First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Hi All,

I recently inherited a '32 Cabriolet with its original flathead V8 from my Uncle, who had been having various kinds of work done on the car over the years. It's not entirely clear what's been done, as this has been going on for a long time and it's gone through several people working on it.

What I do know is that the engine was completely rebuilt over a decade ago, and hasn't been started since the build. It's been sitting in climate controlled garages and the engine is free.

The current person working on it has been having health issues and can no longer complete the work. The rest of the work is minor assembly, so I'm going to collect the car and parts and complete the work myself.

The gentleman working on it most recently has mainly worked on Model Ts and As, so he was concerned about starting the V8 up after so long. He was looking into methods for priming the oil pump when his health took a turn.

So, before I do anything that may cause damage, are there any recommendations on actions I should take before attempting to start the engine? I was planning to just drop some oil down the plug holes and keep the ignition off for a few rotations on the starter to prime the pump, but if there's something more extensive I'm all ears.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Congrats on your new car, we need to see pictures before we will answer any questions!

Just kidding of coarse, Some oil down the cylinders is a good idea, leave the spark plugs out when you spin it. It may spit some oil out, lay a rag over the heads?

I always pre oil by just rigging up a fitting into the oil port on the back of the block, to a hose, to a funnel, and just let a quart or 2 dribble down into the system. It takes a while, have your funnel mounted some how. It won't probably go every where, but will get some of the galleys full, and dribble down to the pump. have a temporary oil gauge on it to see when the pump kicks in

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

I recommend this as well. I used a squirt can oiler to pump in a quart. This will get oil into the oil galleries and lube up the internals at first crank.

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Thanks for the tips! I'll get some oil going into the main galley.

As for pics, here's all I have - she still needs some assembly, but is going to be a looker when done!

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

if i had a hand crank, i'd pull the plugs and give myself a ten minute upper body workout before using the starting motor. :)

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

very nice car

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

I also agree with above…..I wouldn’t turn on the ignition until you see some pressure on the temporary gauge….then watch the gauge closely when it starts…..beautiful car!!…..keep us posted on your progress……with more pictures of course!!…………Mark

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

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Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Pull the plugs , squirt some oil in each cyl , make sure no hot leads are going to be an issue ( if unsure tape them ) check trans fluid ( just incase its dry , you dont want to break in the motor with no trans fluid). Rad with just water for now , spare electric box fan ( extra cooling ) fire extinguisher, prefer co2 , less clean up .
I would retorque the cyl heads before you start , then make sure to give it 2-3 more retorque after heat/cool cycles . Check the obvious, spark , fuel and compression, then add some marvel to the fuel your using as extra cyl lube .
Good luck , Gary
Beautiful car .

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

All good advice from Ggmac

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Second that. Excellent advice from Gary.

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Beautiful car. I have had several fresh rebuilt engines that sat for many years and always take them apart to include an original 1 year only 32 engine that I still own. Every rebuilt engine that had been sitting for many years would have blown up if you tried to start them. The assembly lube used in years past dries out to where bearings and wrist pins won’t float, valves can be gummed up in guides. It costs a lot to rebuild these old gems it’s not worth the risk of hurting a brand new one for the sake of a little labor and gaskets.
I Strongly recommend taking engine apart lube it up and reassemble. Better safe than sorry. It may seem to run fine but damage could be done to haunt you later. Or may blow up right away. If an engine has previously been run before sitting is a whole different story. Lube as others have recommended and get on down the road. Good luck.

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

That's a beautiful car everything looks really nice. Because it has been sitting for so long, you could also remove the oil sending unit and pump some oil into the passage to lube the bearings. I would then kill the ignition and just crank it for no more than 15-seconds at a time until the oil pressure comes up. It's not good for starters to crank for more than 15-seconds. It best to crank them for 15-seconds and then let them cool for 15-seconds to prevent damage to them. That goes for all engines, not just vintage ones. Also make sure the carb is full of fuel and squirting before you turn the ignition on. Then turn on the ignition and start it. Normally you "immediately" raise the rpm for 20-minutes to break the cam in, if it's new. Not sure of what rpm is recommended for flatheads, maybe 2000 rpm??? I had a stroke and some of that info has vanished from my memory. You might want to find out if the cam was reground or not so you can decide how to break it in. Also, if the cam was installed with break-in lube on the lobes, it's important to immediately break the cam in before the assembly lube is washed off of the lobes. You can adjust the idle mixture and engine idle speed after the cam breaks in. The carb might have problems after sitting for ten-years, same with the fuel pump. Gaskets and diaphragms dry out and crack. That's another reason to crank the engine and see that the pump is pumping and the carb fills up before you turn on the ignition.

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

I just started my '33 sedan delivery for the first time last week. I followed most of the advice above on the freshly rebuilt engine. Pulled heads, lubed cylinders,cranked engine without spark until oil pressure rose up, I primed the carbs and it fired on the first crank. Runs like a swiss watch.

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Good advice from Flathead fever . Remember a starter is an intermittent dc motor . Not intended for continued cranking . I use his 15 second cranking time as a good rule .

Re: First start on rebuilt '32 - precautions?
 

Great suggestions from everyone, thank you so much. It'll be a little time before I have the car moved into my shop, but when I do and get her started, I'll post an update here. Thanks again!