Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Stoooooopid question, I know….

Brilliant
Thanks all for the replies/guidance/opinions
HB

I have to admit to finding all the lay-up advice interesting, along with the theories presented..and claiming no real expertise I am left a tad betwixt and between..

My thinking is that when an engine is shut down hot, that the oil will drain off quicker than it would do when cooler after a short run up, and if the engine is left without starting for quite some time then whatever oil is not trapped in some way will drain down to some unknown degree.... Proof of which can be heard when an engine might be heard to rattle somewhat when initially fired up, perhaps more so if the engine is old or slightly worn.

Whenever I was bringing an elderly engine back to life after indeterminate periods of lay-up, I would have the plugs out and spin it till the oil pressure light or gauge determined that oil pressure was available in the system.. On modern cars that is not so easy and may cause all sorts of digital confusion ( I just don`t know). These days one has only to touch the door handle on some cars for the fuel system to be primed in order to ensure a rapid fire up, which may seem less than ideal following a degree of lay-up.

In a past life I have been involved in firing up LARGE old engines and the process was to pressurise the lube system first, by either the electric lube pump or the hand operated oil priming pump prior to firing it up. some of these engines were for emergency usage and had to be capable of taking up duty in as short a time period as possible, thus on occasion were tested to ensure they could perform within spec... the amount of rattling given off until oil pressure began to register was scary indeed.... These engines were normally run once a month with their oil systems pressurised prior to start up, and annually put through emergency tests, if not already called upon to do so within that year. More modern units seem not to have oil priming systems, perhaps all just part of the evolution in engineering materials with finer tolerances and advances in oil technology...?

My mid 80`s +8 has by way of it`s systems design a bit of an unintended (?) delay built in to the start up process after lay up which allows the oil pressurisation process a bit of ahead start, in that it can take a bit of cranking before it fires up, and which I suspect may be down to the fuel in the carbs having evaporated during lay-up. Thus the time taken for the fuel pump to restore the levels in the float bowls to the extent of the time taken before the engine finally fires up, all of which seems ideal, giving the starter motor a bit of exercise in the process..BUT, the poor old battery needs also to be up to the strain placed upon it, which could be no problem if kept on a Cetek or similar, though if not, could spoil the fun somewhat..?

I've done every possible lay up option over years of laying up cars. In the end, do whatever you think is best.

The issues are these.

The clutch plate may stick
The brake calipers and or cylinders may stick, or the handbrake may stick
Condensation can rust the fuel tank from the inside
Fuel can go off
Condensation in oils may cause additional wear
There may be rodent damage
Excessive moisture may cause external corrosion to exposed surfaces
The battery may give up

So far...................
I only ever had one clutch plate stick
I only ever had one tank of fuel go off, because I left it too low

The answer is simple. Get your car out and drive it at least 25 miles at a time. More is better.

Years ago I had a Bedford HA van, derived from the old Viva. In winter I used the starting handle to turn the engine before starting. It was never left for more than a couple of days without use. It felt as if it helped the engine cold start.
With the Morgan I never leave it more than 2 weeks without getting up to temperature, in the garage if not out driving.

My Moggies go into hibernation for 6-7 months every year due to the snow and road conditions up here in the Rockies. I have the batteries hooked up to CTEK chargers for the whole period, I do not start the engines during that time, the fuel tanks are kept full and over inflate the tyres. In May when the conditions are correct I turn the engines over with out starting them to circulate the oil to some degree, I then start the engines, after correcting the tyre pressures which takes a few minutes ensure all is good take them for a good drive. Never had any issues not even the M3W burping.

For all of these reasons stated by Dave.
I try to start mine at least once every month when being laid up, followed by small trips, to move all brake and clutch parts.
And also weekly inspections to check if any lodgers has invaded the mog.

I have always done this :
Take for a good long run on a fine dry, salt-free day.
Fill tank with quality low E fresh fuel and add catalyst safe fuel stabiliser if you wish.
Ideally change the oil.
Put in garage clean and dry, handbrake off, wheels chocked.
Over inflate tyres.
Connect Ctek.
Hood up, cover on, windows slightly open.
Every week or so press pedals, select gears and operate handbrake.
Every week or so roll to a new position in the garage to vary tyre loading.
Rodent scarer on (don’t know if it really works), cheap B&Q dehumidifier on (one of the best investments I have made in my garage).
Never start the engine … you cannot possibly get it fully warmed ticking over on the driveway in my opinion. I never crank the engine. Repeated low speed cranking without proper running oil pressure applied could risk wiping the cams.

When ready to use again I simply reset the tyres, check everything looks okay and start the engine and drive off straight away.

I have done this with my classics for the last twenty five years and never had a problem.