Quote Originally Posted by gmcsierragrande View Post
What I've done so far is crank it for 5 or 6 seconds, release the key and then crank it another time to start the engine after another 3 or 4 seconds of cranking.
I don't understand why you're doing all this cranking. The most critical part of the motor, the cam lobes and lifter faces are lubed WITH CRANK SPLASH ONLY. If the motor isn't running, they're dry.

If you're going to fire the motor periodically at all, for heaven's sake make sure it's ready to fire off when you first hit the key.