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Thread: Start-up Best Practices

  1. #11
    Member Nemo von Klepper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LarrBeard View Post
    Add fresh oil; 30W non detergent.
    Am I to understand you don't recommend some sort of engine cleaning oil as recommended on this thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...toration.html?

    Also, do you know what weight of oil for the transmission? I ask because I'm a lifelong Saab guy and my older '60s & '70s Saabs used to take a heavier transmission oil, but my "newer" Saabs just take regular engine oil (manual trannies).

  2. #12
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
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    You can spray each cylinder with a penetrating oil to ensure that the top end is lubricated. Top off the engine oil with the SAE 30 non detergent oil. Then roll the engine by hand through a full cycle(4 crank shaft revolutions). You can take the distributor cap off to ensure that the distributor shaft is turning. From there you can follow the forum that you tagged.

    The gear oil for the transmission and transfer case,(shared) is 80W90 or higher.

  3. #13
    Junior Member AJ-MJ's Avatar
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    I have reading various POSTS and this a great read for those just starting out... Thanks to those knowledgeable contributors helping us newbies.

  4. #14
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    I have some advice to offer on the initial start-up / inspection. Engines that have not been started for many years, I start off by pulling the dip stick, looking at the oil and smelling it. If there's any coolant present it's "game over" as the engine obviously has a problem where further effort to start it would be wasted. If no coolant, next verify it's not locked up. This can be as simple as rotating the crank only slightly, maybe a 1/4 turn. Only goal is to verify it's not locked up. Next I use a magnetic block heater (often used on farms to start tractors in cold weather) it's nothing more than a big magnet with a 120volt heating element designed to warm engine oil prior to starting in cold weather. These are available at farm stores (Tractor Supply, etc.). Stick the magnetic heater on the bottom of the oil pan and let it sit for an hour or so. In this case the goal is to warm the old oil in the pan to lower viscosity allowing it to completely drain when you remove the plug. Drain and refill with clean oil and new filter. Now you can remove the spark plugs and fully rotate the engine by hand. Using these first steps takes advantage of the only good thing sitting for an extended period has to offer. That long sit allows everything to completely / gravitationally flow down into the pan and it makes no sense pumping that filth back into the engine bearings and lifters.

  5. #15
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
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    Catlewis,

    The engine oil pan heater is a good piece of advice. As a suggestion though, I would move the magnetic heater around periodically. This is because the average pan heater can get up to 300 to 400 degrees, and you do not want to coke up the oil where the heater is applied, causing it to stick to the pan even more. The bottom of the pan can take a little more heat with the skid plate attached, because you have more material to heat, but even then I would not go over 20 minutes of heat time on the bottom. The sides I would limit the time to 10 minutes. The key will be to keep the heat moving around.

  6. #16
    Super Moderator bmorgil's Avatar
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    Just don't forget to drain the oil once it is warmed. Definitely don't start it up full of old oil.

  7. #17
    Would advise to pull thermostat housing to check for free flow of coolant.

  8. #18
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    I am getting ready to get a 52 cj3a. My first flat fender, my first l-head. I have been told that she has sat for a number of years in Idaho. With an l-head, is the oil pump driven by the distributor like more modern engines. In the past I have driven the oil pump by a drill and adapter to make the engine lub. can this be done with an L-head. I usually change all the fluids first before trying to start an engine that has sat for a while.
    I have not taken position of this cj3a yet. I am not sure what all I am going to have to do to it yet.

  9. #19
    Super Moderator LarrBeard's Avatar
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    Start-Up

    "In the past I have driven the oil pump by a drill and adapter to make the engine lub. can this be done with an L-head."

    Yep, it drives through a gear on the distributor shaft.

    It looks like you have seen all of the "Best Practices" posts, so you have a lot of information. Just don't force it - it should turn over with fan belt tension and take it slowly. Haste makes expensive mistakes sometimes.

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