Starting up cruiser after storage? (1 Viewer)

[Chase77]

All,
My cruiser has sat for about 4 months w/o being started and I needed some advice as where to start. A neighbor shade tree mechanic said that I should pull the plugs and dribble some oil into the cylinders. Is that good advice? Is there anything else I should do? I plan on driving her for the next month and then Im off to basic and my tech school for 8 months, so im definitely goin to need to know what all to do to prevent engine damage after she's sat for that long.

 

[Gumby]

Not a big deal. trickle charge the battery. You might want to pull the coil wire and turn it over for 10 seconds a couple of times to build up a little oil pressure and pump some fuel up to the carb. Sta-bil before letting it set and keeping the battery from discharging and freezing is more important.

 

[roscoFJ73]

Wont hurt to start it up without any special attention although you can dribble some oil if you feel strongly about it. Dont rev it hard just use the choke for a few minutes and let it warm up gradually.After a few seconds the oil should be circulating and you will hear the clatter go away.
Its not the start up after a long rest that harms engines .Its more the engine that gets started twice a day and drives for 5 miles and is turned off till the afternoon trip home.The engine hasnt got hot enough to expand and the piston rings are always hard up against the cylinder bores. This is why taxi cabs that never cool down clock up half a million miles and the family car struggles to reach 150k even though it is probably driven more gently.

 

[Perfect Obsession]

Last winter, I left my FJ-40 sit under the snow for 6 months. In may, it starts like a springbuck. No problem at all.
I lubed the throttle spring and cable, that's all!

 

[JohnL]

How about prepping for storage

My FJ is about to go in storage for a year...should I pull the plugs, dribble in some oil and turn it over a few times (without spark!)?

Anything else? It will be outside, but covered. Mothballs in the cab and under the hood? Park it on boards/gravel?

WHat else?

 

[Rice]

Below is a quote from Ben Barnes, who builds Busch engines here in NC, regarding how to store an engine that's going to sit for the off season:

"Crank the engine up and get it to normal operating temperature," says Barnes. "Then take some lightweight oil, 10 weight or something of that nature, and pour it in the carburetor with the motor running. Pour it in until the engine starts smoking out the exhaust real good, and then shut the engine off. What that does is it lubricates the cylinder walls and the rings to where it doesn't rust over the winter.

"If the motor is real dry, it will create some rust in the cylinders. If you get oil on those cylinder walls, they will not rust. When you put a new set of spark plugs in it in the springtime and crank it up, let it run slow and it will burn all that oil out of there, and you're ready to go.

 

[largenfirm]

My FJ is about to go in storage for a year...should I pull the plugs, dribble in some oil and turn it over a few times (without spark!)?

Anything else? It will be outside, but covered. Mothballs in the cab and under the hood? Park it on boards/gravel?

WHat else?

Mouse poison in the glove box and strategically placed around the cab floor and under the hood.

Also, put some hardware cloth over the exhaust pipe. Keeps the mice/chipmunks from nesting in there.

Kirk

 

[tonkota]

I just did this today. Mine sat since Sept. and it fired up and drove fine. 4 months isn't that long, unless you are with out a cruiser in the meantime

 

[zetasig]

Id be happy to drive it around for you, When I fired mine up from sitting 4+ years, i squirted some marvel mystery oil in the cylinders. cranked it with the coil wire off to lube everything. Hooked the coil up and she came to life.

Ditto on the mouse poison. Stored the 4 runner for a few months and bastards got in the air cleaner. Wife was not pleased about smelling mouse piss with the heat on.

 

[JohnL]

It will be sitting for at least a year. Its not for sale...i built this from the ground up and had previously (stupidly) sold off the FJ I grew up with and won't make that mistake again. So its in storage for a while.

