Hello, now poster here. I have been a past poster on various other forums so I'll first explain that I have used the seach function but could not identify a thread that seemed to comprehensively address the issue at hand. My apologies if I blew by some good info and if an old thread exists that scratches this itch I would welcome a re-direct

Trying to determine the best approach to getting an ultra low miles '81 up and running again after almost 10 years of storage and very infrequent usage. During this time the car actually has only been run for brief periods of time and really not at all for the last two years. The interior and exterior is pristine, always garaged and covered. Other than some surface corrosion within the engine compartment and a couple nicked wires courtesy of field mice (such things happen here in Virginia), the car is in super condition. I know enough to not try and start the car with the old engine oil and gasoline in the tank, but how does one best address this other than fresh oil and gasoline? How best to drain the old fuel - drop the tank? How about the coolant, tranny fluid (automatic tranny), brake fluid, etc? I suppose all belts, gaskets, hoses..but brake lines and such? Should certain wiring harnesses be replaced as well?

I am also shooting for not so much a restoration (not going to be a concourse car) but the goal of restoring the engine compartment to a very clean condition. This has to be one of the most crowded engine compartments I've ever tried to work in! Pull the engine and then clean it up? Clean things such as the air cleaner or replace? Suggestions here are also welcomed.

In sum, can anyone suggest a logical checklist of tasks to take on here before even trying to run the car again. Any recommendations are very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Steve

 

I bought my 81 two years ago at Carlisle with 30000 miles on it. The fuel gauge didn't work and I would clog fuel filters with rust particles about every 500 miles. I decided to pull the sending unit. This comes out the top of the tank. First remove the fuel filler door, then the sending unit comes out. I found a nasty brown swill of gas and rust in the tank. The tank is lined with a hard plastic liner. After siphoning the nasty $hit out, the tank liner cleaned up nice using carburator cleaner and plenty of rags. Replaced the sending unit(corvette central), rubber fuel hoses, fuel pump, fuel filter again, and the car ran great.

 

Steve,

To start good luck.
1) Buy significant other jewelry (to ease the harrasment about the money you will begin spending) !! repeat as nessassary !!
2) change all fluids & filters
3) remove sparkplugs put in some clean engine oil in each hole, remove valve covers, Use priming tool until oil comes out rockers, Rotate engine by hand 4-5 revolutions by hand, install new plugs & wires
4) install new battery
5) Check coolant hoses for cracks, replace if needed
6) rebuild carb if it has sat with fuel in it
7) Have a someone help start engine. If it starts dance around the car like no one is watching. Have a beer to celebrate
8) sober up & change brake fluid & bleed brakes
9) have buddys come over to check out the project, drink beer.
10) keep us informed with progress (we like pics)

DR. Jay

 

Very well said. From experience...#1 is by far the most important.

 

LOL, I am with Jay on this one

Good Luck and Congrats!

 

Welcome to the forum!! Jay's list is a good place to start and remember, most of the people here do not mind repeat questions. You won't find a more helpful group.

 

Thanks guys! Very helpful already, got my list going. I see that jewelry and beer are the two most critical lubricants for ultimate success here!

Pics later this week!

Steve

 

Do them in THIS order. Trust me, once that engine runs, the urge to put it in gear will be SOOOO great. And with no brakes, the odds of an ouch is really great.

 

If your '81 still has the original computer setup it is possible that your ECM has self destructed With the ignition on, engine off. The check engine light should come on. If it does you computer is working normally. If not the car will still run, but you should trouble shoot this.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about he computer having self destructed. I bought an 81 Z28 in '01 that had sat for 7 years and the computer worked fine, and was still working fine when I sold the car last fall to buy my Vette. Also on #7 above, you could do like me when I got my truck running a year ago also from having sat for nearly 7 years. I went running over to my neighbor's house, "did you hear it, did you hear it!"

