starting prob after long term storage

[rico2k_uk]

hi all....
as some of you know, had some smoke issues in dec with the rex... well got myself a new set a tubbies, and after much procrastination, have eventually got them fitted!!! woop woop!

all back on, oil filled, coolant filled, all plugged up nicely.. only problem, its not starting!!! it sometimes almost catches, the rpm go up, but then it dies. could the fact its been sitting for a good 5 months be a factor?

any ideas/suggestions in getting the car going? it did start nicely first time everytime before dec.

seems it wasnt the oil seals or apex that had failed, but the primary turbo shaft had snapped!!! i found the exhaust wheel in the turbo elbow! thankfully all in one piece, so nothing went into the engine!


cheers!

[memski]

They do start with difficulty if left sat for a while, you will need a very good battery. Make sure it\'s well charged and maybe go through deflood procedure before attempting to start again (remove plugs, turn engine over manually to expel any fuel in housings, some use atf in housings to try and oil the seals to aid compression).

[Bobbit]

Check your plugs bud. Could be something as simple as that.

[rico2k_uk]

will have a go tomorrow... think halfords or a motor factors will have the right plugs? whats atf?

[Bobbit]

auto transmission fluid?

[rico2k_uk]

right, will try and take them out today... got clutch fluid that will probably do the job right? i know the car will be caked in old oil/fuel on the rotars, as when the turbos failed, obviously the turbo oil went everywhere...

god dam it! i want to get the noise back!!!! its a nightmare not being able to scare little children and old grannies (as well as annoy the neighbours!!!)

[Bobbit]

Not sure that clutch fluid will work bud, that stuff eats paint for breakfast so i would not stuck it into the engine.

[memski]

transmission fluid, please don\'t use clutch fluid. Take the plugs out and see what condition they\'re in first, did the battery run low when you attempted to start it? Could just be flooded if so.

[rico2k_uk]

ah, have loads of gearbox oil too, so will try that?

yeah, battery was low, have charged last night, and tried again, almost catches, but then dies. will get the sparks out just now and refurb them. they have probably been sitting in petrol/oil for a while

tried to get a new set of sparks today, but no one stocks them! can get them cheap, but i have to order 10 at a time

anyone know if rx8 ones will work if the car is just used as a runaround, with no hard driving? (off chance really!)

[RemarkLima]

Get a jerry can a fresh fuel and add it to the mix... Chances are the juice in your tank has gone off.

My old MR2 done that after sitting for about 5 months, then 10 litres of the finest optimax known to humanity (well, I should hope it was for the price!) and she fired up no problems.

Worth a go.

[Jake]

I store my Rex over the winter every year in a garage for about 6 months usually.  In my experience the only thing that you have to really worry about is the battery.  If it\'s low it won\'t start the first time but manages to dump fuel in there, then gets flooded.  Keep the battery charged up and you shouldn\'t have any issues.  Plus watch the fuel as after being stood for months the fuel has degraded.  Don\'t boot it at all until you\'ve managed to run off most of the fuel and then filled up the tank to the brim with fresh stuff.

If you can get it to catch and then it dies try applying a bit of throttle.  Mine had almost flooded and was struggling to catch.  Once it did it was trying to stall so I applied a bit of throttle for about 5 seconds and she was alright.

[Nik da Greek]

Get a jerry can a fresh fuel and add it to the mix... Chances are the juice in your tank has gone off.
 
My old MR2 done that after sitting for about 5 months, then 10 litres of the finest optimax known to humanity (well, I should hope it was for the price!) and she fired up no problems.
 
Worth a go.

Modern unleaded is a b*st*rd for this, in small quantities it goes off almost like varnish if left for a while. I\'ve had bikes where it\'s turned to laqcuer in the carb pilots or emulsion tubes when they\'ve been stood, and it\'s a total PITA to shift. Even a few weeks is enough for it to start losing it\'s efficiency. Companies like Motorex do a fuel stabiliser that\'s a small bottle of magic liquid that you add to the tank and it stops the fuel from "going off". I know it\'s a bit of hindsight wisdom for you now, but if you ever need to lay the car up again, it\'s worth using. I stored a Kawasaki z400 with this stuff mixed in the tank, charged the battery and she started second go about four years later!
 
Was that a thinly veiled Withnail And I quote I saw above, there, by any chance! "The finest Optimax known to humanity" lol

[RemarkLima]

^ I know, it\'s crazy but then you see the speed at which fuel evaporates, and that\'s gotta be the "good stuff" just floating away :/

Heh heh, it pretty much is Just that quote has always stuck in my mind... If I ever go into a tea shop inhabited by olds I always feel like standing up and shouting "We demand the finest wines known to humanity! And cake to soak up the booze!"

[rico2k_uk]

well, there aint much fuel in there, but loads in the rotars!! took the bottom two sparks our (what a ****ing job!) and got the misses to turn the engine with the egi thinggie out. ****ing ehll - there was loads!!!

anyway, scrubbed them clean as some deposits on them, but they are spotless - no marks or anything, just some carbon soot!

car then started up pretty easily, and poured a **** load of oil out the back! managed to spray a couple of passing kids with the stuff lol!!! thankfully it was just the stuff that came out the old turbos.

so car is running a little rough at the moment, but it does need a good while idleing really. have topped up the collant as the buzzer did go off for a split second. keeping a close eye on that one, as the tubbies are filling up as well as with the oil.

only thing is, the tubbys that are now in there seems to be smoking - do you think its just residual gunk on the outside of it? i cant see any leaks, as have now sucessfully managed to get the car to move up the driveway. going to leave it there for a bit to see if any new leaks appear, etc.

[Jake]

If there new they\'ll smoke a bit, I presume you are talking about the turbos housings and not out of the exhaust?  When I changed my downpipe it smoked loads for a while.