The Houston 04 SE

[Smallblock454]

itsnotanova is right. It's suspected that there will be lots of water and oil in the exhaust system and cats. Also check the intake system.

I would pull plugs a.s.a.p. and turn over the engine by hand. If water has found it's way into the cylinders – which i suspect, than it's important to get the water out there a.s.a.p. Much more important than seats and other stuff.

Because you put the car on jack stands, make shure you've got all water out of the system. Maybe its a good idea to pull the oil pan before putting in new oil.

Seats: don't put them in bags. They need to dry completely. Best would be a warm, ventilated area without sun. Else you get must / mildew in the foam.

Check the ball joints and steering system for water.

Regards, Markus

PS: Problem with filling the cylinders with oil / 2 stroke oil ist that it's a flat engine. So you cannot fill the, up like a inlne or v engine.

[78F350]

Markus. I agree with what you posted, but want to clarify a few things.

Originally Posted by Smallblock454

...it's important to get the water out there a.s.a.p. Much more important than seats and other stuff.

At first the engine was not my priority because it had been in that condition for four months. As soon as I drained the water and oil, the condition changed and the internal engine was exposed to air. Then it became urgent.

...Maybe its a good idea to pull the oil pan before putting in new oil.

I would have pulled the oil pan, except that when I drained the engine, only two things came out: Clean water and clean oil. I think that there is minimal residual water in there now and I will flush more oil through, to clear it.

Seats: don't put them in bags. They need to dry completely. Best would be a warm, ventilated area without sun. Else you get must / mildew in the foam.

I have removed them from the bags. The purpose of the bags was to allow a mildew killing agent to seep into the seats without dispersing.

Check the ball joints and steering system for water.

Yes, soon.

...Problem with filling the cylinders with oil / 2 stroke oil ist that it's a flat engine.

Correct, they can not be filled. What I did do was spray 'fogging oil' into the spark plug holes until it flowed back out, then pumped some 2-stroke oil into both sides of the plenum.

vielen Dank

[Smallblock454]

Originally Posted by 78F350

At first the engine was not my priority because it had been in that condition for four months. As soon as I drained the water and oil, the condition changed and the internal engine was exposed to air. Then it became urgent.

Well, problem here is if the valves of a cylinder are open, the cylinder is exposed to air.

I think that is also why you have water in one cylinder, but not in all. If the water was really clean, the damage might be not that bad.

Primary problem in that case are the piston rings.

If the water wasn't clean, than we have a bigger problem, because all the debree is in the engine and that will cause major problems. So our major problem is not only to get all water / huminity out of the engine but also all debree.

In general i would say it's safer to rebuilt the engine; or at least pull the heads and oil pan etc. and clean everything up, just to make shure possible debree doesn't eat up the engine. As you know most M96 parts are made of alloy, not steel.

Hope weather conditions get better soon. But if you can work in a t-shirt it might be not that bad. Over here in Germany we have snow and below 40 degrees F. So no t-shirt weather.

Regards, Markus

[seningen]

Originally Posted by Smallblock454

Well, problem here is if the valves of a cylinder are open, the cylinder is exposed to air.

I think that is also why you have water in one cylinder, but not in all. If the water was really clean, the damage might be not that bad.

Primary problem in that case are the piston rings.

If the water wasn't clean, than we have a bigger problem, because all the debree is in the engine and that will cause major problems. So our major problem is not only to get all water / huminity out of the engine but also all debree.

In general i would say it's safer to rebuilt the engine; or at least pull the heads and oil pan etc. and clean everything up, just to make shure possible debree doesn't eat up the engine. As you know most M96 parts are made of alloy, not steel.

Hope weather conditions get better soon. But if you can work in a t-shirt it might be not that bad. Over here in Germany we have snow and below 40 degrees F. So no t-shirt weather.

Regards, Markus

The valve openings are only so big from a debris point of view.

It seems like you could vacuum out the cylinders through the spark plug hole
anything else left is likely to be harmless or disintegrate quickly.

Mike

[78F350]

I want to start the engine. It could still take me weeks before it's really ready, but running it up to temperature would be good to get the moisture out and get a better idea of the condition. Tell me what I need to do first. Here's a quick list:

• Immobilizer/DME/Key are in hand, ready to install.
• Starting on electronics - removal and cleaning today.
• Open the transmission drain to check for water. Soon.
• Take a fuel sample. Power fuel pump and sample at engine feed line.
• Find the coolant leak and fix it. Haven't even looked yet.
• Replace air filter, clean TB, MAF, and intake tubing.
• Fully drain or just replace the exhaust.

So... what else? I don't want to rush and ruin it all.