Here's my procedure...

I read somewere that the best think to do after a long storage is to pull the fuel pump fuse,crank the motor for say 5 seconds and then pop the fuse back in and start car.
Is this worth doing or should i just start er up and not worry about it.

I don't see how that would help.
The engine is going to crank regardless.
Just fire her up!
Then go for a long drive.
happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

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Pedro (Weston, FL)
Just fire her up!
Then go for a long drive.
happy Boxstering,
Pedro

I did exactly that every spring after 4 months of hibernation. My '06 fired up each time as if I'd just shut it down the night before. I did the same with my 981 a few weeks ago.

Like Pedro says. Fire it up. I just let it idle for a minute or so, enjoying the sound of that Flat Six while doing up my seatbelt and lowering the roof, checking mirrors etc. Then drive off taking it easy until you get the engine up to operating temperature and then enjoy driving your Boxster.

It would allow ti to crank, at low speed and with minimal stress on the rotating elements (no combustion) until some degree of lubrication takes place and the oil pump is primed. Else, if it cranks and fires it jumps from maybe 200 rpm to 1000+ instantly.

Not sure this is a big deal, but it is a difference.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

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grant
It would allow ti to crank, at low speed and with minimal stress on the rotating elements (no combustion) until some degree of lubrication takes place and the oil pump is primed. Else, if it cranks and fires it jumps from maybe 200 rpm to 1000+ instantly.

Not sure this is a big deal, but it is a difference.

Grant

Ok, but how much "drier, more drained" would the engine be after 6 months than after 2 weeks? So would it make sense to do this every time the car sits for more than a week or so?

but 6 years is >>>>> 2 weeks

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

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grant
but 6 years is >>>>> 2 weeks

True, but just wondering if after 2 weeks there would be any more oil left that would drain from the moving parts. I'm guessing that there would still be a bit of a coating left on moving parts after 4 - 6 months. (Just thinking of having a few drops of oil spilled on something metal. Months later, it will still be sticky, along with dust/dirt stuck to it. I would think it would stay there longer in an enclosed engine environment.)

I suppose over a long period (as in years), it would eventually dissipate. That's why you hear of people intending to store engines for an extremely long (again talking years.) time, sometimes filling the engine up with oil to keep rust from forming on the internals. Of course you'd have to be sure to drain that oil and refill with the proper amount before trying to turn over/start the engine.

I always change the oil and filter before storage, pop the front hood just in case I have to get to the battery and hook up a battery tender. Even in the garage I put a cover on for the winter and I'm good to go.
Just started my '03 after five months of storage with zero problems.. Just turn the key and let the oil show full bars and start her up. While idling I check the tire pressure and off I go until full operating temperature. I've been doing it this way for the past four years

Every April for the past 12 years, after five long months of storage:

1) Remove car cover
2) Unplug battery tender
3) Start car - first try.
4) Warm up, then 'drive it like you stole it'

Others may argue on more reasoned grounds, but I'm hard pressed to show any adverse effects of the aforementioned crude technique...

Happy spring!

Love it! (That's my procedure too!)

under 100 RPMs. At this RPM the plain bearings with the residual oil may not develop the hydrodynamic bearing (oil film) they need to protect against metal to metal contact.

I note for every start the engine RPMs climb to over 1K then drop down. This is on purpose and I believe done to spin the engine up and get those hydrodynamic bearings in existence until their existence is supplemented by oil flow and pressure from the oil pump.

The oil pump primes instantly. Oil flow takes nearly no time to reach the furthest reaches of the oil galleys. I note with my 996 oil pressure shows at cranking speed - under 1 bar I might add -- but zooms to over 4 bar in no time once the engine starts and RPMs climb. The oil pressure gage is connected to the engine at about as far from the oil pump as it can be.

So my advice would be to just start the engine, let it idle a bit to ensure at idle that everything is ok, then take the car out for a nice drive. Stay close to home in case there's a problem. Essentially you should give the car a test drive, a shake down drive, to ensure car developed no issues over the period of no use. I do not expect any but if the car does develop a problem you would want to be close to home, in cell phone coverage, just in case.

You can see the entire dash with the tach and the oil pressure gage (on the far right side) I think the more interesting items at least in this case.

View My Video

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MarcW
You can see the entire dash with the tach and the oil pressure gage (on the far right side) I think the more interesting items at least in this case.

View My Video

Thanks Marc. Interesting to see the pressure start up just while the engine turns momentarily before firing up.

I'll try to remember to watch oil pressure readout the next time I fire it up.

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com