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Piston Slap: Pressurizing Oil Before the Springtime Startup
Eric writes:
Hi, I have a 2023 Mustang 5.0 with only 5,500 miles. It sits in storage for months up here in Maine during the snow/road-salt season. I hate starting the engine without turning it over to build up some oil pressure. The Ford dealer’s service manager told me there is no way to turn engine over with it starting! Any ideas?
Sajeev answers:
Before we proceed, we have a ton of vehicle storage information here, and it might just make winter storage a lot easier for anyone reading this article.
Eric, your question brings up a bigger issue: There is no need to start the engine just to build oil pressure while in short-term car storage. Engines will not lose any power (i.e. they won’t incur internal wear/damage) from storage, as proven here. But you likely asked this question to ensure the motor is fully primed with pressurized oil before the Mustang cranks over and leaves the garage in the springtime.
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And that’s a fair question, but I doubt the problem of engine wear on startup is significant. Like most automakers, Ford insists on pretty thin oils these days. While they may drain and de-pressurize quicker, the flipside is also true: they build pressure quickly. And these oils are semi-synthetic in composition, but many folks upgrade to a fully synthetic oil for even more protection. No matter your choice, all oils have improved over time. If these petrochemical advancements aren’t easing your fears, let’s try to help you build oil pressure before your first springtime journey.
The Ford dealer may be right, as I do not have a new Ford to try out what I am proposing. While you can no longer pull the main wire from a distributor to make a car crank (no ignition), I assume pulling the correct fuse still eliminates its source of fuel. (Yes, it could be a fuel pump relay, but let’s not get bogged down in semantics.)
The fuse/relay box is under the hood, and the owner’s manual tells you which little thing to yank to kill the fuel pump (there are two for the GT500 model!). Pulling it should let you turn the motor without the risk of it firing up. Also, depending on accessibility, you could rotate the crank pulley with a breaker bar and a socket. Ultimately, though, I don’t think this is worth the effort.
But my word is never final, so what do the readers of Hagerty Media say? Sound off in the comments.
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I have a 2010 Mustang GT bought new that sits all winter. First frost /salt to first street sweeping in spring. In spring I pull the fuel pump fuse, crank the engine for 15 seconds, then 15 seconds again. Then I put the fuse back and start it.
Now I’m not sure on ford. But with GM, you hold the accelerate peddle to the floor before cranking. And it cuts fuel supply to the engine. (Will not start, only crank) i do this between oil changes to fill the system before it starts. Roughly 10-15 seconds.
I agree with the consensus here that it’s not a problem worth stressing over. For anyone who can’t help themselves there used to be, maybe still is a clever contraption trade named “Accusump”. Find an oil line to T off of and run a new line into a pressure cylinder with a valve at its inlet. Before turning off the engine close the valve and several quarts of oil will be captured at running pressure. Before starting, open the valve.