Starting a sleeping 360

[SaskAttak]

I will be attempting to fire up a 360 that has been sitting for 10+ years. I was told it ran fine when it was parked and sat on his farm. It is in a 1980 PW W250. I know to add oil to cylinders, check/change motor oil, change out the gas and hand turn the crank. Is there anything else you would do prior to cold cranking then turning the key?

Thanks

[CSCameron]

I would let it sit for a week or so filled with oil. I used Marvel Mystery Oil in my 230 which sat for 22 years. I let it sit for two weeks. I put so much in that it came out the exhaust. lol Anyway, I have had the engine running for several weeks now, runs great!

[SaskAttak]

Thanks. I will see if the oil you suggested is around my neck of the woods.

[CSCameron]

Here are a couple of links I used when working on mine...

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...a_stuck_engine

http://www.dodgepowerwagon.com/best/engstart.html

Good luck!

[Gordon Maney]

Take the plugs out, squirt some clean motor oil into the cylinders and crank it a bit to lube the cylinders.

If you wanted to go a step further, remove the distributor and drive the oil pump with a drill to pre-lube.

[iranch]

Gordon

On the 360 the gear that engages the cam and drives the oil pump is on the pump itself, not the distributor. The only way to prelube the small block Chrysler engines is to use a pressurized oil source. I built one out of an old 20 lb propane tank and some fittings. Dump in 3 -4 quarts of oil, pressurize to 15 - 20 lbs, connect to the oil pressure sender port, turn it upside down and open the valve. Works great.

Dennis

[Gordon Maney]

Oops. My mistake, thank you for straightening me out.

[DrPepper]

Pre-lube advice: 318-360's have a stub shaft & gear

that drives the oil pump. The distributor has a tab drive and if you try to turn it, it will try to turn the engine or break. You have to pull the stub shaft & gear assembly, make or buy a pre-lube drive rod with Allen Hex (size, ?"hex x ~16" long) on end that fits the pump. "You-tube" has a bunch of videos on doing it. The "Melling Co." video's are good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOYLlr8uQ8k
The stub-shaft distributor drive slot is timed so you should put the engine on TDC and note the position of the tab or distributor rotor. The gear is not straight cut so it turns X-degrees when you remove or install it and you have to hit the oil pump hex close enough to drop into it. If the gear doesn't drop down all the way, turn the pump hex a little and try again or hand crank the engine back and forth until it drops. Then check to see if the tab is in the spot you marked before you removed it. All this thru a 1.5" hole if the intake is on the engine.
That being said, there is a lot of motivation to just fill the crankcase with a nice light oil, pull the plugs, pull the rocker covers (so you can see how dirty things are and when the oil starts to flow) and let the starter do the work. Oil pressure gage should show 10-30 pounds at starter speed.
As to Marvel Mystry oil, any auto store sells it, it's in a red bottle or can, probably be good in the cylinders to free up the rings if they need motivation. I always have a bottle on the shelf.
Pre Lube: Been there, done that again this year with my 318.(intake off, on the stand)
Best wishes...
DrPepper

[W_A_Watson_II]

I took my old oil pump drive shaft with gear, and cut/ground off all the gear teeth, and used it to prime the engine. I pulled the new one out with a strong magnet, dripped in the modified one, the primed and pre-lubed the engine like you do a cheby. It too a little trial and error to get the new shaft back in and engaging the oil pump, but it worked great.

[Don Williams]

WA, I'm with you. I drive a DODGE too. I have a tool that I think I bought from Summit Racing or somewhere similar. It is nothing more than a long shaft that fits in the oil pump drive on a small block MOPAR (probably big block too). Remove the distributor drive gear, insert tool, chuck into a good drill, and run the oil pump to prime the oil system.