Engine Reassembly/Start-up Question...

I've had the cylinder head and oil pan off of the TO-20 for several weeks now.

When I reassemble, do I need to oil/lube things before I crank the engine? (Yeah, I know I need to fill the crankcase with oil, and the radiator with coolant.)

Do the pistons need to be squirted with something before I put the head back on? Should the engine be cranked by hand first?(I didn't do anything with pistons, rings, etc., and I haven't cranked the engine while the head was off.)
 
In my experience, You should be fine to just pull the coil wire off and crank the engine a few revs before running it.

Joe
 
it would'nt hurt for all cylinders to have a squirt of oil.oilseal between rings and cylinders guarantees suction of fuel into cylinders.
 
Thanks, Jon and Maineman - I'll probably do both.

I had to clean some crud off the tops of the pistons (it looked like it had been runnig rich), so I may also give them a squirt of MMO to loosen up anything I couldn't get at.
 
I"d recommend you leave the spark plugs out and motor the engine with the starter and make sure that oil pressure comes up.
 
Since You've de-carbed the pistons and head, I would raise each piston to the top of the cylinder and shop vac the gap between the piston and cylinder wall real good. Then, lower each piston and, wipe the cylinder wall with a clean cotton cloth. When that is clean, you've done about all you can do! If this tractor has no oil filter, just change the oil after a short while.

Joe
 
Maineman, I vacuumed the cylinders where they were (all four are a couple of inches below the top of the block), but I was warned against turning the engine with the head removed, lest I inadvertently move the sleeves: is that a real concern?
 
Jerry, I'm pretty sure Gary got this carb from you, then rebuilt it for me this past spring. (It's still in the box, unfortunately!)

The carb that was on the TO-20 when I bought it was the wrong one.
 
Usually the sleeves are corroded in place in the block, if you had the head studs out you could get a bolt and washer and screw into the stud holes and the washer would overlap onto the top of the sleeve and hold it in place while you are turning it. Or just lay the head back on and put a couple of nuts on and snug them and then turn the motor and take the head back off.
 
Good idea, Jason - thanks!

I didn't remove the head studs, but couldn't I leave them in, and use a big washer, and a spacer (like a piece of pipe or something) and a nut on top to hold the sleeves in place?

And, a related question: should I have replaced the studs? (I [b:c2ccbd2088][i:c2ccbd2088]really[/i:c2ccbd2088][/b:c2ccbd2088] don't want to, but I will if necessary.)
 
Yes a piece of pipe and a washer will work fine. I wouldn't replace the studs because unless they have been over torqued at some point in their life they are stronger than the Chinese steel replacements you get today. When I did mine I did replace all the nuts for the head studs and I put hardened washers under mine. Why? That an old engine building trick. A hardened washer will let you get a truer torque reading and it spreads the torque out over a little bigger area. You don't have to do that though I just like to do it. Like others have said I would squirt a little oil or ATF in each cylinder. If you have the cover off of the oil pump pack it full of Vaseline so it will pull oil as soon as it is cranked over. If not just crank it over with the key off until it starts pumping oil and you see oil at the rocker arms.
 

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