Re: Restarting Unused 5I Engine

[Robert Houk - WorkGroup Server Firmware <Robert.Houk@East.Sun.COM>]

   I've had the same question in my mind for a couple weeks.  I'm
   thinking (not having done this on an I5) that I would prime the
   oil system by pulling the plugs and cranking the motor to get oil
   pressure before trying to start the motor.  This is the only way
   I can come up with to spin the crankshaft-mounted oil pump fast
   enough to get any pressure.

What I do with my bike (motorcycle) come Spring is pull the plugs and
squirt "a bit" of oil (a little bit goes a long ways...) into each
cylinder, then crank the engine a few seconds (sans plugs) to pressurize
all the oil galleries.

In general, all closed bearings (crank, con-rods, etc.) will have 
"plenty" of oil present (will not be dry surface on dry surface).
Typically ("often", "sometimes", etc.) the cam lobes will also 
swing through a pool of oil and thus self-lube. This depends on the
particular engine, though... If pulling the valve cover is easy
(relative to your level of paranoia), then the cam [well, of the
"overhead" variety, anyways) is readily accessible for manual
slobbering of oil.

Start the engine in a well-ventilated area (e.g., not the typical
garage) as truly prodigious amounts of billowing blue smoke will be
issuing forth for the first several moments (pity the poor spark
plugs).

As an aside, one of the WORST things you can do for long-term
garaging/storing of a car (motorcycle, etc.) is to run it for a
few mintues every coupla weeks or so! First, you'll maximize the
wear of dry-on-dry lubed surfaces (oil films last "7-10" days,
as a rough rule of thumb -- or at least that used to be the rule
of thumb). Second, if you don't actually run the engine long-and-
hard enough to get the *oil* temperature well above 100C/212F,
you won't boil out the water that condenses, and will be using
a oil/acid mixture to coat the inner parts of your engine (and
leaving water in the exhaust system, worst case!).

					-RDH