Jack Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I may be stupid but..... If an mv has been standing outside for 10 - 15 years - how viable is the Hercules engine going to be?? knackered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Rick W Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 The Morris engine of mine hadnt been run for about a similar length of time. After taking the head off, cleaning out the cylinder bores and valves, removing 2 dead mice and fitting a new head gasket there was nothing wrong with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Hercules Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Depends on the vehicle it is mounted within...... what ya buyin' Jack? ;-) S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 croc Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 The engine in my Explorer had not been run for many years, checked oil fuel and water and it started first go. I also have an engine in a Gipsy that had been stored under a tarp on a farm for 15 years, also started no bother. On the other hand if the weather has got into it there could be problems. It all comes down to how it has been stored. Things to do: Check air cleaners and exhaust are clear. Check oil and coolant, the condition of the oil is a good indication of the state of the engine and a radiator full of antifreeze is a very good sign. Check that things that should turn, turn. fan, water pump etc. Check for fuel at injector pump. If dubious about it, maybe remove the injectors and turn it slowly without compression to see if it is free. If everything seems OK try and start it, but make sure it is not in a gear and make sure you have some way of stopping it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 gritineye Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 A pioneer we towed home started first time after standing 20 odd years, diesels are better than petrol engines as the bores are protected to some degree by the fuel, petrol washes them clean. and electrics aren't involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 TooTallMike Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Depends on the vehicle it is mounted within...... what ya buyin' Jack? ;-) S. I'm guessing it's an RXC...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 rambo1969 Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Alot depends what the engine was like when it was last used. My uncles rover 110 was left for a similar amount off time and what my dad did was drain out the old oil and fill the engine with diesel and left it for a week, he then started turning over the engine with the starting handle 100 times a day and then put fresh oil in it and started it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Adrian Barrell Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I'm guessing it's an RXC...? I would guess so too. They are liable to have stuck valves after a lot less than 10 years. As to would it be knackered....It may well have been knackered 15 years ago! There are so many variables, the only answer is to look. When I did my multibank, some pistons took a few tons to move and some were still free and slipped out by hand. All the crank and camshaft journals were fine. That engine was sat on SPTA for over 40 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 snowtracdave Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 When I bought my Ally B as a restoration project it arrived here with rotted tyres hanging off the rims & generally looking extremely unloved . Once it was unloaded I put the handle in and cranked it a couple of times just to see if the engine would actually turn or not and third turn it fired and ran pretty much perfectly . It really is luck of the draw I think -you might find a good un or end up spending a couple of weeks with block and big hammer getting the pistons out ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Bodger Baz Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I have fired a few engines that sat for many years, one up to 35 years without a problem, although the jeep engine i did a couple of years back had rusty valve seats. All i done was whip the plugs out, pop some oil in and turn over by hand several dozen times to make sure nothing was going to start smacking each other and that oil has been pumped around the engine, then get er going. Did a Ford V8 last summer that had not run for 35 years and it ran a treat, with the aid of a new carb, points and plugs. it all comes down to how the engine has been stored and luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Jack Posted May 28, 2008 Author Share Posted May 28, 2008 Thanks guys - but is starting to look beyond my skills. Onwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Poptopshed Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Currently working on my S1 landrover started on it last month. That was last on the road in 1991 and has mostly been dry stored or covered with sheets. I had to rebuild the fuel pump and the starter motor had seized but was rebuilt. Cleaned the points new plugs and leads and fresh fuel and she is running sweet, touch wood! All depends on how its ben stored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Tony B Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 So obviously, first does it turn over? Try with out plugs, makes life easier. Filling the cylinders with hot fresh engine oil, warmed in pan till coulours start to appear and a glaze, and then turning by hand, helps clear muck and stuck. If no nasty noises turn over on starter, without plugs, also clears any remaing oil out. If all sounds not to bad, add a small amount of fuel and see if it fires. If it fires and kicks without nasty noises, then take deep breath start and run gently. Good idea to run a hose pipe through cooling system though before you start. In my experience it is mucked up cooling systems that cause troubles in old engines. Is there still oil in it? Petrol or disiel by the way? If petrol give a good squirt of carb cleanear and allow to soak. At the risk of people sticking pins in model bicycles all over the country, a can of ether start is useful, just a quick squirt. As for skills, not a lot needed really more muck and hammers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 antarmike Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 I once bought a "new" series one Landy engine. It was a genuine Rover landy engine that had never been fitted or run. It had been carefully stored for 30 years when I bought it and I had it in the corner of my Kitchen (honestly) for another ten years before I fitted it into my 80". Admittedly it had never been run so there were no combustion by products in the bore nor had there ever been any coolant around the block, but I first fired it up 40 years after it was built and it was fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 andreadavide Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 ...At the risk of people sticking pins in model bicycles all over the country... Could you please explain a poor furriner what does this mean? Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 LeeEnfield Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 Could you please explain a poor furriner what does this mean? Andrea Tony is of the lycra clad folk,............and the use of 'ether engine start', can be viewed, in some quarters, as a bit of a no-no. (think the main reason being is the engine can get 'addicted', to the stuff, and will always need it before coming out to play.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Tony B Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 Andy's got it in one. :n00b: As for engines getting addicted, if you need the stuff all the time, buy a new engine. I do keep a can around, if the engine has been soacked and the spark is a bit rough or the battery failing or having to prime a disel it does help . At the Bus gagrage Easy Start is a NO NO NO, so the guys use brake cleaner instead.:cool2: haven't tried it on the pedal bikes power pack yet though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Brake cleaner works well,when we get a car thats got a fuel pump in trouble and the aa dump it in the middle of the rd,we use it to get the car running so we can get it on the ramp.It takes a bit of timing when to spray as the backfires tend to take the hairs off your arm and add to the contents of your trousers.:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Degsy Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Brake cleaner works well,when we get a car thats got a fuel pump in trouble and the aa dump it in the middle of the rd,we use it to get the car running so we can get it on the ramp.It takes a bit of timing when to spray as the backfires tend to take the hairs off your arm and add to the contents of your trousers.:-D :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Hello mate,you bin a bit scarce lately,everything ok.:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Degsy Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Hello mate,you bin a bit scarce lately,everything ok.:-D Yes thanks, just busy, so many jobs so little time. I officially retired on Tuesday but have been doing dawn to dusk days on the farm since then.:sweat: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 andreadavide Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Tony is of the lycra clad folk,............and the use of 'ether engine start', can be viewed, in some quarters, as a bit of a no-no. (think the main reason being is the engine can get 'addicted', to the stuff, and will always need it before coming out to play.) AAAAhhhh, now I see it was a personal reference.... I do agree, however that if an engine needs ether to start (old Transit apart, of course) there is something wrong and must be rectified. I live in a farm where one of the tractors can be started only with ether, but since is attached to a very specialised equipment and it's used twice a month it would be non cost-effective to overhaul the engine... Andrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Jack
I may be stupid but.....
If an mv has been standing outside for 10 - 15 years - how viable is the Hercules engine going to be?? knackered?
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