An old Chevrolet engine that has sat for years

Starting an Old Engine That Has Not Run in Years

If you are pulling your first classic out of a junk-covered barn, chopping it out of the undergrowth, or it has simply been sitting in a relative’s garage for years chances are you are not going to be able to just pop the key in the ignition and drive off. Do not be discouraged, though; look under the hood before starting an old engine. If all the fundamental components are in place, it is not as hard as you might think to get an old engine to sputter back to life.

If you are a buyer then its buyer beware if you are hoping to find a car that will run again because the oldest one in the book is, “It ran when I parked it.” Do not be like the ignorant person on TV pouring gasoline down the carburetor. Pouring gasoline down a carburetor works great for a flame fueled backfire or contaminating the engine oil with gas, but it is a bad idea and starting an old engine this way is doubtful.

There are a few essential supplies that everyone needs for a “will it run” adventure. Always make sure you have a fully charged battery and an external fuel source in the form of a jerry can, bottle or jug – a way to provide 12v power to the starter and ignition. Now, she may not be ready to run and move under her own power just yet, but at the very least you will have somewhere to start.

Here are a number of simple steps you can take to make sure your engine is ready to fire up after sitting for an extended period before you start to spend money on rebuilding or replacing drive train components like the carburetor or alternator, and even before diving into the transmission or differential.

Inspect Before Starting an Old Engine

Leaves, debris and rodent nests on top of car engine

After you have gained access to everything under the hood and have a clear area to work, make sure the engine is whole and has all the basic sources of air, fuel and spark that are needed for ignition. When you have accounted for all your accessories and drive belts, remove the air cleaner so you can check and clear the carb/throttle-body of any debris.

Rodents and insects like to make air intakes and vacuum hoses their homes, so make sure there is no debris resting on top of or in the carburetor or throttle body. If you find any heavy build up in the recesses or barrels of the carburetor or throttle body, you may want to consider removing the intake manifold and checking the intake runners as well. If the vehicle was stored with the air cleaner assembly on, or at least a rag over the intake, you should be okay

The newer your car the more electrical components you will find under the hood, but even old engines can have electrical problems. If all the mechanical parts seem to be working properly and you still cannot start your old engine, you may have an electrical problem.

The easiest problem to diagnose and fix is the battery. Car batteries are made up of a lead-acid or lead-calcium system that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Batteries go through a recharging cycle when the alternator sends a current to the battery’s internal plates and back into the electrolyte mixture inside the battery.

When a battery is not being used, the chemical reaction in the battery breaks down and causes it to lose its energy. If the battery sits long enough it will be ineffective for starting up the engine. If the battery is not that old, and it is a maintenance free model, you may be able to add a little distilled water to it to see if you can generate the charge. If it has been sitting unused for a long time, it is best to install a new one.

In addition to checking the battery, inspect the ignition coil and coil wire. Use a multimeter on the coil to see if the resistance reading matches the recommendation for your vehicle. If it does not, then the coil may be bad. If the coil and its wiring work, use a current reader to see the starter motor is receiving a current. Corrosion or bad wiring can inhibit the starter motor and prevent the engine from firing up.

If your electrical systems are working and the car still will not start, you will need to try a different approach.

Manually Turn Over Engine

Manually turning over a car engine with a wrench

Next, make sure that the engine is “free” and will turn over. If the engine has been sitting for a long time and you are not sure when it was last running, you will want to remove each spark plug and squirt a tablespoon or so of “Marvel Mystery Oil,” engine oil or down each hole. If you feel that the cylinders have more rust, then you can use ATF (automatic transmission fluid) which is an “old school” mechanic trick. This will ensure that the cylinder walls and piston rings are coated and lubricated.

To ensure that the engine is free, use a ½ in. drive ratchet or breaker bar to rotate the engine over by hand using the crank shaft pulley bolt. As you do this, listen for any grinding, clunking, or scraping noises. Be sure not to confuse this with the puff or hiss of air compression being released, which is normal and will also push out most of the oil you used to lubricate the cylinders.

When an engine is old or has been sitting unused for a long time the internal components are going to be less likely get going. You can liken it to Newton’s first law where he said that an object at rest tends to stay at rest. This just means the engine will need a little coaxing and more oil or ATF fluid and let soak in. Since the engine has not had any oil running through it in a while it will need to be lubricated. You can do this using a product called Marvel Mystery Oil to lubricate the cylinders, pistons, and rings. You can do this by taking out the spark plugs and pouring a small amount of oil directly into the cylinders. The plugs will need to be replaced anyway.

