best way to get a car running that's benn sitting for over 20 years???

[itchyballs]

hi. i have a car that hasn't been run in over 20 years. whats the best way to go about trying to get it started as far as what to do to the motor? thanks guys!!

[The Ghoul]

hi. i have a car that hasn't been run in over 20 years. whats the best way to go about trying to get it started as far as what to do to the motor? thanks guys!!

step 1
change all fluids, especially oil, trans fluid, and gas.

step 2
put a bit of oil in each cylinder (about half a cup at the very most)

step 3
Turn it over by hand (big socket wrench and the correct size socket on the crank pully)

step 4
Make sure to look over all of the wiring you can get to, You dont want to have a short and fry something when you put a battery in.

Step 5
Put in a charged battery, turn the key and cross your fingers. You may have to prime it a bit with gas into the carb or either but have a fire extinguisher handy just incase something goes sideways on you.

This may not be textbook but this is how I have always done it... but I don't think I have ever started any thing that's been sitting more than 15.

[itchyballs]

thanks Ghoul. same here. i never messed with anything sitting that long either...

[MOPARHOUND!]

In addition to what Ghoul said, If it is a big block, pulled the distributor and use a pre-oiling rod on an electric drill to circulate oil in the motor before you start it.  Turn motor by the balancer bolt a couple of revolutions in 90 degree increments so alll the valve train receives oil.

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

Step 6# u might just wanna change ur name while ur doing all those other things 2,(hahahahahah) j/k , so wut year of  car do u have?-MATT

[Big Lebowski]

  I have a kit for this...A working carb, a gas can with elec fuel pump with leads to a fresh battery, a coil, a points dist. after you primed the engine w/ an oil drill and gauge, oil in cylinders, all that and it will start.

[Shakey]

Step 6# u might just wanna change ur name while ur doing all those other things 2,(hahahahahah) j/k , so wut year of  car do u have?-MATT

What do you mean Matt?  Why would he have to change his name?

[grouseman]

If you run into resistance while turning the balancer bolt, like 'it's not moving, I'll just reef on it' stop right there.  You may have some seized cylinders.  In which case, a bi-lateral decapitation is in order. 

[4402tuff4u]

Dont know much about mechanics, but I would remove all the spark plugs, add some mystery oil on the cylinder heads and pistons, crank the engine without the plugs first after the above list of things other members have listed and makesure the exhaust pipes are not obstructed by a family of uninvited tenants.

[RD]

i would say the hell with it, dont do it.  pull the darn motor and rebuild the damn thing, it will need it anyway.

[MOPARHOUND!]

RD makes a good point.

My limited experience is the odds are very low for success/survival of a used engine that has sat this long.

69Hemi had a 383 Road Runner a mouse piled corn in a cylinder. 
From his website:

"Check out the third cylinder from the front and look closely at the yellow stuff in there, its corn. Apparently a mouse worked his way up the tail pipe, through the muffler and past the exhaust valve to make his grain bin in my 383. After we pulled that head the exhaust valve in that cylinder was rusted almost all the way through so it is a good thing we did not try to fire the motor or that valve would have broken and wiped out the numbers-match block."

Picture Link, click on "Engine" (then, look at last paragraph of page one):
   http://www.69hemi.com/roadrunner/index.html

I pulled apart a 440 one time that the mice had piled poison pellets in the exhaust manifolds, and in two of the cylinders with the exhaust valve open.

[Wakko]

Joe, what kind of motor is this?  Where was it stored and how was it parked?  Naturally something stuffed in a garage will have a much higher chance of running than one out in a field.  You can pull the valve covers and spark plugs and visually inspect for foreign objects, but naturally this isn't going to be 100% effective.   Worse comes to worse, pull the heads and see what you got.  Tisn't a long job at all, once you get the manifolds off.

[TylerCharger69]

20 years???   Yank the motor and freshen it up.   When I bought mine,  it sat for 24 years in the Arizona desert.  Half the car was buried in sand.  For craps and giggles...I actually got the car to start, but I knew that it would smoke like a big dog.  Insects had made their homes in the engine, tranny.....etc.   The thing WILL NOT run perfect by any means.  If you have a seized cylinder or two....not only will you bust a ring,  but the possibility of breaking a piston too.  The valve seals will definately be toast.  the carb will have varnish from 20 year old gas in it.  Jeeeeees....I can go on and on.  I had to pull my gas tank (of course)  and I had to literally scrape the varnish out of the gas tank...It was that thick!!!   And then I bathed it with a few gallons of lacquer thinner.  Fortunately....the desert preserved the car, and rust wasn't an issue.   You'll need to overhaul that tranny also,   and It wouldn't hurt to open up that rear end and inspect and change the lube either.  I'm assuming, of course, that you have the entire car, and not just the engine.   but yeah....pull the motor.....it will need some tending to.

