Wrench, and oxygen administered through the throttle opening. It smoked for a while, but finally turned out all right. You won't have any problem.
Earle
Ditto on soaking the pistons with oil. Especially if the engine was shut down without fogging of the internals, and the carb/injection system wasnt sealed ... there probably be blooms of rust on the cylinder walls and piston rings and ring grooves. I use Marvel Mystery Oil and let it soak a few days to be sure that the piston rings are free .... also helps to clean out any accumulated crap in the ring grooves. Definitely be sure to turn the engine over by hand to be sure that no piston is stuck. Dont force it or you'll break rings if they are stuck. If stuck just gently rock the crankshaft back and forth until free ... be patient and keep adding oil to the piston tops. Once youre sure that the engine is free, then spin the starter a few times with more MMO in the combustion chamber to repolish the cylinder walls, etc., then start.
I'd certainly pull the plugs and use some marvel oil in the cylinders for at least overnight. I've had things sit for 3 years and not have the gas gum up. YMMV but unless there's trouble with the fuel system it seems like more trouble than it's worth to go tearing it all down just because it's been sitting. If it's gummed up then it won't run, unlike pistons. Stuck pistons and valve gear can mean severe damage if it's restarted without manually turning the crankshaft to see that it's moving smoothly.
My Cj-5's 258 sat on an engine stand outside in a field under a plastic tarp for well over a decade, in that same New England weather.
I tore it all down and put at all back together before I tried to start it, but judging from the condition when I pulled it apart I could have changed the oil (it had some water in it) put a clean carb on it and fired it right up.
Earle Hort> Stored in the car, there isn't much to worry about. I had an engine that
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