Hopefully not w/o a cruiser...I'm going to the cruizer homeland, to OZ for an indefinate period of time. Check out what I'm lookin at to tide me over until my return...http://lc78.toyota.com.au/LC78/HomePage/0,,,00.html

 

[VTFJ40]

Below is a quote from Ben Barnes, who builds Busch engines here in NC, regarding how to store an engine that's going to sit for the off season:

"Crank the engine up and get it to normal operating temperature," says Barnes. "Then take some lightweight oil, 10 weight or something of that nature, and pour it in the carburetor with the motor running. Pour it in until the engine starts smoking out the exhaust real good, and then shut the engine off. What that does is it lubricates the cylinder walls and the rings to where it doesn't rust over the winter.

"If the motor is real dry, it will create some rust in the cylinders. If you get oil on those cylinder walls, they will not rust. When you put a new set of spark plugs in it in the springtime and crank it up, let it run slow and it will burn all that oil out of there, and you're ready to go.

I did this to a friends boat with Marvel Mystery Oil. Works great. Directions said to actually stall the motor with the oil. Makes ALOTTA smoke. Enough to wake up the local fire dept.

 

[FineWynsFJ40]

Yeah, I'm firing mine up after sitting for 5 moths. I pull the plugs, squirt some oil in and turn her over for about 20 seconds or so. It works everytime like a charm. I really should look into that oil in the carb technique to prevent cylinder rust... What happens if there is rust in the cylinders, will it eventually get worked off or burned up?

 

[Rice]

Yeah, I'm firing mine up after sitting for 5 moths. I pull the plugs, squirt some oil in and turn her over for about 20 seconds or so. It works everytime like a charm. I really should look into that oil in the carb technique to prevent cylinder rust... What happens if there is rust in the cylinders, will it eventually get worked off or burned up?

Rust will scuff the rings and the cylinder walls causing premature wear to both. Also, when pouring oil in the carb it's important not to pour in so much that you hydra-lock the cylinder. Just a nice steady flow.

 

[canadian bum]

Hey JohnL you should have that shipped back with you when you come back you can pretty much be guaranteed to have the only one around most likely. Now if it only came with left hand drive.

 

[JohnL]

My northern friend;
The fj40 is in the US now (and in storage there.) I'm moving to OZ indefinately and thinking about getting a '75 there. Yes, I'd love to bring it back to the US IF I return....

Wouldn't pouring oil into the intake create carbon deposits in the cylinders? I don't like chunks of stuff floatin' around in there...

thanks
john

 

[brider]

Year? no problem...

F-series engines are very tractor-like in their durability. I bought a .71 FJ40 that had sat outside in upstate New York winters for almost 5 years with no prep at all. The rear shackles had burst thru the rotted-out frame up into the rear cargo area, and the whole body was literally crumbling off the frame. Poor thing, somebody just drove it, and the New York winters had their way with it.
Anyway, I slapped my good carb off my FJ55 on it, hit the starter a few seconds with the coil wire off, then plugged it back in and it fired right up!!

The most amazing thing about this rig was the brakes; somebody had obviously done brake work before it was parked, because you could see the front soft lines were recent replacements (recent BEFORE it was parked 5 yrs before). But this thing had better brakes after sitting all those years in the snow and rain than any driver I'd spent hours/days fiddling with the brakes did!! Reall! This thing had maybe 3/4 inch pedal travel before the brakes locked up!

 

[largenfirm]

The most amazing thing about this rig was the brakes; somebody had obviously done brake work before it was parked, because you could see the front soft lines were recent replacements (recent BEFORE it was parked 5 yrs before). But this thing had better brakes after sitting all those years in the snow and rain than any driver I'd spent hours/days fiddling with the brakes did!! Reall! This thing had maybe 3/4 inch pedal travel before the brakes locked up!

Hmm, sounds more like mis-adjusted brakes (too tight) than good brakes.

Kirk

 

[FineWynsFJ40]

Still though, after 5 years and they work like a charm, that's pretty impressive. It's amazing how well these things hold up, if only they weren't prone to rusting!!!

 

[Ian Rogers]

i love my drum brakes, i have about 1 1/2" of travel and they could put you in the dash

 

[65swb45]

I have a swb 45 that I only start once every few months. Been doing that for almost 10 years now. Just crank it til the carb refills, then she fires right up. Finally had one wheel cylinder fail after letting it sit so much more than run.

Use it or lose it.