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Original Message
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| RE: Restarting a 312 v8 after 10 yrs?! |
| By Gerry Proctor - 03/24/2004 6:50:58 AM; IP 207.133.188.254 |
At a minimum you should pull the plugs and get some WD40 or other penetrating spray in the cylinders. Once you do that, turn the engine over by hand.
You want to make sure that the rings are not locked to the potentially rusty cylinder walls before you use the starter to crank the engine.
If the engine turns freely, put the plugs back in and put some fresh gas in the tank. Change the oil and filter (try to use a 5-30 oil on the re-start) and get ready to start it...but not yet.
Replace all the belts and hoses. It doesn't matter how they look. They will be bad, especially the belts.
At this point you want a helper/observer handy with a fire extinguisher or water hose. It would be best to be outside for the starting. The reason for this is that just about anything that uses a seal or made out of rubber is a leak source. Carburetor gaskets shrink when they dry out, fuel hoses oxidize and crack, floats stick... At a minimum, replace the rubber fuel lines.
If the engine comes back to life you are about half way to reviving the car.
Let the engine run until it is at operating temperature and observe for any leaks. Don't be surprised if this car that wasn't leaking anything in hibernation is now dripping fuel from the fuel pump or lines, water from the pump weep hole, oil from the valve cover gaskets and crankshaft seals and trans fluid from the various seals and gaskets. It's not a guarantee that this will happen but just be prepared for it in both operating the car and your expense list.
Once the engine is warmed up, start to test the transmission by cycling it through the gears.
Before the car will be ready to road test, you'll need to replace all the hydraulics in the brake system. You'll need a new (not rebuilt if you can avoid it) master cylinder and wheel cylinders. Before you replace the cylinder, purge the old fluid and flush alcohol through the hydraulic system. You want to remove all the sludge and moisture from the lines. Once the lines are clean, replace all the hydraulics and install new flex hose. Obviously, if the brake shoes or other hardware needs attention, now would be the time to do it. Also make sure the parking brake cable and levers move freely and that the shoes are greased at the point where they ride on the backing plate.
Once the engine, trans, and brakes are up to snuff, you are ready for an easy road test. Go easy on it for the first few miles so that the rear can be lubed.
You should be able to get a pretty good fix on where you are following the road test. And if everything seems to be working fine, don't even think about getting this car up to freeway speed until you replace the tires.
It's not all that unusual to have even a freshly overhauled engine and trans needing it again after such a long period of rest. The bottom line, again, is that anything that uses a gasket or seal could be bad. |
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This thread, so far...
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