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MG MGA - exchange motor

hi
I have got a new renovated motor in my MGA coupé. I Have put the motor in and are now going to put the car together with new paint and new interior. My question: I havenīt started the motor yet and I havenīt put any oil in the motor. Should I do that and in that case what type of oil????
regards
Nils S
Sweden
n stjernqvist

Nils, There is quite a lot in the archives on this subject, but I will tell you what I did.
I filled the engine with 30 weight oil- NO ADDITIVES--then cranked it over without the ignition on until I had built up adequate oil pressure (I think it was about 85 pounds) from memory it seemed to take quite a while to build up.
Then I ran it for about 500 miles and changed the oil to 20-50weight. You can expect to burn quite a bit of oil at first while the engine is seating in.
good luck
/gil
gil

Nils,
The best way to do this is to add oil to the engine, pull the spark plugs and put some oil into the cylinders, turn over the engine until oil pressure comes up, and then place the plugs back in. Place a rag or towel over the plug holes to keep your oil splash down. Any oil you put into the cylinders should be pushed through, or out of the plug holes, but I always feel better with oil on the cylinder walls when spinning a new engine over.
mike parker

Don't forget to bed in the camshaft. As soon as you start the engine for the first time, run it for 20 minutes at 2500 to 3000 rpm's. Don't let it idle until you've done that.
John V.
John Vallely

Surely, if the the engine was professionally prepared it would have been assembled with specialist lubricants between the mating surfaces. I am not an engineer but my logic suggests that filling the engine with ordinary oil and cranking a few turns would wash the assembly oil away. If the engine is then left for several months before starting, the ordinary oil would also drain away, leaving the new surfaces unprotected during the subsequent vital first few minutes of start up.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve says that he's not an engineer but he IS spot on. Leave it alone until you are at that stage and then implement the above suggestions.
Iain MacKintosh

Iain

I will take that as a compliment and award myself an honary BSc!!!!

Steve
Steve Gyles

That's fine Steve but leave the engine lying around for more than about a couple of years and you will lose the degree! To give maximum protection ensure that the mainfolds, sparkplugs etc are fitted otherwise tape up every orifice with masking tape.
Iain MacKintosh

This thread was discussed between 25/01/2005 and 27/01/2005

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