I'm fixing to fire up my project for the first time in around three years. I haven't even dabbled in the carbureted/distributor world in the past three years either, so feel free to give me some suggestions.


The car has been sitting indoors with about half a tank of gas I poured some Sta-bil into, intending on firing it up the following spring.


Here's the game plan:
1.) Remove spark plugs, squirt some ATF into the cylinders
2.) Let it sit, then bar the engine over a few times (should I get a barring tool?) Hope like hell it spins freely.
3.) Re-install spark plugs after all the ATF is out
4.) Change oil? Probably a good idea, not sure if absolutely necessary.
5.) Siphon out that old gas, refill it with fresh 87.
6.) Give the carb a quick spray with carb cleaner
7.) Pour some fresh gas carefully into the carb
8.) Crank her over and hope like hell it fires.


Anything I should add to the list? Not sure if I'll have to clean the points or adjust timing. Even using ATF might be overkill. It's probably best to pull the plugs and check the oil to make sure there's no coolant getting anywhere. I'm pretty sure the coolant was mixed to protect down to -30F so there shouldn't have been any cracking issues.


But as I said earlier, I've been doing nothing but EFI for the past few years so I can use all the tips on carbs/distributor voodoo that you old timers do so well.

 

A 3 year sleep should not be a worry. If you have points ignition the points may have oxidized and may need to be cleaned a bit. I would just put some gas in the carb and give it a spin...

 

New oil for sure and pull the dist. and prime it with a drill a few times before firing.

 

Three years isn't that long in my book. But, following rshonson's advice sure wouldn't hurt. I'd siphon off the gas just in case (this might give you a chance to look it over for rust particles and/or signs of water contamination. As for storing engines, I use Sta-bil and a fresh oil change. I also let the engine cool overnight and then run it for only 30 seconds or so before I shut it down and store it.

 

how do you get rid of old gas such as what might be removed from that tank?

 

I add a gallon back per tankfull until it's used up

 

I asked this on a hunting forum when I went through the same thing. No company will take it for free and Fire Dept. wouldn't either. Some suggested leaving it outside in a can and let the problem solve itself, I wanted my cans back though the best solution I came up with was the lawnmower. My gas was 10 plus years old and the mower didn't skip a beat. Had almost 10 gallons lasted me all summer and fall. killed some weeds with it to. Gotta love when the neighbor kids are asking why your lighting the driveway on fire

 

This IS NOT a big deal. Put a fresh battery in it and crank it. The time it takes to get the gas to the carb will get oil everywhere. Expect it to start in 10 seconds of cranking.

 

Pour old gas on weeds you want to die.

 

Just ... make sure to run that old gas through a filter of some kind before reintroducing it to a fuel system.

 

Koda-Even with oil pressure, I'm a little concerned about relying on cranking RPM to splash oil up to the cam lobes.
Not much can be done except to get the revs up as soon as it starts to get the cam & lifters oiled, kinda like a 2000 RPM, 10 minute mini cam break-in.

 

3 years isn't much. Mine sat for 18 years....most of it in a barn.

I:
- Got a good battery
- Pulled the plugs (all looked good)
- Squirted a little 30w in cyls
- 'Test' turned by hand to make sure it wasn't frozen
- Spun it with starter (plugs still out) - saw oil press rise.
- Reinstalled plugs
- Filed & reset points
- Poured a little fresh gas in carb
- Cranked
- Rejoiced when it roared to life in only a few seconds ! (on the nasty cat ****, sour wine, & burnt ATF smelling old gas)

It blew horrendous clouds of blue/black/white/gray smoke for a minute or so then settled down. Kicked idle down once warm & it purred. All gauges looked OK.

I suctioned out as much old nasty gas out of the tank as I could & threw in a few gallons of fresh.

Like others said, I mixed the old nasty leftover gas with fresh and ran thru my mower.

After the initial start / warmup, I changed all the juices.

Patched a rotten brake line & took it for a spin!

 

If you leave the gas out in an open container, the gas will evaporate on it's own fairly rapidly.

 

I had 10 gallons of old fuel to get rid of this summer. Each time I filled the tank on my truck, I poured in a gallon of the old fuel (filtered through a paint strainer). It took all summer, but I burned it up that way.


On the start-up question: Two years ago, I bought a '66 Toronado at a salvage auction out in North Dakota. It had not run since at least 1988. After cleaning the fuel system, cleaning the carb, new plugs, oil change, battery, and a positive battery cable, she started right up. After cleaning a small amount of crud from the bottom of the master cylinder, it even had brakes. I could be driving it except that at this time it only has one forward gear. So, as they say, "It lot drives." I need to learn more about these switch pitch trannys. I'm not sure if I will restore it, part it out, or use it as a donor on a better car, but it yard drives.

 

I ruined a lawnmower carb with (very) old gas from my Olds. It was one of those new chinesium carbs they don't make kits/parts for so I had to replace it.

In retrospect, I should have mixed it with new gas, as some on this thread have suggested.

 

Your car will ingest old gas better than a lawnmower, the jet orfaces are just larger and allow the gunk that happens when gas gets old to pass through( sometimes)....Tedd

 

This.

I don't always agree with Koda, but it's been indoors for only three years, for Heaven's sake.

I'd probably squirt some penetrating oil in the cylinders, but that is already overkill, and just my own obsessiveness.
Crank until you've got oil pressure, then pour a few ounces of gas in the carburetor and let her rip.
If the carburetor seems balky, then clean it or rebuild it, but it may be fine.
If the points are dirty and it doesn't spark, then change them, but they're probably fine, too.

- Eric