Hi Dick,
The problems I have seen with Healey engines that have been sitting for
years are:
Rod and main bearings eaten and pitted by old, acidic oil. Some
engines have had a severe problem with this, others no problem at all.
I suspect that engines put away with fresh oil do better.
Low compression when first cranking. Until the engine is run and fully
warmed, compression figures don't mean much. I have seen engines that
had 70 to 90 psi across the board initially jump to 160 psi after being
run; and these engines continued to run fine for many miles.
Valves that stick. Valves that are open for years and exposed to
moisture can develop rust on the valve stems that prevents them from
closing. This may go away after the engine is run. Related to this is
flash rust on the cylinder walls that will destroy the rings when the
engine is first run. You end up with an engine that has good
compression but very high oil consumption.
NOTE: BJ8 carburetors should have the jet assemblies replaced prior to
running because the jet diaphragm will be brittle and prone to
splitting, causing fuel to leak onto the exhaust manifolds creating a
fire hazard.
What to do with an engine that has been sitting.
Option one
Change the oil and filter, spark plugs, points and condenser, and
adjust the valves. Run the engine while checking for low oil pressure,
cylindar misfiring, leaks. etc. If all seems well do a compression
check to have a baseline value and then road test the car. I like to
put 20 miles or so on the engine in several short trips - checking for
problems in between. After the first road test or two, change the
antifreeze and flush the cooling system.
Option two
Prior to running the engine, send the head out to be checked, put new
rings and rod bearings in after cleaning and checking the crank and
bores. This can be done with the engine in place.
Option three
Prior to running, pull the engine do a complete tear down and rebuild
with new parts as needed.
Problems during storage can be minimized if the engine is stored with
fresh oil, cranked over periodically with the plugs out until you get
oil pressure. Putting a few squirts of oil in each cylinder prior to
cranking over will coat the cylinder walls. Sealing the intakes and
exhaust systems will help to keep out moisture.
These are my opinions only and do not address other problems. A
car that has been sitting for years will have problems with its brake
systems, fuel lines that have rotted, wiring chewed by mice, and other
unseen problems.
Wayne Schultz
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