Technical Opinions...?

Mine was a 55 R-11o with a regular carb on a SD 220. Are you aware of Old IHC. org? They may be of some help to you. All about Binders.

 

cool project,
with all that sludge I would definitely drop the pan
all the sediment has settled to the bottom like said earlier
and is clogging the oil pickup screen
clean the pan, get fresh oil with zinc and prime the engine
if it doesn't turn over smooth with good compression pull the head and see why

 

Cool, I have a '54 R-100

 

BTW, any tips to priming the updraft? I'm not even sure if starter fluid will work. It just pours back out.

 

Possibly crack the valve on an un-lit propane torch held near the intake while cranking?

Gary

 

If you can spray fluid while cranking, some should make up into the passageway.
Less, is apt to Not bend rods!

 

I love those old Metros! I had a short wheelbase Grumman back in the 80s. I probably would have kept it if it were a Metro...or a Divco

 

12v will not hurt anything if you are careful. Be sure all lights radio etc are turned off. Do not grind and grind the starter, it will overheat. When you get it running it should be ok for 15 - 20 minutes before the coil overheats. If it does, it should be OK when it cools down.

You can choke the carb by holding your hand against the intake. Some motors will not start or run well without the air filter. The restriction is figured into the jet sizes and tuning of the carb. But should start and run with the choke on.

If there are vacuum lines on the intake they may offer a place to squirt gas or starting fluid.

Friend of mine uses WD40 for quick start on an old engine that has not run for a while. It seems to work and it will not hurt the engine.

 

Are there any "plugs" or vacuum thimbles anywhere on the intake you could squirt starter fluid/gas into? You could also use some fish tank oxygen tubing connect to the starter fluid extension tubing and snake it up and around the intake. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

So starter fluid directly into intake manifold should allow it to fire off?

 

shit happens with minimal maintenance. even if it does start what will that prove? pull head, pan, etc and look at everything to figure out what to really do next. you are planning to drive it so, bite the bullet and do it right.

 

Agreed.
Suppose, just for a second, that the reason this engine was frozen was because of rust in (at least one) cylinder. Now you've freed it and you're going to fire it up. The rust didn't go away.

 

When I was a kid I would put gasoline in a spray bottle to start motorcycles and anything else that needed a bit of help.