Taking out of storage

**Pushead** · 03-02-2008, 08:55 AM

Hey guys,

I've had my 98 Formula in storage since early December, and even though there is still tons of snow on the ground by me, I'm really ready for the spring. I've had it covered and in the garage with a trickle charger and stabil in the gas.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do when I get ready to take it out? What I'm worried about, is starting the engine for the first time with all of the oil sitting in the pan.

I did some searching on the forum, and didn't find anything, so if I've missed another thread, I apologize.

**sunsetorangess** · 03-02-2008, 08:58 AM

Depending on what maint. you have due, ie filters, flushes, i would do a over look of the vehicle and make sure everything is good then personaly i would change the oil and filter and go from there.
J

**Pushead** · 03-02-2008, 09:21 AM

I generally warm the oil a bit before I drain it though. Would it be terrible to add a half-quart of oil just to coat the moving parts before I fire it, let it idle for a while and then drain it?

**WS-6** · 03-02-2008, 02:04 PM

I just got mine ready and its been sitting since early november. What I did is changed the oil and filter, pulled the fuel pump fuse and relay. I then turned the engine over for a couple minutes to build some oil pressure.Next replace the fuse and relay then turn the key forward and back two times too get fuel pressure built up and finally start it and let it get up to operating temp. I had no knocking, no pings, no lifter tick, nothing its all good.

**LETHALxLS1** · 03-02-2008, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Pushead

I generally warm the oil a bit before I drain it though. Would it be terrible to add a half-quart of oil just to coat the moving parts before I fire it, let it idle for a while and then drain it?

Dude you are getting carried away. Start the car and let it warm up. Then change the oil like you normally do. As soon as you turn the key before the engine even starts oil is already in the valve covers.

**nhraformula** · 03-02-2008, 04:12 PM

my car sits 5 months in a garage during the cold shitty weather.
when its nice enough out and no road salt on the streets, i jump the battery, start the car and drive it.
ive done this 7 years now.

**0rion** · 03-02-2008, 05:25 PM

I pull the fuel pump relay and turn it over a few times until I see oil pressure just to be on the safe side. Reallistically it probably doesn't do a whole lot other than give me a piece of mind.

**0rion** · 03-02-2008, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by LETHALxLS1

Dude you are getting carried away. Start the car and let it warm up. Then change the oil like you normally do. As soon as you turn the key before the engine even starts oil is already in the valve covers.

I disagree with that. The oil pump runs off the crank so the engine is turning to build oil pressure and on a sytem that's completely drained down I'd say when you fire it up there's more than a couple revolutions before oil gets to the top end. I know that when pulling my relay and cranking it the oil pressure takes several revolutions before it jumps up.
Again, priming the system by just pulling the relay probably doesn't do much other than offer a peace of mind but at least I have the peace of mind.

**WS-6** · 03-02-2008, 06:21 PM

Better safe than sorry when you have some bad luck spells every so often like me.It deffinatley is a good practice to change oil before even turning it over because all the old oil is in the pan so you get as close to 100 percent fresh oil as you can get.This is what my father has always done with his 86 t/a and it has over 160k still running strong with no blow by or burning oil.Peace of mind or not I plan to have mine for a long time so I plan to stick with what worked for him.Everone is different, what ever floats your boat I always say.

**LETHALxLS1** · 03-02-2008, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

I disagree with that. The oil pump runs off the crank so the engine is turning to build oil pressure and on a sytem that's completely drained down I'd say when you fire it up there's more than a couple revolutions before oil gets to the top end. I know that when pulling my relay and cranking it the oil pressure takes several revolutions before it jumps up.
Again, priming the system by just pulling the relay probably doesn't do much other than offer a peace of mind but at least I have the peace of mind.

Ok-perhaps on a car that has sat up for months but otherwise yes. I will say this much-cranking the car after it sits up wont hurt shit IMO.

**LETHALxLS1** · 03-02-2008, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by nhraformula

my car sits 5 months in a garage during the cold shitty weather.
when its nice enough out and no road salt on the streets, i jump the battery, start the car and drive it.
ive done this 7 years now.

Makes perfect sense to me.

**0rion** · 03-02-2008, 09:45 PM

it's all in how anal you want to be IMO. Probably the proper way to do it if you were inclined to worry about this sort of thing very much ( which I'm not.

) would be to pull the plugs and fuel pump relay so when it's cranking over it's not building compression. It'll also spin much faster and get oil up quicker. I wouldn't sweat doing it either way. It's just one of those things I prefer to do except I'm to lazy to pull the plugs.

**LETHALxLS1** · 03-02-2008, 09:53 PM

I know where your coming from Orion- I just think alot of guys want to take good care of their cars and start reading on different forums and wind up getting a bit carried away on certain things. I think {if your gonna do anything} the best thing to do is crank the car with the relay out like you do.

**0rion** · 03-02-2008, 09:57 PM

I agree that people seem to take stuff a little to far but I have to tell you, I admire the hell out of some of these guys for the little PIA stuff they do to take care of the car. I see guys that keep their under carriage cleaner than I do my floor boards.

Not something I would spend much time on ( I have crawled under there and cleaned from time to time) but I admire someone that's willing to take it to that level. It just shows a certain amount of dedication and it's what separates the really serious guys from us hobby guys.

**nhraformula** · 03-03-2008, 04:27 AM

some of you guys are over anal. its pretty safe to say that within about 2-3 seconds of firing it up, oil will be all threwout the block.

**Pushead** · 03-03-2008, 05:27 AM

My friend with a Mustang says that the FI system on the Fords have a "flood bypass" to keep the engine from firing when it thinks the engine is flooded. When he starts the car in the spring, he puts the gas pedal on the floor, and turns the ignition. It will start turning the crank and putting oil through the system. He does that until it builds pressure on his gauge. Afterwards, he turns off the key, lets off the gas and fires it as usual.

Have you ever heard of that with a GM?

**rajiv1998** · 03-03-2008, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Pushead

My friend with a Mustang says that the FI system on the Fords have a "flood bypass" to keep the engine from firing when it thinks the engine is flooded. When he starts the car in the spring, he puts the gas pedal on the floor, and turns the ignition. It will start turning the crank and putting oil through the system. He does that until it builds pressure on his gauge. Afterwards, he turns off the key, lets off the gas and fires it as usual.

Have you ever heard of that with a GM?

Iv got 2 friends with 03/04 cobras. One drives his as a DD but the other sits in storage from Thanksgiving to mid March. Actually his car is a garage queen, and he only drives to to my house, car shows and the track. However he has never done what u had just mentioned. He starts the car once every two weeks for 15 minutes so maybe thats y he doesnt do it?