Post storage startup
#16
Rennlist Member
#17
Race Director
I assume you would crank it long enough to see the oil pressure come up to some level and stay there on the gauge. At that point put D1/D2 25A fuses back in and go for a real start.
The theory is the engine gets prelubed before having to see any high loads and temperatures due to combustion.
The theory is the engine gets prelubed before having to see any high loads and temperatures due to combustion.
Regardless of how one starts the engine after any storage time it should not experience/be subjected to high loads high rpm operation until it has time to come fully up to operating temperature.
There is a reason why engine RPMs shoot up upon cold start. This gets the plain bearings spinning so they can generate the hydrodynamic bearing (oil film) from the residual oil present. Additionally the big increase in RPMs gets the gear pump spinning so it primes promptly and reliably every time and supplies oil as quickly as possible to the rest of the system.
Even when I start my 996 Turbo after just a day's lack of use there is hardly any oil pressure showing on the oil pressure gage during cranking. The engine fires and RPMs quickly climb to near 1.5K and during this climb is when the oil pressure shoots up from under 1 bar to 4+ bar.
Best advice I can offer is put the car in storage with among other things with the engine filled with fresh engine oil.
I'd add two bottles of Swepco 502 oil improver (it has moly in it) which the techs tell me helps improve initial lubrication of engines that are not used frequently. Thus when you go to start the engine at the end of storage you have done all you can to mimimize the effects of lack of use while the car was stored.
I like to recommend if possible to start and run the engine every so often while in "storage" to circulate the oil and wet the various gaskets, seals, o-rings, etc. to minimize any drying/shrinking. This also restores a full load of oil to all the bearing surfaces so the next start will find more oil present than if the engine sat through the entire storage time with no run time at all.
#18
Rennlist Member
#19
Racer
I read somewhere that Kevin @ Ultimate Motorworks suggested the crank without firing method to prelube an engine that hasn't run for a while to minimize wear on the initial first start-up but haven't been able to find that reference.
#20
Racer
#21
Rennlist Member
Just started my car for first time since storage December 1st 2016. Full tank of gas, 50psi in the tires and battery tender.
Fired right up like I had driven it yesterday. No warnings, no smoke, no drama at all. Let it idle for 5mins, reduced the tire pressures and took it out for a 2 hour drive. Perfect.
I too was researching a post-storage startup procedure. It's obvious that all the information out there is purely anecdotal and everyone has their own opinion of how it should be done. So I just went for the most straightforward solution - turn the key and fire it up.
Fired right up like I had driven it yesterday. No warnings, no smoke, no drama at all. Let it idle for 5mins, reduced the tire pressures and took it out for a 2 hour drive. Perfect.
I too was researching a post-storage startup procedure. It's obvious that all the information out there is purely anecdotal and everyone has their own opinion of how it should be done. So I just went for the most straightforward solution - turn the key and fire it up.
#22
Racer
So last week I thought I'd try the D1/D2 fuse pull prior to starting the car.
So I pull the two fuses, start to crank and the engine fires up and actually runs for a few seconds prior to running out of fuel.
So I crank again a couple of more seconds and pop the fuses back in so next crank it starts and runs - just notice a bit of condensation in the exhaust until the engine warms up.
So I pull the two fuses, start to crank and the engine fires up and actually runs for a few seconds prior to running out of fuel.
So I crank again a couple of more seconds and pop the fuses back in so next crank it starts and runs - just notice a bit of condensation in the exhaust until the engine warms up.
#23
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
Rennlist Member
Rennlist
Site Sponsor
When removing the fuses, one want to crank the start for 10 to 15 seconds and then repeat until you see at least 1.5 bars of oil pressure building on the oil gauge. From a long winter slumber, my car will take 2 each 10 second key twists to reach that oil pressure level.. It's nice not hearing the lifter clutter... FYI, each cylinder has 2 oil squirters spraying oil on the wrist pin, rod, piston skirt and cylinder liner. These squiters have spring loaded check valves/ball. You need oil pressure to overcome the valves and to develop a good spray pattern too "gain" this feature.