 

The computer won't self destruct but the E4ME (q-jet) will definitely need to be freshened up. Carburetors don't like to just sit around, they get all nasty and the gaskets rot and such. It'll most likely run just fine, it'll just be nasty nasty nasty.

 

I did not think any '81s from the general even had a computer.... excepting the vette.

I have gone through similar start-ups after a much longer set.

Throw a battery charger on it over night before you start.I add one quart of AFT to the engine oil, ATF is a very good cleaner for an engines internals. Pull all the plugs and shoot a little oil into each cylinder and spin the engine over a couple turns. Put the plugs back. Since you said the engine (and car) had been run within the last three years, that is all I would do. Get the car started (use starting fuild if you need to), let is run about fifteen minutes then change the oil and fuel filter. If it is an automatic, I would probably run the shifter through the gears while it was running pull the trans pan replace the trans filter and change the trans fuild at the same time I change the oil. I would do the trans simply because most people do not do it often enough in my opinion.

Good luck, but you should not have any problems..... excepting for MickyMouse damage that is.

 

Eeeek... pulling the spark plugs on a stock '81 is the biggest PITA in the world. There's more crap in the way than you can think of. Now that all of the excess crap is out of my '81, pulling those plugs is a breeze, but back then... it'll take a couple of hours figuring out how to get them out.

 

6.5 say following prayer to car gods " oh lord please dont let me have F%^ked up"

 

My 80 sat for 12 years. Just get jewelry and beer first(lots of beer) cause your piggy bank will suffer as you find accessories you just gotta have

 

Gerry, from my understanding, all General Motors cars started getting the computer controlled distributor and carb in 81. As far as Camaro's, I know for a fact that all 81's in the US got the computer, the only place you didn't was in Canada, which essentially makes an 81 Canadian
Camaro the same as a 50 states 80 Camaro, (US made Camaro's didnt' have computers except for a few California only Camaros.) I can't say about 81 Vette's, I haven't had the chance to learn as much about them as the Z I had. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, yes the carb would definitely need attention after that much time.

 

Thanks again for the tips, recommendations and the responses. Gathering items and getting organized. Will probably start this process next weekend. Darn...did offer up photos didn't I? Okay...add "dust off the digital camera" to the list!

Thanks again to all!

 

The list of "to dos" is right on! Mine sat for 10 years before starting. I started with the brakes and found all 4 calipers leaking so I replaced them and the hoses and installed new front wheel bearings and grease and turned all 4 rotors. I used marvel mystery oil in each cylinder instead of regular engine oil. It smokes like the dickens when first started but does a good job cleaning and protecting the cylinders, rings etc. Mine started right up doing just as the above list directs, but I don't think you can buy enough jewelry. My mistake was; I bought my wife new valve covers for it! Where did I go wrong?!
Bernie

 

Steve, you want to clean up that engine bay? You want to make it easier to work on? You want some room in the eingine bay? You want to be able to change the plugs from the top? You want to easily be able to make some power mod's? Remove the computer, smog pump, then all unnecessary electrical and vac lines, trash the old air system and remove, replace with open element, cut out the cat and go true dual. That's where I would start. (*Note: you must change distributor and carb when you do this).

It will clean up nice! I'm still not done on mine, but this will give you an idea of an '81 with above done.

 

A lot of good suggestions above. I like Dr. Jay's list. Be aware that some time and money will go into doing this right, but I think that the results will be worth it. Just assume that every rubber part and seal will need to be replaced but some need to be done first.

I like the idea of getting the engine up and running first but I think that you should keep yourself from diving it right off the bat. Unless you're very lucky, your brakes are probably all but useless. You can probably verify this by pressing the brake pedal without the car running. My guess is that it'l either go straight to the floor or, best case, slowly go to the floor. There are many posts here on brake rebuilds. not too expensive nor too hard, but be prepared for this. At very least, the fluid will have to be replaced and the brakes bled.

Goo luck and keep us posted on your progress.