Al Crickmore Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 The 7 has been sitting out on my mums drive since mid-november. What precautions do I need to take to 'wake' it up? Had the battery indoors conditioning so no worries there. What else do I need to do though??? And yes, I know I've been slack not driving it.... Edited by - al crickmore on 28 Jan 2006 22:02:13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normans_Ghost Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 There is always a difference of opinion on this. Before doing anything check all the levels, oil, water, brake and clutch (if any) fluids. Inspect underneath for heavy leakage from gearbox and diff. If you can be bothered I would remove plugs and squirt a teaspoon full of 3-1 oil into each cylinder 24 hours before turning it over for the first time. Then start it at the slowest tickover it will run until the oil pressure comes up to normal. Drive off as soon as oil pressure is normal but keep the revs as low as possible (not above 3000) until it's warmed up. It will take a 20 miles run to get the oil to operating temprature such as to go to max revs. But also remember to bed the brakes in before the first corner. The clutch plate may be rusted to the 1st motion shaft. If so, once running smoothly, switch off, put it in 1st and start in gear and drive off. Keep pumping clutch until plate unsticks. Can't think of anything else but may well have missed something. Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here You and your seven to The French Blatting Company Limited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Crickmore Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Brilliant. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7Nut Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Gonna be taxing mine from Wed, so are we on for a blat Al 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blade_runner Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Ditch jumpin 😬 'Pinky Pics' here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stelios Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Not sure how dry the drive is underneath the car but you might want to leave the car ticking over it until it gets to normal running temperature in order to check for coolant leaks (e.g. look directly underneath the jubilee clips). Stelios the Bubble Click here for my Caterham 7 page or here for some photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Had the battery indoors conditioning so no worries there. Well do check it before you haul it out to the car - I know someone who put their Banner onto a conditioner over the winter only to find the thing was dry/knackered when he wanted to use it in the new year. And yes, I believe it was a conditioner rather than a trickle-charger... Project Scope-Creep is live... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Crickmore Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Stew, hope to be up and running by next weekend so hopefully yeah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbutnotslow Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 The problem is that most of the oil will have drained away since the engine was last run. Cranking in this state can cause damage to the engine. To save any undue stress on moving components take the plugs out and crank with the injector loom plug disconnected to get oil pressure, then reconnect plug to loom and replace the spark plugs and 'da jobs a good un' Grant Taylor OBNS Motorsport 😬 183 BHP of Black and 'Stone Chip' excitement. 😬 here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Crickmore Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Wha..? That might as well have been written in Chinese. Apart from the 'take the plugs out' bit..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotus Boy Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 and pepper your lovely new paint job with salts rocks Stew!!!!!!! What are you thinking???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashaughnessy Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Roger King's advice (which has been given in this forum in the past) is not to bother with cranking with the plugs out but just to start the engine as quickly as possible. Al - do you have weber carbs or fuel injection? Weber carbs will lose all the petrol from the float chambers and so will take a lot of cranking before they fill up and the car will start. I've been trying over the last year to short cut this by pouring petrol into the carb via the small filter chamber. This has sometimes worked very well, sometimes had not much effect so I'm still experimenting with it. Edited as I've realised that a lot of people now have electric fuel pumps and so don't have this problem of empty carbs - just us luddites with mechanical fuel pumps. Anthony Edited by - ashaughnessy on 30 Jan 2006 11:31:25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbutnotslow Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Sorry Al a couple of assumptions on my part. Firstly that we are looking at a K and secondly you would know where the loom to injector multi plug is. (follow the wires from the injectors toward the bulkhead and you will come to a big black plug with 10 or so wires going into it.. It comes apart by lifting the top upward - need some pressure - when both halves will slide apart) If you have a VX or an X flow this does not apply. The reason for disconnecting the injector loom is to stop the injectors from squirting petrol into the cylinders whilst cranking for pressure, thus diluting what little oil that will have remained on the bores. A first start after standing for a while is akin to an oil change when it can take 20 seconds or more to get oil pressure, particularly with an Apollo fitted, after a refill. It is a recognised fact that more wear takes place in the few seconds after starting the engine and I for one would prefer not to have stress on an engine in these situations. Hence cranking with the plugs removed. I have paid a lot of money for my engine and cant think of any reason to jeopardise its longevity. After all it only takes 5 mins to do the whole operation. As you see there are of course differing opinions about the best way. In the end its up to you! Grant Taylor OBNS Motorsport 😬 183 BHP of Black and 'Stone Chip' excitement. 😬 here Edited by - oldbutnotslow on 30 Jan 2006 10:07:58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Crickmore Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 Interesting that the two theories differ so much. I have indeed got a K (Superlight) and at the very least now I know what that big black plug is for (being as mechanically inept as I am I'll probably end up using Anthonys method anyway ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Normans_Ghost Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Grant there is liitle load on an engine at tickover. It is well advised (as above - bt RK) not to turn on starter but to start as quickly as possibly and allow to tickover until pressure rises. You'll be surprised how much oil will still be on the bearing surfaces and in the oil ways. Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here You and your seven to The French Blatting Company Limited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Eccles Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Al Crickmore , "slap on wrist" dont leave it so ling between drives Ho Hum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old captain slow Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I'm taking mine for an MOT on Friday. Last run was October. Mmmmm! To faff about with plugs or just crank it? Used to live abroad and the good ole Cortina sat in the garage for up to 18 months between starts. Always intended to take out the plugs etc, but with no bread in the fridge and jet lagged just dropped it off the axle stands, unglued the clutch and cranked her. Sold the car at about 70k miles and the engine was fine even though clouds of rust coloured dust came out of the exhaust. What I did was probably quite wrong but seemed to get away with it for the best part of 11 years. C7 CDW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Or pull out the fuel pump fuse, crank the engine on the starter motor to get oil pressure, then pop it back in & fire it up. Thats what I do after an oil change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobW Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Cranked mine over and it started fine after sitting since November ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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