5.0 gi bringing it back to life.

[mklearl]

I have a 1998 volvo penta 5.0gipbycce which has been sitting for ten years. I've been rrsearching and posting on what needs to be done on this to bring it back to life. Some have suggested removing the distributor and inserting an oil priming tool to lubricate the entire engine. This seems like a good idea to me but it seems like a rather complex procedure. I certainly dont want to risk screwing up the timing by removing the distributor as the timing was fine last time it was ran. I don't want to start the engine dry either. Any thoughts on whether this step is necessary or overkill? Any advise on removing the distributor? From what i read i just scribe marks as to where the rotor is pointing (#1 at tdc) and also mark how the distributor shaft sits... Correct? Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[BRICH1260]

Maybe consider pulling the plugs and liberally squirting oil into each cylinder, change crank oil, prime oil filter beforehand, and turn the engine over by hand at first, then spinning by starter motor if it rotates freely. If all sounds good and moves freely, then insert plugs and fire it up.

 

[mklearl]

Yes. I already planned on removing plugs and squirting oil into cylinders and turning over by hand. Change filter and oil etc. Some have suggested this wouldnt completely lube the engine. Any thougjts on spraying wd40 or mystery oil into cylinders before hand cranking and changing oil?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... If ya crank the motor over on the starter, without the spark plugs in it, it'll oil the motor, just like a primin' tool will,....

 

[mklearl]

True but you are cranking the entire engine over... The engine is running but not firing. Moving parts with no lube on them. With the oil priming tool it runs the oil pump only over all engine parts BEFORE working the parts... So ayno!

 

[Bondo]

True but you are cranking the entire engine over... The engine is running but not firing. Moving parts with no lube on them. With the oil priming tool it runs the oil pump only over all engine parts BEFORE working the parts... So ayno!

Ayuh,.... 'n without compression, it's a moot point,.....

 

[mklearl]

So in your opinion it's overkill? I'd rather not remove the distributor to be honest. Just dont want to ryin an engine by cutting corners. What's the oil priming tool for then? Thanks for the replies!

 

[Bondo]

So in your opinion it's overkill? I'd rather not remove the distributor to be honest. Just dont want to ryin an engine by cutting corners. What's the oil priming tool for then? Thanks for the replies!

Ayuh,... The oil primin' tool is handy on a freshly built, never been run motor,...

Even though yer motor has been sittin' a decade, the oil galeries don't all drain out, 'n still have residual oil in 'em,...

Considerin' you have No clue how to reinstall the distributor, I suggest you don't,....

 

[mklearl]

Considerin' you have No clue how to reinstall the distributor, I suggest you don't,....

Ayuh.... I obviously don't. My first boat i bought had a 1979 70 hp Chrysler outboard on it. I remember sitting on the beach on my first drive on her and couldn't get it started. I looked at the wife and kids and wondered how we would get home. After several minutes of troubleshooting I realized the boat was not in neutral... I also realized i had a lot to learn about boat motors. Ive worked on boats for a living for 25 years but never had to fix them.
Through the help of this forum and others i performed general maintenance, fixed problems with steering, trim rams, electrical, mechanical, carbs... Pretty much everything in and out about that motor i tore apart and put back together sometimes replacing parts along the way. The chief engineer on the tug i work on told me to throw the motor away... It was junk. I still get a smile on my face when i barely touch the key and she fires right up... Every time... And purrs like a kitten. Not too bad for a guy who knew nothing!
That being said... This is obviously my first i/o engine. I inherited it from my father who had a debilitating stroke 12 years ago and passed last october. I feel as though i owe him the satisfaction of taking care of his "other baby!"
So i apologize for not being a professional mechanic but the questions will continue to come and hopefully i can gain the same knowledge and experience that i gained from this forum on my first go around!
Thanks again!

 

[dypcdiver]

Plugs out, clean and gap them, clean the inside of the distributor cap, rotor arm and make sure the carbon contact is free. Turn the engine over on the starter with the plugs out but in the wires so that you can see the sparks. Once you see oil pressure registering put the plugs back in and try firing her up, Then let us know how you get on. Priming tool is overkill on a used motor in my opinion. New fuel is a must and keep a fire extinguisher handy.

 

[smassey22180]

You can borrow a free priming tool from Autozone. With that said I would not bother. It is not going to spray the bottoms of your pistons with oil. All it does it fill the circuit with oil. It barely gets anything to the top of the engine. Just pre-fill the oil filter to speed things up.

Removing and marking the distributor is easy. Remove spark plugs and rotate to TDC. Scribe the distro shaft and intake. Remove the cap and take a picture of the rotor position. Remove distributor. Prime for a while with a good corded drill. It will overheat a cordless one. Reinstall distro and reference picture to make sure you are not off by a tooth. Line up scribe and clamp down. Run engine and check timing which will be off by less than 5 degrees.

 

[mklearl]

Great. Thank you for the advice. I will keep you posted. Im also concerned with stuck piston rings. Would spraying the cylinders with wd40 or mystery oil be a good idea or just lube with motor oil liberally?

 

[Dave-R]

I know some will make fun of this. I would put a lot of marvel mystery oil in each cylinder and let it sit a few days. You can use a turkey baster for this. I have used this to free stuck pistons when nothing else would. Give her a click with the starter in a few days and you'll know what you have then. I had a 7.4 that had been stuck for months. After three days of soaking she wouldn't budge. I found one cylinder that was in the compression cycle, and put my rubber tip air hose to the spark plug hole and pumped it to 90 psi. The wife hit the starter, and she rotated. This was an engine that had water in one side in 2 pistons. I had the head off on that side already, and I was surprised how little it had rusted, and how easy it cleaned up ,with some steel wool. after 2 years it runs like new still. Good luck Dave-R