There are two separate ways to get the engine to turn over at this point. In some cars you may be able to turn the engine over using a socket wrench on the crankshaft nut or you could hook up a battery to the ignition. Any oil that is in the cylinders will come out when you do this. If the engine turns over after you crank it then it may start up once the spark plugs are replaced.

Getting the engine to turnover is a good sign, and if you have already corrected some other problem areas then the above suggestion may be all you need. But even if everything is working properly with the engine there still are several other factors that you need to inspect before you can get the engine running for good

Lubrication Before Starting an Old Engine

Using a catch bucket, remove the engine oil drain plug, then drain and fill the engine with fresh oil. When changing the oil also do not forget to replace the oil filter. We also recommend filling the new filter with oil before installing on engine and use an oil with a zinc additive to help minimize wear when restarting.

Depending on what was used as coolant and how long the vehicle has been sitting, there may be bits of rust and other gunk in the cooling system. You can run the engine for a brief period (1-2 mins) depending on the outside temperature without the radiator hoses or cooling system connected, but it is never a bad idea to drain and flush the radiator and engine to the best of your abilities beforehand.

Ignition and Wires

Removal of a distributer rotor with a screw drive on an old engine

If the engine ran before your project was parked and was not scavenged for parts or messed with afterwards, your ignition timing may be acceptable. However, you will need to make sure that you still have power to the ignition, and that it is generating spark. It is a good idea to remove your distributor cap and check for moisture, rust or debris and verify the rotor position. Cleaning the inside of the cap and scrape a residue off the cap nodes and rotor as well as the cleaning of the points contacts if the car has a standard ignition. This is also a suitable time to inspect the spark plug wires and confirm that the wires are in the correct firing order on the distributor. Missing this has caused me some frustrating hours on why the engine did not start or would not run properly.

If you decide to verify base timing before attempting the start-up, you will need to complete a few extra steps.

Ignition Timing

With the #1 spark plug and distributor cap removed, rotate the engine over by hand. With your thumb over the spark plug hole, continue rotating until you feel air pushing out from the #1 cylinder and the zero mark on the engine’s timing pointer is lined up with the mark on your harmonic balancer.

Diagram showing pistons in an old engine at top center and bottom center

At this point you will have reached TDC (top dead center) on the compression stroke for cylinder #1 and your rotor should be “pointing” towards cylinder #1. Make sure you know the firing order of your engine and can verify this. Fine tuning the timing can be done later.

Timing belts, or chains, are the part of your engine that keeps the camshaft, distributor, crankshaft, and pistons coordinated. When the timing belt breaks or is damaged it can keep the engine from starting up. Most timing belts will last about 60,000 miles (96,561 kilometers) but if your engine has been sitting for a long time it might be a good idea to inspect it.

Many cars use reinforced rubber belts, but older cars and many newer luxury cars still use metal chains. In either case, a broken timing belt (or chain) will inhibit your engine from starting.

Although it may take only a few minutes to slip the belt on, getting to the belt might not be all that easy. It is likely you will have to take off multiple hoses, move electrical wiring and remove other engine components to gain access to it. Once you can access the belt, you will have to make sure to align the crankshaft and camshaft markings and ensure the number one piston is at top dead center (TDC). If you do not get this exactly right, you can throw the entire engine off its timing and cause some serious internal damage when all those metal parts start crashing into each other.

Changing the timing belt is not for everyone. It requires a high level of skill, and in some cases, it might even require taking off an engine mount to gain full access while suspending part of the engine as you work on it. If your timing belt or chain is old, stretched, worn, or broken though, you will need to replace it to get your engine started. Consider taking it to a mechanic if you do not have the tools and skill required to replace it.

Vacuum Hoses Inspection and Replacement

Once your engine is free and able to rotate by hand, verify that the vacuum hoses and lines are connected where they should be and clear of debris. While all you really need for a first start is fuel and spark, you do not want to circulate gunk or debris through the engines air of fuel system.

This step is not entirely necessary if you only plan to get the engine to “fire up,” but if you want to run it for any measurable amount of time. Your engine creates a vacuum when the intake valve is partially closed in the intake manifold. The vacuum is then used to help power other components on the car. It may help reduce your effort in pressing down the brake pedal or, in older cars, it may even power the windshield wipers. If enough vacuum hoses have leaks, or you have one big leak, it may keep your old engine from starting.

In newer cars, some vacuum leaks can cause engine sensors to report incorrect readings to the engine’s computer system. When this happens, even minor leaks could keep your engine from starting. A few trouble spots for vacuum leaks may be the throttle body, the manifold seals, the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve or the PCV hose. Although those may be some trouble spots, there are numerous vacuum hoses in each car.

