Starting after a long time

[K67 KRB]

Hi,

My Griff 4.3 has been in the garage untouched for about 1.5 years, due to financial constraints.

I am now in a position to get it back on the road.

Obviously, I want to get it to a local specialist for a good look over. Should I be able to start and drive it to the garage?

Any tips?

Cheers and glad to be back :-)

[andy43]

Cureton 4.3 - I think I remember this on PH from when I had my 4.3 over a decade ago?!

Most important thing I'd do is check the fuel hoses at the back of the engine bay for perishing before even trying to start it - give the hoses a squeeze and a bend and if they're badly cracked get a trailer. If they seem ok, switch ignition on and off and prime the pump a few times and check again for leaks just in case, and also around the fuel pump hoses under the car.

Then check clutch reservoir, make sure clutch is free'd off, spin engine with plugs out (and ign amp unplugged or coil king lead possibly - somebody else more knowledgeable needs to advise on which is best to unplug without potentially damaging ecu) to get oil pressure up a bit.

18 months isn't too long if the car was maintained up to when it was stored away.
And brakes will need checking...

[simonwedge]

Agree with previous post about checking fuel lines etc. first.

You don't need to take spark plugs out. Just make sure the battery is fully charged, pull the king lead out of the coil and spin the engine over for 20-30 seconds to get the oil circulating and build up some pressure. Then replace the king lead and you're away.

Edited by simonwedge on Thursday 5th January 20:03

[carsy]

Better still pull the dizzy out and spin the pump up on a drill. You will need an attachmentvto fit onto the pump. This way You get oil pressure without anything turning.

[RichB]

carsy said:

Better still pull the dizzy out and spin the pump up on a drill. You will need an attachmentvto fit onto the pump. This way You get oil pressure without anything turning.

Seriously sounds like a load of bother. Just do as said, pull the HT lead and spin the engine for 10 secs.

Edited by RichB on Thursday 5th January 21:35

[Number 7]

Better disable the fuel system as well, whilst bringing the oil pressure up prior to starting.

[blitzracing]

Hold fire on the HT stuff! If you pull the king lead you end up with huge HT spikes as the coil tries to discharge across its own body. The fuel pump will also run as you crank the engine and flood the plugs as there is no spark. The safe thing to do is unplug the ignition amp that will prevent both these issues. Spinning the oil pump is a nice idea, but a bit of a faff. As a compromise drop the plugs out, pop a squirt of lubricant down each bore and crank the engine until the oil pressure comes up. This way you keep the bearing load to a minimum before the oil circulates fully. Also worth adding fresh oil and some of the wynns engine stop leak product, as this helps soften oils seals that may have become deformed as the engine has not been turned for a long period.

[RichB]

blitzracing said:

... unplug the ignition amp ...

Where/how does one do this?

[blitzracing]

Its the black box on the side of the dizzy with a 2 or three pin connector that will just unplug.

[RichB]

blitzracing said:

Its the black box on the side of the dizzy with a 2 or three pin connector that will just unplug.

Great thanks... now you mention it I had to replace the one on my old S3c years ago. I'd forgotten that.

[robsco]

I'd just pull the fuel pump relay in this situation and turn the starter, is this wrong?

[Hedgehopper]

As above, ^^^^^^^ , just pull the silver relay in the blue holder in the footwell.

[TVR Beaver]

I'd also get a wrench on the lower crank pulley bolt... or put it in gear and rock the car back and forwards a bit... just to break free any stuck lip seals.. after that amount of time they can stick to the shaft (usualy at the top where the oil has drained away) .. if you just turn over you can pull lumps out of them and then they will start to leak.... if you can move things 1 deg either way, it will help to free them off....

[Sardonicus]

Just run it up onto fast idle cranking with no fuel will do more harm than good to cam and rocker gear, oil will reach bearings in no time

[shake n bake]

Sardonicus said:

Just run it up onto fast idle cranking with no fuel will do more harm than good to cam and rocker gear, oil will reach bearings in no time

I was thinking this, its 18 months left idle not 18 years.

[Sardonicus]

shake n bake said:

I was thinking this, its 18 months left idle not 18 years.

Precisely oil and filter not long after wouldn't go a miss though

[K67 KRB]

Thanks for all the info guys.

Yes, I was thinking 18 months wasn't that long for a car in a garage.

All I need to do is get it to the local garage which is 10 miles away and they can check everything.

Cheers all.