Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

[Dano"T"]

My dad and I just bought a T-Craft that was totally restored, then flown for a year before the owner became terminally Ill and died. The plane has sat for 3 years in the hangar without being run. It has a C-90 in it and I was wondering if some of you might offer some advice on what I should do to it before starting it up. I thought about just changing the oil...putting in fresh gas and letting her rip. If it starts right up I can run it up for a good long time and make sure it's all okay before getting an A&P to give it a blessing for the 2 hour ferry flight. I've inspected the airframe extensively and it is near show quality restoration (under the dust) It has the Gilbertti conversion minus the extended baggage and has a short mount No electrics. Sometimes we just get lucky...oh yea...it has 50 SMOH on the C-90. Is it necessary to pre lube anything before starting this engine?

[Richard Boyer]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Mine sat a year before I bought it. We just performed a really in depth annual, ran it on the ground and flew it around the pattern.

Then, flew it 3 days from Montana to Texas. There were areas where I kept thinking, "Self, you didn't bring enough water for this @$%#@$".

I think you have the right idea, but I would check the compression too.

Don't forget to kick a tire too.

I would be interested it any other info/replies as I am currently working on a mooney that has sat for 20 years.......

Richard Boyer
N95791

[Vasey fan]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Definitely pre-oil it.

Pull the gallery plugs at the front of the case and pressure oil both sides.

A buddy of mine made a nifty little pressure pot for this, but I've also used a hand oiler from the hardware store with a piece of tubing to the gallery holes. It wouldn't hurt to pull the top plugs and shoot a little lube into the cylinders either.

[Mark Julicher]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Clean oil and new gas will probably get the engine started just fine. What you don't know is how much moisture got inside the engine or how well the bearing surfaces are lubricated.

Consider having a look at the cylinder walls with a bore scope. Look especially where the rings have been resting on the cylinder walls. Minor surface rust will disappear when you run the engine. If compression is low, running the engine a good long while might remedy that. A bore scope should indicate if the cylinders are really nasty and in need of attention.

It would be nice if you could pre-lube by pressurizing the oil system and forcing some oil into the passages. It is quite possible that the oil pump has lost its prime after 3 years, so just starting the engine might mean a long pause befiore the oil pressure rises. Some prelube on the cam and main bearings would be a plus too.

We just started a Beechcraft that had been sitting 5 years in south Texas and it would not hold compression, but then again, it did not have only a few hours since major overhaul either.

[Jim Herpst]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Dano, Did that plane come from Michigan ? Is it Yellow and Black ? I remember speaking with the owner a few years back if it is. Jim

[VictorBravo]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

For a small investment in time and effort, you can remove the oil tank and see exactly the conditino of the inside of the crankcase. You can also squirt COPIOUS amounts of engine oil all over everything for several minutes and then turn the engine through slowly a few times each way. Actually you might use thin oil first, then put a coat of thick gear oil or STP on the cam. That way the cam is protected for those first few seconds on startup.

The idea of pressurizing the oil galleys is probably a great idea.

A few hours' worth of effort could prevent any significant engine wear from happening in the first few minutes of running it. Over the life of the engine, it will become a very small investment IMHO.

Congratulations on finding the needle in the haystack, by the way. You just made a whole lot of people jealous! 90 horse, short mount, and a fresh restoration. Jeez!!!

[Bob Waldron]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Dano,
Look in the cylinders for rust. If there is rust, and you start the engine, you will surely ruin lots of bearings and probalby the cylinders. At a bare minimum, you will shorten the life of the engine.

If there is no rust, then pull the front two oil plugs and squirt in a lot of oil, then replace the plugs (and safety them). This will get oil circulated and prime the oil pump if it needed it. Next remove the upper spark plugs and turn the prop (by hand). The oil pressure gauge should indicate some pressure.

Install the plugs and check compression by turning the prop and feeling the pressure. If one or more cylinders feel very weak, then use gauges to check compression and find the problem.

If the compression is OK, then run the engine for 3 to 5 minutes. Check for leaks and make sure everything is secure, and that all cylinders feel warm to hot. Now start it and fly it in the pattern for an hour. Then check compression with gauges. If there are weak cylinders, find the cause.

Good luck.