When the engine sits for a long time, the hoses can deteriorate and develop cracks. A few small leaks will not keep your car from starting but large leaks, or too many small ones, may be too much. There are several ways to determine if you have a vacuum leak, but the most effective is using a smoke generator. This smoke-out tool generates smoke in the engine so you can see where the vacuum leaks are coming from in each hose.

This tool is expensive and usually used by professionals, so it may be a better idea to locate a diagram of your engine’s vacuum hoses and replace them all instead. Replacing all the hoses in an old engine is not a bad idea, considering you could spend a lot of time trying to track down a leak and you will be replacing several hoses either way.

Fuel

Another major factor that causes old engines not to start is old gas. Gas is a highly refined product that vaporizes and combusts easily. The same chemicals that give gas these properties are also the ones that allow it to evaporate over time and cause the gas to lose its ability to ignite easily. In addition to evaporation, a process called oxidation can occur, when chemicals in the gas mix with oxygen. This produces deposits in the gas that can clog fuel lines, fuel filters, the carburetor and fuel injectors. Gasoline that has ethanol in it also tends to draw moisture out of the air and can contaminate the gas as well.

If the engine has been sitting for years, any gas in the tank or fuel lines is bad or contaminated. You will want to disconnect the main fuel line from the carburetor to avoid pumping bad gas through the fuel system.

You can run carbureted engines briefly using a water bottle with holes poked in the cap to manually supply the carburetor.

If you plan to let the engine idle, you will want to rig up fuel line from the carburetor to a gravity fed source like a large bottle, jug or jerry can. You do not need to replace fuel lines or a gas tank for an initial test start.

Coolant/Anti-freeze

Holding a radiator cap over a Ford engine radiator

In addition to replacing the old gas, the antifreeze will need to be replaced as well. Antifreeze breaks down over time and forms acids that can hurt your engine. Some people recommend using water, instead of coolant, when you are first starting the engine. If there is a problem with your head gasket, you do not want antifreeze (or water) leaking into the cylinders.

Power

All you really need to get the car started is a new battery with a full charge to ensure that it has the cranking power to turn the starter can spin the old engine fast and long enough to start. Be sure to check all the wire connections and ground straps, and clean as necessary to remove any corrosion.

Now, with a solid 12v source to your starter/ignition, a clean ground, new fluids, base timing set, your gravity fed fuel system and all your plugs and wires hooked back up, you are ready to attempt your first start!

The Attempt to Start

Before you attempt to start the engine, make sure that the car is in neutral, and you have the tires chalked.

It may take many cranks for compression to build and for combustion to occur; do not be discouraged if it takes more than a few cranks. You may want to hold a rag over the carb to “choke” the engine for initial ignition.

Adjust the airflow and fuel, feathering the throttle once ignition is achieved. Carefully spray or two of starting fluid or a squirt of fuel directly into the carburetor or throttle body may also help successful combustion and keep the engine running for the first few seconds.

Starter fluid is more volatile and works better than gasoline, plus it is a lot safer to use.

Starting fluid goes a long way and lasts a longtime. Some types of starter fluid can last 20 years and contain upper cylinder lubricants good for an old engine that sat for an extended period.

Finally

Once the engine is running and you hear no loud knocking, clanking, or pinging, it is likely that the engine is healthy enough to at least move the vehicle under its own power. If you are brave, at this point you may attempt to drive it a few feet or so from its early grave, but do not get hasty! Learn all you can about your project, do not take any shortcuts and do not give up. You have a long journey ahead of you!

About The Author

154 thoughts on “Starting an Old Engine That Has Not Run in Years”

    1. Matt:
      You will need to do bit of investigating before removing the engine as it may be the valves are not properly adjusted. See if you can locate the source of the clanging. The ping may also mean that the engine is not properly timed and pre-detonating. If the sounds are coming from the bottom of the engine, then the problem may be more serious.

  1. hi!,I like your writing very so much! share we keep up a correspondence extra about your article on AOL?
    I require an expert in this space to solve my problem. Maybe
    that’s you! Having a look ahead to peer you.

  2. Have you ever considered writing an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs?
    I have a blog based on the same ideas you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information.
    I know my readers would value your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel
    free to send me an e mail.

  3. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this,
    like you wrote the book in it or something.
    I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but
    other than that, this is wonderful blog.
    A fantastic read. I will certainly be back.

  4. Wonderful goods from you, man. I have understand
    your stuff previous to and you’re just too fantastic.
    I actually like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you are saying and the way in which you
    say it. You make it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it wise.
    I cant wait to read far more from you. This is actually
    a terrific website.

