Just want to check if I have thought of everything. We want to see if the engine in the Moke my son picked up is a goer after sitting for 5 years.

I'm thinking - pull the plugs and squirt some WD40 in and let sit before hand turning it over. Drain and flush the radiator and refill. Drain oil and refill while pouring some over the valve springs and rockers and down the push rod holes to get some on the cam followers.

Check the points, check the carby float bowel is not full of crud - chuck the fuel filter and put another one in. If the fuel tank is rusty and full of crud suck fuel from a can- hook up a battery turn the key and hope smoke doesn't leak out anywhere and zoom zoom

Have I overlooked anything? Any other suggestions?

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

I'd squirt a fair bit of oil down the cylinders instead of WD40. I'd check the rocker clearances, too.

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I've heard a good way to check for oil circulation before starting is to remove the spark plugs and spin the engine over with the starter until you see a bit at the rockers...
I've never tried it so can't tell you if it works, but I'd be more worried about the crank bearings than the cam followers.
Maybe check the static advance before starting as well, probably not necessary unless someone has messed with it though.

Also some things that may help you would be to take some 'start ya bastard', new plugs and new leads. But the old engines I've tried starting have been seized

Yes put oil in the bores not WD40, but take rocker cover off and spray the tops of the valves (inside the springs) with WD40. Leave cover off until you crank it. Leave the plugs out.
Undo the oil feed pipe off the block and fill the block hole with oil.
Then leave it all overnight so the oil soaks down around the rings and into the oil pump.

When you crank it over next day leave the banjo pipe bolt slightly loose until you see oil squirt out, otherwise you can get an air lock in there.
If no oil pressure, refill the block hole again, roll it backwards in 4th gear a turn or 2 and fill again.

IF NO OIL PRESSURE CAN BE GOT AFTER 3O SECS OR SO THE STRAINER GAUZE IN THE BOX IS PROBABLY BLOCKED, DON'T TRY ANY MORE- JUST STRIP IT ALL.
My 77 Moke had this problem, it had been parked for ages with no oil in it.

Make sure all the valves go up and down fully, my 998 matic was parked 10 years and #4 exhaust was a bit recalcitrant- gentle persuasion with SFH freed it up OK, then it ran for years.

Good luck, nothing like the sound of a motor starting up that's been dormant for years.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

dont forget about the earth ground also and maybe fit a exhaust

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It