Restarting after shortish layup

[CamB]

I will start the 911T within the next day or so after not having started it since May/June (before my wedding - I parked it while I got married!!).

It has had a slight to medium oil leak while sitting - I have now put it up on jack stands and cleaned everything up so I can try and find the leak. The car has been sitting for the past 3 months on a slight passenger to drivers side lean (maybe 5-10 deg) so it may be related to that. Whether I find it or not, it is not serious, but I am not sure how much has leaked out.

Is there any way of telling how much oil is in the tank without running the car up to temperature and having it idling - note that I don't have the dash gauge (no cutout for the sensor on the '69 tank), and I understand it doesn't read accurately unless the car is warm and idling anyway. Currently the dipstick shows nothing (engine not running and completely cold, obviously). As an aside, I am not that confident about the oil level as indicated on the dipstick - I can't tell what is original on this car and what isn't.

Once I am confident there is enough oil in there, I plan to pull the fuel pump relay and the ignition leads from the coils, and run the motor in short bursts on the starter to build up oil pressure before starting it.

Will also check for fuel leaks, and have already checked the brakes etc.

Do I need to do anything else?

[Bill Douglas]

Maybe poke a long bit of wire into the tank to see if tere is ANY oil in there. Is this the one with the short stroke engine?

[Paul Thomas]

Cam,
Unless you think that a few quarts leaked out, i would just "fire that mutha up" (as Charlie Daniels would say).

But thats just me.

Paul

[CamB]

Racing out into the garage...

Nah, just kidding - I've gone back to work. I'll do what Bill said I think. Unbending a coat hanger is free.

Yep Bill - its the 3.2. Short list of easy things to do - start it, check it works, make a bracket to hold battery in (not sfe right now), and make ally shroud for fender mounted oil cooler. It was running warmish before (210-220 deg), and I don't like how oil pressure starts to drop a little when that happens. I like the oil pressure better at 180-200 deg.

[Matt Holcomb]

That engine shouldn't be leaking ....


Matt Holcomb
MFIWDP
1974 911 Carrera 2.7 (RoW)
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[Jack Olsen]

Going from memory, the car was designed to run on as little as 4 quarts of oil, so long as the revs are kept below 4000.

If I'm wrong, somebody set me straight. I'd hate for this to become gospel because it got typed out on Pelican.

[CamB]

That engine shouldn't be leaking ....

I agree. I need to figure out if it is improperly replaced/retorqued valve covers (my bad) or something else, in which case I'm sure the engine builder will make it good. I am pretty sure it is only a couple of drops a day, but they add up over 3-4 months...

[CamB]

Just to make sure that no-one is as stupid as me in the future after reading this thread.

There is another option not mentioned above - "put a bit more oil in to make sure it isn't too low - how bad can the overflow into the intake be".

I obviously didn't have a good enough imagination about how bad it can be.

[rant]

Because it was far worse than expectations (I put way too much in). Oil out the breather, into the airbox and out the little hole in the bottom onto the top of the engine and waaaaah waaaaah. Oil everywhere. Not a good afternoon skipping work.

Also annoyed because it is out of tune - the valves need adjusting (I did a crap job last time) and the MFI stacks don't seem to be in proper sync - I need to check with a synchrometer thingy to be sure (used a pipe in the ear)...

Some other stuff is proving difficult too (paint battery box, shroud oil cooler).

[/rant]

I feel better now. I'll have another go tomorrow. I did get it started, after all.