Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW Technical questions and discussions, regarding anything related to the WWII jeep.
User avatar
Dushy
G-First Sergeant
G-First Sergeant
Posts: 130
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2012 8:45 pm
Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by Dushy » Sat Oct 07, 2017 1:16 am

My battery went dead and gone.... replaced it with a new one.
What's the Do's & Don'ts of restarting a Go Devil engine after a gap of 8 months.
Thanks
Dushy

Dushyant Singh
MB 1943 S# 209928 DOD 2-8-43
CJ3A 1952


Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by Joe Gopan » Sat Oct 07, 2017 1:23 am

My MB starts readily when stored from November to March by simply pulling the choke, turning it over for a couple seconds, giving the gas a few pumps, and it fires it right off.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

User avatar
JIMN
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 897
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 4:24 am
Location: Southern Ohio

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by JIMN » Sat Oct 07, 2017 5:30 am

Obviously check water and oil, but it is all about the fuel.
If your fuel pump has a handle on it you are all set, just pump it until you hear the gas entering the carb bowl, and pump a few times more. At that point you can start it however you always do.
If you do not have a handle on your fuel pump, I would pour a little gas down the carb to help it get started.

Making sure you already have fuel up there will save you from grinding excessively on your starter to get it there.
If you have to add fuel directly in the carb, don't be surprised if you have to do it a couple times before it is ready on its own.
1941 Ford GP, 1944 Willys MB, 1943 Bantam T3

dinof
G-Major General
G-Major General
Posts: 2860
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:32 pm
Location: Arcadia & Johannesburg Ca.

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by dinof » Sat Oct 07, 2017 6:53 am

8 months?

1. Change the oil unless you left it with new oil. Old oil sitting in the crankcase is never good for any motor.
2. Drain the gas, replace with fresh. If you have a spare fuel pump gasket on hand, loosen bowl and let old gas out & clean filter screen.
3. Charge up battery to full charge status
4. Check coolant level
5. A few squirts of oil on each piston wouldn't hurt. It's a little difficult but with a small tubing it can be done.

If it ran good before, it should start up.
Dino Falabrino
On the "G" since 1998.
1943 GPW 102310 DOD 3-3-43
1928 Model A Roadster Pickup
1930 Model A Tudor
1968 Taco Minibike

Mark Jesic
G-Brigadier General
G-Brigadier General
Posts: 2473
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:56 am
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by Mark Jesic » Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:49 am

I was led to believe that petrol is naff if stored for any length of time after THREE months, correct me if im wrong guys.

User avatar
dpcd67
G-General
G-General
Posts: 11813
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:41 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by dpcd67 » Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:58 am

Eight months is nothing; mine sit for that long and more. I shoot some ether in the carb or prime with gas to ease the wear on the starter; otherwise I just run them. Oil sitting for 8 months does not deteriorate.
U. S. Army 28 years.
Armor Branch

dinof
G-Major General
G-Major General
Posts: 2860
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 4:32 pm
Location: Arcadia & Johannesburg Ca.

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by dinof » Sat Oct 07, 2017 11:40 am

Mark Jesic wrote:
Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:49 am
I was led to believe that petrol is naff if stored for any length of time after THREE months, correct me if im wrong guys.
It is said that three months is all it's good for but it can last longer. Ethanol fuels don't last as long as ethanol free gas. One of my ATV's has gas in it for about a year, and it still smelled good and the ATV ran good.
Dino Falabrino
On the "G" since 1998.
1943 GPW 102310 DOD 3-3-43
1928 Model A Roadster Pickup
1930 Model A Tudor
1968 Taco Minibike

User avatar
JIMN
G-Major
G-Major
Posts: 897
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 4:24 am
Location: Southern Ohio

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by JIMN » Sun Oct 08, 2017 6:14 am

8 month old gas will still run. Not worth going through the trouble of draining. Just try it.
1941 Ford GP, 1944 Willys MB, 1943 Bantam T3

User avatar
David
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1968
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2002 5:43 am
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by David » Sun Oct 08, 2017 6:58 am

You could squirt some brake cleaner directly into the carburettor while turning the engine over, that usually helps

Bruce W
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1684
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2003 4:45 pm
Location: Northeast Colorado

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by Bruce W » Sun Oct 08, 2017 11:40 am

David wrote:
Sun Oct 08, 2017 6:58 am
You could squirt some brake cleaner directly into the carburettor while turning the engine over, that usually helps
I don't think I would do that. Burning brake cleaner creates a very potent poisonous gas (I don't remember the name - is it Phosgene?). BW
G Trp 2nd Sqdrn 3d Armored Cavalry Ft. Lewis 1970-71. 43GPW(Sarge?) 47CJ2A(Teddy) 47CJ2A(Rusty) 47CJ2A(Zak) 48CJ2A(Lefty) 48CJ2A(Uncle Linden) 53CJ3B(Bulldog) 88XJ(Pluto) NE CO

User avatar
David
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1968
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2002 5:43 am
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by David » Sun Oct 08, 2017 1:37 pm

You'll be fine as long as you don't breath in directly next to the exhaust. :lol:

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Oct 08, 2017 1:59 pm

Or maybe Chlorine.
Also,the brake Kleen is a powerful solvent and will dissolve any oil in the bore-think twice about using it.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

User avatar
dpcd67
G-General
G-General
Posts: 11813
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:41 pm
Location: Iowa

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by dpcd67 » Sun Oct 08, 2017 3:40 pm

Brake cleaner is not made for inside your engine; it will dissolve all the oil in there which is a bad thing. As Joel said.
Use gas to prime; I do use ether too which is probably not good either.
U. S. Army 28 years.
Armor Branch

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Oct 08, 2017 5:29 pm

Starting fluid is really not necessary in Jeeps.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

User avatar
David
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1968
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2002 5:43 am
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Cold Start a Jeep lying idle for 8 months

Post by David » Mon Oct 09, 2017 1:17 am

Obviously I'm not talking about pouring in gallons of the stuff, usually a single 1-second squirt is enough which vaporizes almost immediately, which is what you want. It's not meant to do this every time you start ofc and yes, there are dedicated products available for this purpose too.


Post Reply

Return to “MB GPW Technical Knowledge Base”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot], Henk, Jim Thomason, Rick E., Scrumps and 81 guests