  5. Superb blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers?
    I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
    Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid
    option? There are so many choices out there that I’m completely
    confused .. Any recommendations? Bless you!

  6. Hello! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured I’d ask.
    Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest writing a blog article
    or vice-versa? My blog addresses a lot of the same topics as
    yours and I feel we could greatly benefit from each other.
    If you are interested feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Terrific blog by the way!

  7. Корпус — МДФ, работает от общей сети электропитания с номинальным рабочим напряжением 230В и частотой 50Гц, 14 светодиодных ламп E14.

  8. Для проведения предварительного или периодического осмотра медицинской
    организацией формируется постоянно действующая
    врачебная комиссия.

  9. Для лучшего звука наденьте наушники.Можно что-то вырезать если
    не подходит, но так в принципе
    лучше оставить все как есть,
    это поможет избежать любые претензии.

  10. hello!,I like your writing so so much! share we communicate
    more about your article on AOL? I require an expert on this house to solve my problem.
    May be that’s you! Having a look ahead to look you.

  11. Excellent blog! Do you have any helpful hints for
    aspiring writers? I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
    Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so
    many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
    Any recommendations? Cheers!

  12. This design is steller! You obviously know how to keep a reader amused.
    Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent
    job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
    Too cool!

  13. You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read something like this before.
    So good to discover another person with some unique thoughts on this topic.
    Seriously.. thank you for starting this up.
    This web site is one thing that is required on the web, someone with a little originality!

  14. I’m curious to find out what blog platform you are using?
    I’m experiencing some small security issues with my
    latest blog and I would like to find something more risk-free.
    Do you have any solutions?

  15. Hello there I am so glad I found your blog, I really found you by mistake, while
    I was browsing on Bing for something else, Anyways I am here now and
    would just like to say thanks for a tremendous post and a all round thrilling blog (I
    also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds,
    so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the fantastic jo.

  16. Howdy would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with?
    I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a tough time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs
    and I’m looking for something completely unique.
    P.S My apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

  17. Greetings! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my comment
    form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m
    having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!

  18. We absolutely love your blog and find almost all of your post’s to be exactly
    what I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write content to suit your needs?
    I wouldn’t mind creating a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write in relation to here.
    Again, awesome web log!

  19. I’ve been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or weblog posts on this kind
    of house . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this website.
    Reading this info So i’m satisfied to show that I have
    an incredibly just right uncanny feeling I found out just what I
    needed. I most indubitably will make sure to don?t omit this web
    site and provides it a glance on a constant basis.

  20. Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this
    site before but after checking through some of the
    post I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I
    found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back often!

  21. Hi! I could have sworn I’ve visited your blog before but after browsing through many of the posts I realized it’s new to
    me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often!

  22. An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment.
    I do believe that you ought to write more on this issue, it might not be a taboo matter but typically folks don’t discuss such topics.
    To the next! Best wishes!!

  23. My spouse and I stumbled over here different web page and thought I
    should check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you.

    Look forward to looking into your web page repeatedly.

  24. My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different page and thought I might
    check things out. I like what I see so i am just following
    you. Look forward to finding out about your web page
    for a second time.

  25. Whats up very cool site!! Guy .. Excellent ..

    Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your website and take the feeds also?
    I’m happy to find a lot of useful information here in the post, we’d
    like develop extra techniques in this regard, thank
    you for sharing. . . . . .

  26. Hey there this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors
    or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a
    blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  27. Hey! I know this is kinda off topic but I’d figured I’d ask.
    Would you be interested in exchanging links or
    maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa?
    My blog discusses a lot of the same topics as yours and I think we could greatly benefit from each other.
    If you are interested feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Excellent blog by
    the way!

  28. Good day very cool web site!! Man .. Excellent ..
    Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your website and take the feeds additionally?
    I am satisfied to find a lot of useful info here in the publish,
    we want develop extra strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing.
    . . . . .

  29. Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets
    I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
    I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was
    hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this.

    Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and
    I look forward to your new updates.

  30. My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be just
    what I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content for
    you? I wouldn’t mind publishing a post or elaborating on some of the subjects you write related to
    here. Again, awesome blog!

  31. Heya this is somewhat of off topic but I was wondering if blogs
    use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.
    I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding knowledge so I wanted to get guidance from someone with
    experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!

  32. My brother recommended I might like this website.
    He was once totally right. This publish actually made my day.
    You can not consider just how much time I had spent for this info!
    Thank you!

  33. Please let me know if you’re looking for a writer for your blog.

    You have some really good articles and I believe I would be a good asset.
    If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some content for your blog
    in exchange for a link back to mine. Please blast me an email if interested.
    Many thanks!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top