I bought an old Rover Challenger from the tip on the weekend. When I got it home I was surprised to find the fuel tank was half full of oil. I've seen some strange things done to tip mowers, but this takes the cake. I can't see how the oil could have got in there unless someone has put it in there, perhaps by mistake. I guess that would explain why it ended up at the tip. The other odd thing is the sump was completely empty. It almost looks as though someone has poured 600ml of oil into the fuel tank instead of the sump!
The engine otherwise has good spark and compression.
Should I clean the tank and carby thoroughly before trying to start the engine? Or would a quick drain be enough? I really only want to see if it will go. I'm guessing if the tank is filled with petrol this will dilute any oil that has pooled in the carby and manifold. Plug was very dirty - coated with a thick blob of dried oil.
