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engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 6:41 pm
by LBR37Y
hi guys,

quick question... i lost my licence 3mnths ago and in 3 weeks i get it bak :!: :!: 8) :D :D :twisted:

now my car pretty much hasnt been turned on in that time, it has minimal fuel in the tank.. any pointers i should follow to prevent any internal damage for when the big day comes??

i was thinking of letting the car warm up first, driving straight to the servo for new fuel and put some injector cleaner through...


anything else??

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:29 pm
by Manaz
I'd take a jerry can or two to the servo, fill them with RON98 fuel, and pour that into your tank before you try start the car. After 3 months, the fuel in your tank has almost certainly "gone off".

I'd be inclined to replace the fuel filter pretty shortly thereafter as well.

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:34 pm
by zch91
So you haven't even been starting it once a week/few weeks?

Definitely new fuel plus a service..

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:47 pm
by LBR37Y
Nah I haven't done anything with it...

Ill do the Jerry can idea aswell..

This engine is only 2500km old as I just put a new engine in it!! surely I can't need a service so soon..

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:59 pm
by Kekotic
Has it been sitting inside a garage?

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:08 pm
by mynameisdaniel
3 months should be safeish for fuel... I've gone almost 3 months between tanks a few times and no issues (that I'm aware of). But that's still using the car every few weeks...

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:25 pm
by LBR37Y
chaotic2050 wrote:Has it been sitting inside a garage?


Nah I have had it sitting in my car port under a car cover..

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:32 pm
by BUDDAH
Just check all fluids before you start her up and idle for a few minutes then gentle drive around the block :wink:
I have has a tank of fuel in the boat for well over 12 months and had no problems.

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:21 am
by Manaz
BUDDAH wrote:Just check all fluids before you start her up and idle for a few minutes then gentle drive around the block :wink:
I have has a tank of fuel in the boat for well over 12 months and had no problems.


Boat engines and 2.5L turbo Subaru engines aren't exactly an apples vs apples comparison though (unless you're running tuned racing engines).

Fuel is a blend of things. After 3 months with no movement, it will certainly have started to separate out into its individual components. Moisture may have accumulated (and if so, it sits at the bottom of your tank, given that fuel is lighter than water), any crap that was in the fuel (no fuel is pure) will have settled as well.

And that's just fuel. You're also talking about oil that's sat for 3 months (with all the issues associated with that), brake fluid that's spent the last 3 months absorbing water, diff/gearbox fluids that haven't been churned, a battery with three months of gradual drain on it.

Given the engine was only put in 2500km ago, I'd be *really* careful.

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:06 am
by BUDDAH
Manaz wrote:
BUDDAH wrote:Just check all fluids before you start her up and idle for a few minutes then gentle drive around the block :wink:
I have has a tank of fuel in the boat for well over 12 months and had no problems.


Boat engines and 2.5L turbo Subaru engines aren't exactly an apples vs apples comparison though (unless you're running tuned racing engines).

Fuel is a blend of things. After 3 months with no movement, it will certainly have started to separate bullshit out into its individual components. Moisture may have accumulated (and if so, it sits at the bottom of your tank, given that fuel is lighter than water), any crap that was in the fuel (no fuel is pure) will have settled as well.

And that's just fuel. You're also talking about oil that's sat for 3 months (with all the issues associated with that), brake fluid that's spent the last 3 months absorbing water, diff/gearbox fluids that haven't been churned, a battery with three months of gradual drain on it.

Given the engine was only put in 2500km ago, I'd be *really* careful.




I think a Honda 250HP is just as sophisticated and completed as any engine :roll:

Think about when you purchase a NEW car chances are its been sitting in a holding yard for months 8) :roll:

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:13 am
by dr20t
BUDDAH wrote:Just check all fluids before you start her up and idle for a few minutes then gentle drive around the block :wink:
I have has a tank of fuel in the boat for well over 12 months and had no problems.


For someone so "great and knowledgable", I was expecting some real ground breaking advice :D

To the OP - depending on how much fuel is actually sitting in your tank, I'd do as others suggested and dilute it with a large amount of fresh fuel

More importantly though, I'd pull your fuel pump fuse from the main engine bay fuse box before first starting her up. Or even unplug all your coil plugs to be safe.

Crank your motor as you normally would (which obviously won't start the car with the above done) but this will allow oil pressure to build up and lubcricate your important bits prior to the engine firing up.

Once you're satisfied that oil has reached the critical parts, then reconnect your fuel pump fuse and coil plugs then she's good to go.

Mick

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:44 am
by BUDDAH
dr20t wrote:
BUDDAH wrote:Just check all fluids before you start her up and idle for a few minutes then gentle drive around the block :wink:
I have has a tank of fuel in the boat for well over 12 months and had no problems.


For someone so "great and knowledgable", I was expecting some real ground breaking advice :D

To the OP - depending on how much fuel is actually sitting in your tank, I'd do as others suggested and dilute it with a large amount of fresh fuel

More importantly though, I'd pull your fuel pump fuse from the main engine bay fuse box before first starting her up. Or even unplug all your coil plugs to be safe.

Crank your motor as you normally would (which obviously won't start the car with the above done) but this will allow oil pressure to build up and lubcricate your important bits prior to the engine firing up.

Once you're satisfied that oil has reached the critical parts, then reconnect your fuel pump fuse and coil plugs then she's good to go.

Mick



Do they do all of that rubbish with a new cars after sitting in holding yards for months :roll: Stick to banking it suits you personality :wink:

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:47 am
by senator
You mentioned that your engine was recently rebuilt…… I’d be asking the engine builder what oil was used and if any additives were used during the build that might have not been flushed out.

Either way are fresh tank of fuel and oil/filter change is in order.

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:06 am
by Robbks
BUDDAH wrote:Do they do all of that rubbish with a new cars after sitting in holding yards for months :roll:

Not at the dealership I worked in.

We'd just grab a car from the storage yard, wash it, then drive it up the highway on the limiter to clean all the sh!t of the spark plugs that had accumulated after doing multiple 10-20m moves for the 10-20km that were on it's odometer

I'm with Buddah, all that is a load of crap.
"brake fluid that's been absorbing water for 3 months...."
when did you last do your brake fluid? mine was WAY more than 3 months ago.. still stops fine.

just be sensible, start it, let it warm up go fill it with some fresh fuel and take it for a reasonable drive to your engine builders advice for the new engine. you just want to get everything nicely up to temp, then give her a good flogging to clear it out.

Re: engine hasnt run for a while

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:23 am
by LBR37Y
Thanks guy for all the feedback!!!

Iv spoken to the builder and pretty much said Start up, stay off boost till fill up, injector cleaner, upper cylinder
cleaner, oil change and all good..

But as mentioned before before start up I think ok get a few Jerry and and mix the fuel that is in it with new 98 fuel & injecter cleaner then start up, let it warm and nurse it till I do the upper engine and new oil...

And someone asked how much fuel was in it, like I said I havnt driven it in a while but I wasn't stupid enough to WASTE a whole tank of 98 so I left it and that was less then 1/4 of a tank so there's not much in there but then with all that space in the tank i would think that it is ALOT more susceptible to moisture in the tank...

So I think I will do a new fuel filter aswell!! Later on but that's not a priority at the moment.. I'm more focused on gettin my Liscence back lol