Engine Start Up Procedure

[markjonesx 1]

All,

 

Does anyone have a start up procedure for a new engine installation?

 

Concerned mostly with the oil side, do I prefill the oil filter/cooler lines etc......

 

Crank it for 30 sec before start etc....?

Edited December 21, 2012 by markjonesx

[andydclements 763]

You may find it difficult to pre-fill those but by all means give it a go (and the filter). As long as it has been assembled relatively recently and oiled as done then you should be fine. Remove the plugs (and disconnect the coil power lead). You can then turn it over for a while to get the pump putting some oil around, just don't over-heat the starter.

[Mike6 11]

I agree with Andy. Allow the engine to turn over before firing, that way you shouldnt fire up with anything 'dry'

[molemot 521]

Bags of Graphogen grease around the bearings on assembly; and one final trick. Just before I fit the engine into the car, and before I fit the cambelt, I take an electric drill with a suitable hex drive bit, fit it to the aux. pulley and use the drill to drive the oil pump. Obviously you need oil in the sump (!). I loosen the brass plugs which seal off the oilways and when the oil starts to come out I tighten them up again. After a bit you will have all the oilways full and the bearings too...mains, big ends, camshafts, the works. Then fit the cambelt and tension it and put the engine back in the vehicle. Oh yes...you need to have the oil filter fitted without the oil cooler takeoff! I generally do the running in without the oil cooler in circuit for the first 500 miles or so..then refit the cooler to the circuit at the first oil change. I have never been able to generate any oil pressure on mine using just the starter, even with the plugs out.   

[markjonesx 1]

 I generally do the running in without the oil cooler in circuit for the first 500 miles or so..then refit the cooler to the circuit at the first oil change.

 

 Why run without the oil cooler?

[molemot 521]

No oil cooler because, that way, I can do my trick with the electric drill on the oil pump and fit the engine into the car as a sealed unit. I suppose it goes back to the first time I took the engine out....1989? can't remember (!)....and the hoses from the oil cooler takeoff, between the filter and the pump housing, were absolutely immovable. So I removed the filter and the oil cooler takeoff, with the oil hoses attached, and pulled the engine and gearbox without them. In fact, the car still has the same oil cooler hoses and my engine out procedure is still the same! After I have removed the takeoff, it gets wrapped in a poly bag and a couple of cable ties. Whilst finishing the engine rebuild I had the idea of winding up the oil pressure without rotating the crankshaft or cams...and it worked nicely. It being winter, I reasoned that - especially during the first 500 miles of running in - there would be no need for an oil cooler so I went down that route.    

[LotusX180R 16]

In my race cars when they have not been run for a while (even a few days) the procedure is to crank the nmotor with ignition off until the oil pressure reads on the guage.  Then start with ignition.

[markjonesx 1]

A friend of mine is cranking his engine now and seeing no oil pressure just on the starter.

 

Are you sure this is OK?

[andydclements 763]

You'll be unlikely to see it on the gauge as the cranking speed is very low but the idea is to crank it for a while (not many mins, perhaps a couple in total) to get the oil pump to be primed and ensure any oil that was in the bearing areas is spread around not just dropped to the lowest point.

[Sir Paolo 5]

It may also be worth draining the tanks if the engine's been out for a while - petrol goes off quickly - if you pardon the pun!

And make sure the battery is fully charged.

Avoid cranking for more than 30 secs a time, as this can kill your starter.

Putting some oil in the filter can also reduce priming time for the oil system.