My motor has been rebuilt, (1916) and has started once and ran for about ten mins. That was about three months ago. and wont be started again for another month or two, cos its been sitting at the panel shop all this time. Will this affect the motor in any way? does it matte if they sit for months unstarted?

The usual problems for long times un-used is it may cause rusting internally (being kept inside should minimise this) and seals tend to dry out and become hard causing them to leak soon after putting back in use.
A few months shouldn't pose any problems if it's kept in doors, but starting once a fortnight to one a month is a good idea.
:thumb

No doubt the engine cost you a small fortune. Make sure you start it once a week for a few minutes. If you dont start it, the rings might bind/rust to the barrels. If you cant start it weekly, at least start it fortnightly. Otherwise take the plugs out and fill the chambers with oil. While you are at it, you should fill the case with oil also. This will keep the surfaces coated in oil and prevent rust. Make sure if you fill it with oil that it CANT be started. Because of the amont of oil the starter wont get far and you will fry the solenoid, relay or switch.

cheers Todd

If the engine sits for many years then rusting of the bores and evaporating of fuel leaving a gooey sludge in the carb bowls may be an issue but over a period of months there is not the slightest issue of corrosion or ring sticking, jammed valves, dried out seals and sacked out valve springs that tend to come to mind to alarm the those not in the know.

All the running components have a film of oil on them from their last run that will inhibit them for many years without the need to run the engine for any time at all, indeed even bother to turn it over by hand.

There are always 2 cylinder vented to atmosphere either thru the exhaust or thru the carby but so long as the engine is not stored in a bloody boatshed then it will happily sit there unnatended for years.

Unlike hydraulic oils that often dont have any "wetting" properties, engine oils "wet" metal components and they will remain inhibited for years if undisturbed in the relatively dry environment of a panel shop.

As a matter of interest, my first F-Vee sat buried in the back of a shed for over 18 years, never even turned over and was simply given an oil & filter change and went on to race half a hard season of racing without so much as checking valve seat pressure.
I only pulled it down to do portwork to it and shim the valves to achieve equal and correct valve spring seat pressure.

Relax dude.
L8tr
E

Thanks guys, Tas that was beautifully writen and has eased my mind. When I do eventualy start it, is there anything I should do? or just kick her in the guts?

Hey dude
Nahh, just crank her up and away you go as usual. Presumably the air filters are in place...dip your oil and away you go!

A matter I forgot about with storing was that batteries take a disliking to sitting about for reeeely long periods.

Lead acid batteries do tend to drop away over time for whatever reason, and the issue of the battery going flat is not really a problem but having them sit flattened for extended time is where the problem is.
This often results in a battery that will not accept full charging and never seems to have any grunt.

This is where starting them and running them regularly gets its start in life.

However, repeated cold starting of engines and not running them for quite some time with the oil hot can result in condensation in the engine and incomplete combustion leftovers, combined with the condensation produces really corrosive acids that are only evaporated away out of the oil after a good time running hot.

This explains why mums shopping trolley putted around on short runs over the years will never get the mileage of one that runs mostly, say long country road kays.
Hence the huge kays taxis, that never run cold, achieve out of engines between even minor top end jobs and are usually subject to abusive drivers and city stop/start traffic.:o

There you go
L8tr
E

Two of my cars - one a Beetle - get driven only every few months. No worries - kick it in the guts and go. I disconnect the battery, though. Essential or you'll kill it in no time. I did... Got three days' use from a $90 battery. Grrr

Yup!
Wise move to disconnect it for long periods of inactivity.

L8tr
E

Fire 'er up and drive her hard for a while. Next time you're going to leave an engine for a few months, run her at fast idle at least 20 mins, or take her for a 30min drive, or change the oil. But I doubt you'll have much trouble with a fresh engine, unless you only run it for another 10 mins...