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Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Engine starting after sitting a few months (best practices)
Engine starting after sitting a few months [message #369770] Mon, 23 May 2022 06:40 Go to next message
rjw   United States
Messages: 697
Registered: September 2005
Karma: 4
Senior Member
Larry and John recently suggested a few things to do for "Starting an Engine That Has Been Sitting for an Extended Period".

https://www.gmcmi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/weidner-starting-engine.pdf

"the 2000 RPM thing is important to throw oil up on the walls/rings as any priming does not do that. That’s why I don’t like cranking as too slow and those parts suffer. IMHO."

That seems like a lot to do if the coach has just been idle over the winter. Probably good to do if idle for multiple years.

I wonder what best practices would be if sitting for only for a few weeks.

If my coach has been sitting all winter, for first start I've been shutting off the EFI fuel pump and cranking the engine until I see oil pressure on the dash gauge. Then I would turn the pump back on and hit start. With EFI it always starts immediately. When I had the old Q-jet carb almost the same thing was accomplished by the time it started after setting the choke. Oh I don't miss those days.

I do the same thing if its been sitting for a few weeks.

I'm wondering if that is wrong approach? What do others do?


Richard
76 Palm Beach
SE Michigan
www.PalmBeachGMC.com

Roller Cam 455, TBI+EBL, 3.42 FD, 4 Bag, Macerator, Lenzi (brakes, vacuum system, front end stuff), Manny Tranny, vacuum step, Tankless + OEM water heaters.
Re: Engine starting after sitting a few months [message #369771 is a reply to message #369770] Mon, 23 May 2022 08:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
Messages: 2875
Registered: January 2004
Location: Menomonie, WI
Karma: 10
Senior Member
John is right that the crank does throw oil on to the cylinder walls for lubrication, but even at cold idle which is normally around 1500rpm, a lot of oil is getting there. It should be noted that one of the steps in preluding after a long idle period is removing the spark plugs and squirting some oil in the cylinders followed by turning the engine over until oil pressure is observed. That should spread enough oil around the cylinders for a prelude start.

I talked to Dick Patterson about the EFI conversions and his take on it is that if there was a way, he would program a start delay into it so that the engine would not start immediately. But for our engines that typically sit for weeks/months at a time, would rather turn over for a delayed period to at least get oil flowing to the bearings before start. For me, If my coach sits for more than a couple of months, I pull the fuse on the EFI and turn it over until I see oil pressure at my mechanical gauge. Then replace the fuse and start. A simple thing to do. We drive our coach south during the winter months so it may sit for only 2-3mo at a time in the fall as opposed to the 6-8mo period some may experience.

In addition to the prelude starts, I am a firm believer in the use of modern day lighter viscosity multi grade oil blends in our coaches engines. IMO the lighter viscosity a multigrade oil is, maintaining acceptable oil pressure, the better off your engine will be. The lighter viscosity the oil is, the easier/quicker it will flow when cold to bearing surfaces reducing startup wear. The lighter viscosity an oil is, the more oil is flowing to bearing surfaces, reducing wear. The lighter viscosity an oil is, the more oil is carrying heat away from bearing surfaces. A 5W40 will flow quicker to bearings than a 15W40, yet provide the oil pressure needed when hot running down the road. I personally run Mobil One 0W40. This gives me a 0W for my cold December starts allowing oil to flow quickly to bearings, and the 40W for the hot run. When in Florida, the 0W puts plenty of oil to the bearings on 70* mornings and still maintains the 40W for traveling between camping sites. The 0W40 that I use is rated #14 of 260 oils tested for resistance to wear. Top rated oil for resistance to wear is Quaker State Full Synthetic 5W30.

JMHO....Rant off...


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: Engine starting after sitting a few months [message #369773 is a reply to message #369771] Mon, 23 May 2022 09:38 Go to previous message
rjw   United States
Messages: 697
Registered: September 2005
Karma: 4
Senior Member
Larry wrote on Mon, 23 May 2022 09:25

I talked to Dick Patterson about the EFI conversions and his take on it is that if there was a way, he would program a start delay into it so that the engine would not start immediately. But for our engines that typically sit for weeks/months at a time, would rather turn over for a delayed period to at least get oil flowing to the bearings before start. For me, If my coach sits for more than a couple of months, I pull the fuse on the EFI and turn it over until I see oil pressure at my mechanical gauge. Then replace the fuse and start. A simple thing to do. We drive our coach south during the winter months so it may sit for only 2-3mo at a time in the fall as opposed to the 6-8mo period some may experience.
Sounds like Dick would agree with my approach of not starting my EFI equipped engine until there is oil pressure. His opinion is good enough for me. Since I have a switch (it came with my instrument panel from http://custominstrumentpanels.com/gmc.htm) I use that to disable the pump vs. pulling a fuse.


Richard
76 Palm Beach
SE Michigan
www.PalmBeachGMC.com

Roller Cam 455, TBI+EBL, 3.42 FD, 4 Bag, Macerator, Lenzi (brakes, vacuum system, front end stuff), Manny Tranny, vacuum step, Tankless + OEM water heaters.
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