Engine sitting for 5 years!

[kojo2001]

I just purchased a 75' that the engine has not been started in about 5 years. The PO said that it did run great and was serviced before the long nap The oil looks clean. what are some pointers to do before attempting a start? what are the my chances of the engine still being good?


Thanks

[mbouse]

those chances will depend on a lot of things, primarily... how it was stored.

i resurrected succesfully, a 12 year sitting engine that was driven into a pole barn and parked with a full tank of gas. literally nothing was done to the car, except kids playing in it for a dozen years. But, because it was out of the elements, i was successful.

your luck will depend not only on how it was stored, but how you go about bringing it back. Don't attempt to put a fresh battery on it and crank it....
1. take the spark plugs out and pour an ounce or two of ATF into each cylinder. Wait 24 hours.
2. repeat step one.
3. repeat step one.
4. with the tranny in neutral, stick a 1 1/2" socket on the crank pully nut, and give the engine a turn...slowly. if no resistance is felt, keep going for several revolutions.
5. While you are waiting during steps #1 thru #3, you can drain and flush the fuel tank and all of the fuel lines. unless they are completely dry, do not be surprised to see something that stinks really bad, and looks like brown tea with chunks. blow those lines out with some compressed air, but don't be surprised if a line or two breaks..double check the steel lines that run between the left rocker panel and the driver's seat inside the cockpit.

6. if you were successful in step #4, double check that there is lubrication in the sump. if you feel lucky, let that oil stay there for the test period... if you feel rich, go ahead and change the oil and filter now. prime the oil pump.
7. time to check the starter. throw a known good and fully charged battery on the circuit and see if the starter will turn the engine over.
8. get some help and see if you are getting spark at the plugs.
9. assuming all is successful so far, ger ahead and reconnect the fuel lines and add a couple of gallons of fuel. return the plugs and connect them.
10. fire her up.

the trick is not to get in a hurry and jump the gun. be patient, especially with the first couple of steps. getting lubrication back on those cylider walls is important.

[kojo2001]

Thanks, wish me luck!

[spiderrey]

i started a car that was sitting outside, with the top down for over 12 years. i simply hooked a tube to a small bottle of gas to gravity feed the carb. fired right up after a few tries. should a used atf, but didnt. it was gonna be a parts car anyway.

[So Cal Mark]

Every time someone brings in a car they just bought, the previous owner always tells them the car was running just fine when it was parked. Who parks and ignores a car that was running fine? They always have some issue, and that's why they were parked. It may not be an engine issue, but after sitting that long you should expect to replace nearly everything that isn't steel or aluminum (and then some of those parts too)

[mbouse]

you are correct mark. i never thought of it that way before. MOST vehicles were parked for a specific reason, and the resurrector should always expect some issues.

Rubber parts (non-safety) should be replaced every five years; imagine what that means for safety parts (guibo) made from rubber!

do not expect this car, or any other long term stored vehicle, to be a great runner until you have thoroughly gone thru the entire vehicle. it certainly won't be safe until the brakes are gone thru completely, fuel lines are replaced, etc.