[Doc]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Hello: N43306 sat for three years with just an occasional engine start until I purhased it this year. Engine ran great...oil analysis looked bad...and at teardown the bearings were found to be scored and the journals pitted. The case had a minor crack that was repaired, two lifter body ports were "sleeved" and the crankshaft was nicely gound to 0.020/0.020. One magneto was found to have a frozen race when it was overhauled. There was no indication that this engine was in trouble except for the oil analysis. I would personally start the engine and get it to temperature, change the oil and enjoy the next flight. Doc

[paulp]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Howdy Dano,

Me and another guy just bought a 140 at an auction that had set for 5 years.
We pulled the mags, primed the oil pump and then we got to the fuel tanks, gascolator and carb. The previous owner used auto fuel and hadn't drained the tanks or the fuel del. system. The gascolator was completely clogged as was the carb. When we drained the wing tanks, crap came out like you wouldn't beleive. We put 2 gal of MEK in both wing tanks and allowed it to drain to the gascolator. We spent about 5 hours moving the bird ato break loose some of the goo and the next day we drained everything and flushed all with 100LL. I had an old Stromburg that we installed and Robbie rebuilt both mags. Got those stabbed and the engine timed. Pulled the prop through about 50 times and let 'er rip. The 85 started after 4 revs of the prop and ran strong. Brouhgt the oil temp up and changed the oil and inspected the screen. Put in new oil and taxied for about an hour. Did some crow hops and spent another hour circling the field. Then, flew it to it's new home about 30 miles away.

I guess my point is check the fuel system. If it has had auto fuel get ready to clean up a mess and for God's sake don't leave the ground until you've ran it for at least an hour and then spend another hour in the pattern.

[Two Ten Aero]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

I got in behind a new engine once. It had been installed "zero SMOH" It had been run on the ground for two hours. I made a take off, shut it down and returned on the others. Reason? Lack of preoil.
I would not turn the engine over until it had been preoiled as stated above. In addition, I like to pull the rocker box covers and see oil run out of them before I turn anything. (confess to not knowing flat engines very well, this could be early).

A Hudson sprayer, adapted to the fittings will do the job in baby engines. You can reach forty pounds of pressure with them. (I've used a clean one to run a touch up paint gun in the field) IF you are north of the Mason Dixon line, I'd use hot oil somehow.

The time spent doing this will return itself many hundred fold in engine life.

With radials, we preoil if she has set for seven days. With the flats, it seems like we preoiled if sat for one month.

[hangarb7]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

In the kingdom of Taylorcraftness, it seems that someone, somewhere is going through what you are going through at the very same minute. I never seem to have to start a new thread. What I need is always being discussed at that time...

To that, I will be seeing my baby this weekend and hope to prepare to start her after a long time sitting. I'll preheat her to a good temp and have the heat on in the hangar so that the preheat doesn't go away. But where exactly are these plugs to pre pressure the oil passages? Will I see them because they are safetied?

And how does the oil stay in after pushing some in? Doesn't it want to pour out or does enough stay in to make a difference?

Thanks guys,

Jack D
N44057
'46 BC12D
Conti 65hp w/ 1700 hrs TT
sat for 1.5 yrs

[Dano"T"]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

As luck would have it, a very good friend of my dad's who is also an IA is coming with us to get the plane. He will pre oil everything and look it over before we start it. He's 76 now and he and my dad have been flying buddies since the 50's. I look forward to going to get the plane with these two old timers (no offense to all the old timers in the forum) I have the utmost respect for all of you. I haven't flown with this gentleman since 1984 when he signed me off to solo in dad's J-3 (he's also an instructor....you know, the works a&p, IA, Comm, Inst, CFI, CFII, Multi, land and sea.) I think we're in good hands. Thanks to all of you for the advice....If we would have gone alone I would have printed all of the responses out and brought them with me. He and I are going to fly back wing to wing if all goes well.

[M Towsley]

Re: Starting an engine that has sat 3 years

Dano,

I've just got my A-65 back together and getting ready to rehang and start it. My A&P/IA told me to pump about a quart of oil throught the oil pressure fitting while turning the prop backwards and then put in another quart through the same fitting. The two fittings/plugs everyone else is talking about are at the front of the engine. I have the A-65 and an A-75 and they are both allen plugs with no head to safety. I believe original equipment had drilled head plugs with a gasket of sorts. Good luck.