[Shop-talk] clean used engine before use?

[Steven Trovato]

Tom,

My plan is to do pretty much what you describe.  Was just considering 
some sort of cleaning first.  You want to stuff rags in the intake 
before using compressed air, but it has been wide open for a 
year.  That will keep debris from entering, but I have no idea what 
might have entered already.

-Steve T.

At 11:12 AM 4/2/2021, Thomas Coradeschi wrote:
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64Steve: I am firmly of the belief 
>that the only thing which should go near the valve train or the 
>crankcase is motor oil. For an engine that's been sitting, making 
>sure you have lubrication is key.
>
>My Dad was a bona-fide MG guy for years - used one of his (the '78, 
>I think) as a daily driver for quite some time in the late 80s and 
>was very active in our local MG club. Based on what I've seen, those 
>pushrod motors are pretty much the textbook definition of 
>mechanically bulletproof. Electrics of the era Errrr, not so much.
>
>I'd suggest that you do the following.
>
>Blow off any loose crud you see with compressed air (stuff rags in 
>the intake ports first). Re-install the valve cover, pan, manifolds, 
>etc and get the motor in the car and hooked up to cooling, 
>electrical, fuel, etc.
>
>Before you fire it, pull the plugs and disable the ignition (pull 
>the hot wire off the coil or ground its output), then spin the 
>engine over until you have positive indication of oil pressure - 
>either on a gage, if it has one, or by seeing the idiot light go out.
>
>Once that's done, reinstall the plugs, hook up the ignition and fire 
>it up, again observing whatever indicators you have relative to oil pressure.
>
>My $0.02, and worth what you paid for it:-)
>
>Tom Coradeschi
>tjcora at icloud.com


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