Starting a motor after two years of sitting

[Banjer Picker]

About to crank the 302 in my wife's rig for the first time in two years. Should I squirt a little oil or other lubricant in the top of the cylinders via spark plug hole first? If so is there a good technique to get it distributed good throughout the cylinder?

...or am I overthinking it?

Trying to avoid any un necessary wear/damage.

 

[Wyflyer]

2 years,, just start it up

 

[sykanr0ng]

You could pull the sparkplugs and squirt some WD-40 in.

Don't worry about contaminating the oil, after sitting for two years it needs changed to get rid of condensation and acid build-up.

 

[badmuttstang]

Unless it doesn't spin by hand don't waste your time spraying anything down the cylinders its not going to do any good. Just change the oil and drain the fuel if you did not put a stablelizer in it as it could have gone bad. I would at least empty the fuel out of the carb and fill with fresh gas thru the vents.
Just my two cents.

 

[sykanr0ng]

^ What he said about the gas +1, it has a shelf life of about three months without a stabilizer added.

But I like a little lubrication on the rings after sitting, after two years they will be pretty dry and metal on metal is hard on the metal.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Over thinking it. I've started plenty of engines that have sat way longer than that. My boat gets no special prep when parked and has been started and run hard after sitting multiple years multiple times. Crusty carb accel pump was the only issue I had from the storage. I do my best to not run it on bad gas.

 

[Banjer Picker]

Thanks for the input gang. I'm all good on the fuel side. All new parts from tank to carb.

 

[JAFO]

Well, depends on how anal you want to be. I was getting an old Caterpillar D2 engine running that had sit for probably ten years. I was concerned about the mains being dry, so I wanted to get them wet. In case of the Cat there was no oil pump I could spin by removing a distributor, so I actually removed where the oil pressure gauge line went and then was able to rig up a pump and pumped oil into there until I saw oil dripping from all the mains (I had the side covers off the engine block so I could see the piston rod ends and the mains). Just made me feel better.
I have a 302 that has been sitting for more than 2 years and I plan to spin the oil pump until I see oil pressure on the gauge before I crank the engine. I'll remove the distributor and rig up something to a drill so I can spin the pump.