Specific question on cars that sit

[Nate]

I’m re-watching the “Cars That Sit” ETCG video and doing some reading but I figure I’d start a thread up and get some discussion going.

I recently purchased a non-running 1994 Explorer for cheap, if nothing else it would be parts for my 1991. The Explorer was last registered in 2011. The previous owner stopped driving it due to a delayed/high RPM 2-3 shift. Around the same time, the rear hatch glass got busted out. The previous owner pulled the vacuum modulator in hopes of fixing the issue but never got around to installing a new one. Being that the glass was broken, he parked it in his garage and occasionally started it, hoping to eventually get it running again. I believe the previous owner said he hadn’t started it in over a year and a half. The battery was totally dead, it tested as having 40 CCA. The tires are dry rotted and 2 didn’t hold air. It’s obvious that this thing has sat for a while. It’s got a lot of problems and likely won’t be on the road any time in the near future, if ever. But I’d really like to get it running and moving under it’s own power and maybe use it as a farm truck when it’s not being picked at for parts.

Transmission issues aside, I’ve been slowly focusing on the engine and battery. This brings me to my question; The engine hasn’t turned in a while and I’d like to get some oil in the cylinders. Some of the plugs are kind of cramped and I’ll get them out but it’s not exactly easy to fit a funnel into the spark plug hole. I was halfway thinking of using some PB Blaster spray to get in there and start creeping around on the rings & cylinder walls. Is that too thin of an oil? Should I be using something more like transmission fluid? I was almost thinking of putting some motor oil into a 1/4″ hose and then shooting some compressed air into the hose to distribute the oil evenly inside. Being a V6, the cylinder is slanted and I want to ensure oil is all around in there since gravity will kind of work against me.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts/comments on this.

Topic

[Charles]

I’m sure any of the items you mentioned will be OK. Use a lightweight motor oil like the Walmart Spray Lube or the hose with oil you mentioned. Just spray some in, wait a day or so and see if you can turn the crank by hand (pull bar). You want to make sure none of the valves are totally stuck before hitting the starter. A compression test would be a good idea at this point.

[Nate]

I’m a ways from actually cranking over the starter. The battery cables are pretty crusty and the transmission needs to be buttoned up before running the engine. So, whatever I put in will be sitting for at least a week, likely longer since this is a low budget side project kinda thing.

I figured I’d get some oil in somehow, loosely thread the spark plugs in so moisture & dust can’t get in and then work on the rest of the stuff. A few days after putting oil in, I’ll get a breaker bar on the crank bolt and rotate the engine and distribute the oil. I’ll probably add a little more at this time. When the work is done and I’m ready to fire it up, I’ll pull the plugs, jump the starter solenoid to crank the engine over to build oil pressure as well as get rid of excess oil in the cylinder. Plugs go back in after being cleaned & gapped and then turn the key.

I just don’t know if a thinner oil is better to creep around and start breaking down any surface rust and carbon or if a thicker oil is better so it will hang on surfaces longer.

My other question I totally forgot about is… what about the gas? I ran the fuel pump a few times with the toasted battery and it builds pressure. The gas that comes out of the shrader valve is pretty stanky. There’s not a ton of gas in the tank, it’s pretty close to E on the gauge. I don’t feel like dropping the tank out of a vehicle I don’t even know runs. Being so empty, would buying 5 gallons of premium gas and some stabilizer added be ‘good enough’? Then run the fuel pump a few times to cycle it through the system (it is a return style)? Or, another option would be to disconnect the fuel filter and run the pump to drain out as much as possible?

[Charles]

Use whatever oil you have on hand for the cylinders. Mixing with or using ATF would also be ok. Don’t expect anything to happen with rust. I tried everything on an old stuck tractor engine and ended up having to press the pistons out so if you can turn the engine, I think you should be OK. On the gas, if you can add some fresh gas and replace the fuel filter you should be OK. If you want to drain the old gas to use in your lawn mower, that would be ok too.

[Nate]

Thinking about it a bit more, I remembered I have a bunch of pipettes, having purchased a bulk amount on eBay a few years ago. I just got done squirting some ATF into the cylinders using a pipette, it was absolutely perfect for the job. Each cylinder got 6ml (0.2oz) which should be enough.

A while back, I installed one of those Magnefine filters in a transmission cooler line on another vehicle, naturally spilling some ATF in the process. This was on the passenger side of the vehicle, behind the headlight. Couple weeks later, I noticed a moist area on the driver’s side. It was the spilled ATF, it worked it’s way over and started creeping down the frame.

That’s why I chose ATF for the cylinders, it has excellent capillary action that should help it creep around. It also has a fair amount of detergents, it might help clean the cylinder a bit. Anyway, the oil will sit while I work on other things. Might go out tomorrow and see about rotating the crank a few times.

[Author]

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