Turbo Mini Forums

Firstly I would invest in a cylinder pressure testing tool, not expensive and available from places such as Halfords. If you can turn the engine over then you can establish roughly if there is any ring or valve wear. You could also run and air pressure loss check. Really, you should check for Crank and cam wear but this would certainly include striping the engine down. If you achieve a reading of between 140 to 160 Psi then the rings and valves are okay, this is in respect of standard pistons. This is a good start. The plugs will probably be sooty because the car hasn't run, give them a good clean or buy new ones and check coil connections and dizzy cap contacts. Check fuel line and replace any dirty or old filters. Check needle valve as it may well be sticking thus flooding the engine. If all is okay within reason then the car should start, once it does you can asses its condition by listening to how it sounds and it's performance if you drive it. My advice would be to get it to a rolling road as soon as its running, good luck.