New Engine Has Been Sitting A Year Ready to Start?

[GrowleyMonster]

Always a good idea to turn it over a few times by hand when it has been sitting long.

Don't crank and crank with the seacock open. I always start my Atomic with it closed, and open it immediately after it has started, if I anticipate a stubborn start, such as when it hasn't been ran in a few weeks. Your diesel will never suffer from a dry carburetor bowl, but it will probably be hard to start when cold, or when you have ran out of fuel. Always check for good water flow, too, as soon as you have it running. A good upgrade, if it doesn't already have one, is a small strainer at the discharge side of the water pump. It will catch any bits of impellor before they can clog up something you don't want clogged up.

Looking at the prop, it should be obvious which way it has to turn in order to make it go forward. A right-hand wheel is much more common than lefties. A right-hand wheel turns clockwise when looking at it from astern. Also, your hand crank will only engage the shaft in one direction. Trying to turn it the other way will have it simply slip off, sort of self-ejecting itself. This is a safety feature, so when the engine kicks over and starts turning faster than you are turning the crank, the crank simply disengages and it doesn't do bad things to your arm, hand, wrist, noggin, etc. Oh, on the subject, when hand-STARTING as opposed to just turning it over, make sure your thumb and your fingers are all pointing the same way around the handle. A kickback won't be as likely to injure your hand.

Glad you got it going! Congratulations, and enjoy your new engine! I wish I had one...

[El_Guero]

Freerider,

You have to KNOW which direction the engine is designed to rotate.

The reason for turning an engine which has set is to get oil back on all the parts and let the oil work in. Any engine which has set for some time will risk corrosion.

But, on a NEW engine, you have not broken in the rings. I am not a diesel guy, so I do not know the break in for diesels. Gas you should vary rpm's unless specifically told otherwise by the manufacturer.

Break in will form increase the internal dimension within the cylinder just slightly by the rings on the piston. Very slight, but important.

Wayne

[hellosailor]

"NOTICE: NEVER hold the key in theSTART position for longer than 15 seconds or the starter motor will overheat."
Rule of thumb, 15 seconds on, 15 minutes off. Starters are built for very short runs and very heavy loads so they heat-soak quickly, and cool down slowly. When they heat up the coil wires expand, and then they scrape against each other, and permanent damage is done very easily and invisibly.
Easier to pamper the starter and bring a good book, than to replace it next year.