spinning 4cyl motor without starter?

"The generator may spin a tired engine after the sparklers are removed." and overheat and burn out in the process since it was not wound for this kind of load
 
The car was stored for 20 years and I am trying to get it started. I was told that the motor turns with the jand crank. I will have a hand crank next week so I will wait.
 
FrankWest said:
The car was stored for 20 years and I am trying to get it started. I was told that the motor turns with the jand crank. I will have a hand crank next week so I will wait.
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Try hand cranking over it with the spark plugs removed first of all before you try winding it under compression
 
not clear
so the starter will not turn it over? If the starter won't the hand crank prolly won't either
if that is the case better get a few oz of MMO down the plug holes and let it soak in
 
It would be best to start pouring some oil down the cylinders as tbirdtbird said otherwise when you do turn it over after sitting for 20 years you will run the risk of scoring those dry cylinder walls or worse.
My roadster sat for almost 30 years without being started and I oiled it with ATF and MMO and let it sit for a week then cranked it just a little and reoiled and let it sit again. Finally after repeating this for a couple of weeks I could turn the engine freely.
After more oiling and cranking I finally began to feel some compression as the valves loosened up.
Go slow and be gentle to avoid damage.
Once it will turn over with the starter it would be best to drop the oil pan and take the valve cover off and clean out the inevitable sludge that has accumulated over the years so that it doesn't clog oil passages once it is started.
 
Great idea! But how did you turn the engine slightly? Did you use the crank starter through the grill hole??
 
Yup. With the crank. Just bring the crank handle up a little at a time after oiling and sitting just so you begin to slowly get everything freed up.
 
Truth be known, the generator wouldn't turn the engine even if the pistons and valves were removed. I could hold back a generator with two fingers. Generators will motor and will burn up if held back long enough and the battery is strong enough but are very weak. I would pour oil down the hole where the distributor fits in the head and in the spark plug holes and let it sit for a while. I would try the starter while the spark plugs were out. A 12 volt jump start with the negative cable connected to the starter terminal and the positive cable grounded to a head nut would be my first choice. The starter is very strong and will pull the car like a golf cart in high gear. If you push the starter pedal and nothing happens, either the cable connections are not good or the engine would be stuck. I've cranked engines that had sit for 40 years with the starter with no problem.
 
Loosen the 4 spark plugs one turn, then blow away all the loose dirt, so it doesn't drop into the cylinders. Pour in lots of oil or use a spray can of fogging oil. I like to use a syphon sprayer to blow an oil mist into the cylinders.
 
By removing the distributor and pouring oil through the hole in the head where the distributor was removed will send oil to the main bearings and cam. Pour in at least a quart or more , you can drain and change the oil later, right now, it is important to get some oil to the dry mains and cam. The distributor will only go back in one way because of the offset slot in the distributor shaft and you can't get it out of time unless you loosen and move the points cam. Good luck, it may not be all that difficult to get it turning. Twelve volts wont harm the starter, it will just give it more power. I have run unmodified model A starters on 12 volts for years. This will only be for a short time, anyway. I did this to unstick a stuck engine in a AA truck thjat I have.
 
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