[itchyballs]

well to be honest it is in a car that i don't want to do any more than i have to it. just get it running enough to drive under its own power.(has a lot of historical significance to it)....

[TylerCharger69]

Well.....it may run....but it's going to smoke a lot.  Valve seals, for one, have not had any lubrication pass over them for 20 years.   You'll probably have to drop the fuel tank and clean out the varnish,   and clean out fuel lines  and take that carb apart to get the sludge out of that too.  Seals on the tranny  will need replacing...once it warms up....leaks will pop up all over the place.  (Expansion from the heat).  The cooling system will need a good flushing.....and you may find  a few leaky freeze plugs and what not.   I can go on and on......you are better off refreshening.   I'm sure the oil seals on the engine itself  will expand with the heat  and leaks will pop up there too.  You'll have to change all of the fluids of course.....The brake system.....well...You should flush that out....you'll prolly find leaky wheel cylinders there too..after driving for a little while.   Don't expect the car to fire off  and then drive it immediately....unfortunately.....it doesn't work that easily...especially if the car has been parked for 20 years.

[Bandit72]

Well.....it may run....but it's going to smoke a lot.  Valve seals, for one, have not had any lubrication pass over them for 20 years.   You'll probably have to drop the fuel tank and clean out the varnish,   and clean out fuel lines  and take that carb apart to get the sludge out of that too.  Seals on the tranny  will need replacing...once it warms up....leaks will pop up all over the place.  (Expansion from the heat).  The cooling system will need a good flushing.....and you may find  a few leaky freeze plugs and what not.   I can go on and on......you are better off refreshening.   I'm sure the oil seals on the engine itself  will expand with the heat  and leaks will pop up there too.  You'll have to change all of the fluids of course.....The brake system.....well...You should flush that out....you'll prolly find leaky wheel cylinders there too..after driving for a little while.   Don't expect the car to fire off  and then drive it immediately....unfortunately.....it doesn't work that easily...especially if the car has been parked for 20 years.

we bought a 59 dodge pickup out of a field one time for 100 bucks...it had 79000 miles on it and had been in the same spot for 15 years...we cleaned the plugs, changed the fluids and drove it onto the trailer later that day!!!! it smoked for about a minute or two and since then hasnt' smoked a bit, does leak alittle but oh well....i think it's luck of the draw sometimes...

[Lightning]

hi. i have a car that hasn't been run in over 20 years. whats the best way to go about trying to get it started as far as what to do to the motor? thanks guys!!

might I add "praying" to the list that everybody has made so far?

[TylerCharger69]

lol...prayer is good

[Todd Wilson]

PUll the plugs and put some kind of oil in them. Mystery is fine or a squirt of diesel fuel.   Let it sit a day and go back and try to turn the motor over by hand. If the motor will turn over by hand you should be good to go.   Change the oil and filter and if you can prime the engine.   

I have heard guys buying several gallons of CHEAP  oil at Walmart and filling the entire engine up with oil and let it sit for a day clear full and then drain it and put the regular amount in and start.

I would maybe have a temporary fuel supply handy. Like a small gas can supplying the fuel for now. Once its determined the engine runs  then its time for all new rubber and coolant and fuel system cleaning.  Tune up stuff and then you see what happens. Its a 50/50 deal here on if it will run or need rebuilt.   


Todd

[BigBlockSam]

on my 69 satellite with the 69 440 motor, i got lucky. i changed the fluids, new carb, cleaned tank, new plugs and wires. still wouldn't start, kinda tried to.i made sure the brakes worked good. i towed it over to the 46 street hill, about 3/4 mile straight down. got it going then popped the clutch. it made a couple of funny noises, tons of black smoke but it was running by the time i got to the bottom. I've driven it for 3 years , no problems. except the exhaust is falling off now. Rene

[mopar_madman]

just curious if you got it running and how it went?

[itchyballs]

thanks guys for all of your help. i am going to be working on it in the next month or two as i get some time. like i said it is a pretty historical car and i want to take my time to prevent doing any unnecessary damage to it...

[Steve P.]

thanks guys for all of your help. i am going to be working on it in the next month or two as i get some time. like i said it is a pretty historical car and i want to take my time to prevent doing any unnecessary damage to it...

Well,,, give it up!!  What's the history behind this wondermobile??   

[TylerCharger69]

really   i agree....what's the historical story on this cae?....pics?

[Todd Wilson]

Maybe its LEE #0 ?   



Todd