Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

[Larry E.]

Will be changing the Oil/Filters on some of my older cars that have not been started for two years
or so. Here is my question> Should I start up the car and get the oil warm before draining it or should
I just drain the old oil cold. We can assume that draining the old oil cold will have a smaller percentage
of getting it all out vs. warm oil. Correct?? All comments are welcomed and thanks--Larry

[Terry D.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

Larry
What kind of temperature are the cars sitting in? If it is really warm you could just drain the oil. If it is cold then I would start the cars. You could also buy a dipstick heater. The perfectionist would tell you to pull the distributor and use a drill to run the oil pump to lube the engines before starting. The next best step would be to disconnect coil wire and turn engines over before starting. A lot depends on how you put them away. Did you put any oil additive in prior to storage? (i.e. STP). Others will probably chime in with other ideas.
Terry

[Mark E.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

I've had this situation a few times. I prefer to change the oil just before storage. The amount of water absorbed by fresh oil in a sealed engine should be minimal. Definitely prime the engine for 10 minutes before start-up as cheap insurance against cam wear.

If yo decide to change oil before start-up, let it drain for an hour or longer with the front jacked up to have gravity on your side.

[Michael W.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

I wouldn't change the oil at all. What's the point?

[Gary R.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

My car has been sitting since Dec, I am going to go home later, check the tires, prime it without starting, and fire it up. It's only been sitting 3.5 months so I'll change the oil within the month. This is what I have been doing the past 40 years and so far no issue. Longer storage I think I would change the oil first, pull the coil wire and bump it a little at a time till the psi comes up and fire it.

The point of climate control is a good one. I know when I open steering boxes that sat for years exposed to temp and Rh the grease became acidic and the metal parts corrosion etched. I had a trailing arm in from a guy in CA once that came off a car that sat a year on grass. The rollers etched deep into the race, like a speed bump.

[Edward B.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

Just start the car and drive it.

[Jim L.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

I would NOT do an oil change BEFORE firing a long-dormant engine. I wouldn't want such an engine to run for any length of time without oil pressure while waiting for the new oil filter to re-fill.

Yes, I know all about pre-filling the filter and I do that. Still, there is always a brief interval where there is no oil pressure. Engine may not care about that, but I do.

Jim

[Mark E.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

I would NOT do an oil change BEFORE firing a long-dormant engine. I wouldn't want such an engine to run for any length of time without oil pressure while waiting for the new oil filter to re-fill.

Yes, I know all about pre-filling the filter and I do that. Still, there is always a brief interval where there is no oil pressure. Engine may not care about that, but I do.

Jim

That's why priming is a good practice if the engine sat for months.

[Jim L.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

That's why priming is a good practice if the engine sat for months.

Months don't worry me. There is plenty of oil still on the interior surfaces of the engine. Turn the key and go.

And priming an engine, if by that you mean pulling the distributor and using a priming tool and a motor, has to be done correctly to be effective. You can't just stick the tool in the distributor hole and run the motor and expect to get oil on all the moving parts. The valve train, for example, gets metered oil which is delivered on a pulse basis as the engine rotates. To get oil to the valve train, spin the pump and rotate the engine at the same time.

I'm lazy and that's more work than I care to do. I'd rather just fire up the engine.

Jim

[William F.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

Do you disconnect the wire coming out of top of coil going into top of distributor or are you talking about the wire to + side of coil before you turn engine over to get oil pressure?

[Jim L.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

Do you disconnect the wire coming out of top of coil going into top of distributor or are you talking about the wire to + side of coil before you turn engine over to get oil pressure?

Remember that the cylinder walls get lubrication from oil being slung off the crank. Low speed cranking to build pressure won't have any benefit to the cylinder walls. Your engine is much better served by getting it started quickly so the cylinder walls get oil.

[Leif A.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

Do you disconnect the wire coming out of top of coil going into top of distributor or are you talking about the wire to + side of coil before you turn engine over to get oil pressure?

This......

[Larry E.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

If I read the comments correctly it appears that the majority of them tells me that I should start the engine
before starting to drain the oil. Why am I changing the oil?? Most of my cars have flat tappet cams.(L72 and
Z28's). As of now they all have Mobile 1 with 10W-30. I will be changing them to Mobil 15W-50. I was surprised to see that there is quite a difference in the ZDDP levels in Mobil 1 10W-30 versus 15W-50.

More comments are always welcome--Thanks again--Larry

[Patrick B.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

For cars with TI ignition, it is a good idea to pull the coil wire from the distributor cap and GROUND it with a clip lead, if you want to crank the engine without starting it.

[Michael W.]

Re: Quick question on Oil Changes for "Sleeping Cars"(Corvettes/Camaro's)

If I read the comments correctly it appears that the majority of them tells me that I should start the engine
before starting to drain the oil. Why am I changing the oil?? Most of my cars have flat tappet cams.(L72 and
Z28's). As of now they all have Mobile 1 with 10W-30. I will be changing them to Mobil 15W-50. I was surprised to see that there is quite a difference in the ZDDP levels in Mobil 1 10W-30 versus 15W-50.

More comments are always welcome--Thanks again--Larry

I'm not sure why you're changing the oil at all if the cars are not going to be driven.

Running the engine prior to changing the oil won't cause more oil to drain, it will just come out faster. I don't think high speed oil changes are a priority in your case.

As to priming the engine before firing, this is one of those old habits/myths that have been repeated for so long the story has become 'the truth' and a mandatory practice. Fact is (from first handed experience on multiple engines) there is as much residual oil clinging to a surface after three years of storage as there is after three hours.

Cranking and priming them before firing them may make the owner feel better but the engine couldn't care less. Since there's no need to heat the oil before changing the whole idea is counter productive.

Just my 2 cents.