Starting a car that has been sitting for years
#802594
09/16/10 12:08 AM
09/16/10 12:08 AM
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 322
Itasca, Texas
Mad_Scientist
OP
enthusiast
|
OP
enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 322
Itasca, Texas
|
I finally picked up my 340 Dart tonight and intend to try and start it up this weekend if everything goes right. The owner told me that the car had not been started for at least 5 years if not longer. I know that I need to empty the tank and flush out the fuel line, but what else do you think I should do before trying to fire up the motor? The carb looks brand new inside and is a "Demon".  Do you think I should rebuild it, or try and see if it will run first without touching it? Thanks!
69 Super Bee 440 5-speed
70 Dart Swinger 340 4-speed
69 Camaro SS 396 4-speed
66 Cutlass Convertilbe
70 Judge Ram Air III 4-speed
68 F-100 SWB
|
|
|
Re: Starting a car that has been sitting for years
[Re: Mad_Scientist]
#802596
09/16/10 12:19 AM
09/16/10 12:19 AM
|
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 16,480
Canada
CrAzYMoPaRGuY
I Live Here
|
I Live Here
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 16,480
Canada
|
My Jensen Interceptor sat for 17 years in a garage, never moved.
I towed it home, tossed a battery in it, and turned it over to make sure it would crank. I cranked it a few times. IT FIRED UP!!! It ran on 17 year old gas!
Smelled worse out the tailpipes than my kid's feet after hockey, but it ran no problems.
Change the oil, filter, fuel and fuel filter for sure.
CrAzYMoPaRGuY
|
|
|
Re: Starting a car that has been sitting for years
[Re: Mad_Scientist]
#802597
09/16/10 12:21 AM
09/16/10 12:21 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,122
Auburn WA
Dave_J
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,122
Auburn WA
|
Dump the crud, I mean the oil before even cranking it over! Pull all the plugs and spray some PB-Buster down each one and let it set for an hour. Leave the plugs out but cover each plug hole with a rag. I would then pop the distriberator out and insert a primering stick on a drill to get the oil up while also slowly cranking the engine over by hand. If it binds up, STOP and find out why. A stuck rocker will cause a pushrod to punch a hole in it or bend a pushrod. I have always pulled the valve covers off and rapped each valve with a light rubber hammer.
Retired, US ARMY 1973-1994
ASE mechanic, Electrical 1994-1997
Retired GTE/VERIZON/FRONTIER 1997-2015
Posting cheap tech help (CRAP) here since Nov 97, 1000's of posts, some may be good.
03 Suzuki Burgman 650(Burger King) Scooter
65 Formula S Cuda
78 Little Red Express Truck
98 Buick Regal (wifes car)
|
|
|
Re: Starting a car that has been sitting for years
[Re: Dave_J]
#802598
09/16/10 12:50 AM
09/16/10 12:50 AM
|
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,474
Florida STAYcation
dOc !
The village idiot's idiot
|
The village idiot's idiot
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 30,474
Florida STAYcation
|
Quote:
Dump the crud, I mean the oil before even cranking it over! Pull all the plugs and spray some PB-Buster down each one and let it set for an hour. Leave the plugs out but cover each plug hole with a rag. I would then pop the distriberator out and insert a primering stick on a drill to get the oil up while also slowly cranking the engine over by hand. If it binds up, STOP and find out why. A stuck rocker will cause a pushrod to punch a hole in it or bend a pushrod. I have always pulled the valve covers off and rapped each valve with a light rubber hammer.
x10 on the priming of the oil system. GOOD tips on the valves and rubber hammer.
|
|
|
Re: Starting a car that has been sitting for years
[Re: 71383beep]
#802600
09/16/10 03:10 AM
09/16/10 03:10 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,592
None
71rm23
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,592
None
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Dump the crud, I mean the oil before even cranking it over! Pull all the plugs and spray some PB-Buster down each one and let it set for an hour. Leave the plugs out but cover each plug hole with a rag. I would then pop the distriberator out and insert a primering stick on a drill to get the oil up while also slowly cranking the engine over by hand. If it binds up, STOP and find out why. A stuck rocker will cause a pushrod to punch a hole in it or bend a pushrod. I have always pulled the valve covers off and rapped each valve with a light rubber hammer.
x10 on the priming of the oil system. GOOD tips on the valves and rubber hammer.
 And don't even fool around with the gas. I would just replace the rubber fuel lines, get new wires, and use good fresh as high of an octane gas you can find. If you gonna try and drive it make sure to check the brakes are not frozen and/or have fluid...common overlook!
FUEL FILTER!
|
|
|
Re: Starting a car that has been sitting for years
[Re: CrAzYMoPaRGuY]
#802601
09/16/10 08:03 AM
09/16/10 08:03 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
Challenger 1
Too Many Posts
|
Too Many Posts
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 28,312
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
Quote:
My Jensen Interceptor sat for 17 years in a garage, never moved.
I towed it home, tossed a battery in it, and turned it over to make sure it would crank. I cranked it a few times. IT FIRED UP!!! It ran on 17 year old gas!
Smelled worse out the tailpipes than my kid's feet after hockey, but it ran no problems.
Change the oil, filter, fuel and fuel filter for sure.
All the other stuff is not necessary if you ask me. Sure if it runs OK then see about changing oil,fuel filters and gas after you make sure it runs. I have started cars/big trucks that have sat for many years without any problem. Would hate to waste 5 Qts of oil on a junk motor.
|
|
|
Re: Starting a car that has been sitting for years
[Re: Challenger 1]
#802602
09/16/10 10:04 AM
09/16/10 10:04 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 786
Shawnee, Kansas
Ebbsspeed
super stock
|
super stock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 786
Shawnee, Kansas
|
Quote:
Quote:
My Jensen Interceptor sat for 17 years in a garage, never moved.
I towed it home, tossed a battery in it, and turned it over to make sure it would crank. I cranked it a few times. IT FIRED UP!!! It ran on 17 year old gas!
Smelled worse out the tailpipes than my kid's feet after hockey, but it ran no problems.
Change the oil, filter, fuel and fuel filter for sure.
All the other stuff is not necessary if you ask me. Sure if it runs OK then see about changing oil,fuel filters and gas after you make sure it runs. I have started cars/big trucks that have sat for many years without any problem. Would hate to waste 5 Qts of oil on a junk motor.
Better to waste 5 quarts of oil on a junk motor than to waste a motor on 5 quarts of junk oil. Change it.
I may not appear to be doing much, but on the cellular level I'm really quite busy!
|
|
|
|
|
