Picking up an 80 L82 this weekend, body and interior are in great shape but the car has been in storage for 6 years. I am planning on pulling the valve covers and using an oil pump primer in the distributor, so I am sure that things are getting lubed, then turn the motor over by hand to be sure that the valves are operating correctly.

Any other suggestions?

And yes it will be outside, with a fire extinguisher at the ready!

 

How about draining the tank, add new fuel, fuel filter, air filter, plugs? How's the battery after 6 years? Might be dead.

 

New oil also - but you probably already thought of that...

 

The gas could be a little sour by now. You might want to drain the tank and start with all fresh. If the gas had stabilizer added at the time of storage you might be allright. At least change the fuel filter after the first tankfull. Hopefully the engine isn't stuck.

 

I would anticipate considerable seal shrinkage, too.

 

BTW, just for interest sake:

1)Is there an easy way to not only drain the tank but drain the lines of fuel all the way to the front and then 'de-gunk' it before filling with new fuel and running through?

2)Do plug wires that are not used prematurely crack with loss of efficiency as compared to cars that are driven (maybe heat keeps elasticity??)

....just a thought

 

And you bought it in Wareham, Mass for 3k right? Damn.....I was second in line for that car! White w/ weld wheels and red interior!

Good luck with it.

-Rick

 

Yup yup LOL sorry bud I will keep you updated on my progress!!!

Thanks for all the advice and also looking forward to hearing how to drain the fuel lines, I am thinking of pressureizing the fuel tank, think that will work.

 

1-mineral spirits and a suction pump
2- they dry rot, if you got the $$$ do a full tune

 

My car sat for 26 years. Pulled plugs shot marvel mystery oil in cylinders. Let it sit about a week . Hand cranked a quarter turn every day for a week kept putting mystery oil in. eventually hand cranked full rotations for a week. Siphoned old gas from tank filled tank than cranked motor without fuel line connected to carb. Let a about 2 gallons run out put new filter new plugs the car fired right up. Runs rough right now. So next step involves full tune up and timing check. Changed oil no leaks. no radiator leaks minor trans leak and power steering leak. Also need heater core just started leaking.

 

after you have primed the oil system why not take plugs out squirt a lubricant in cylinders, siphon the gas out of the tank ,fill with fresh gas crank the engine and use the fuel pump disconnected from the carb to shoot the gas out of the lines? pump out about 1 gallon and put an after market clear glass fuel filter in for a couple of tank fulls.

as for number 2 i don't think not using plug wires will hurt them. age may hurt them but i don't see how not using them causes a problem. I certainly don't see how heat can enhance them.

 

As a previous thread suggested, when you have the spark plugs out, shoot some oil into the cylinders. I think you said you were going to oil prime the system. Now with the spark plugs out, and the cylinders having a dose of oil, crank the engine. The starter should be able to spin the engine at a fairly decent rpm (with no compression). Also during this free spin, there'll be no forces on the crank/rod bearings so this is a good way to break them in. For this free spin sequence it'd be good if there was no fuel going into the carb. No use having raw fuel going into the cylinders and washing down the bores with gasoline.

Another suggestion, is to buy a diesel engine cold start spray can at an auto parts store. The diesel cold start spray is really just ether. (Truck drivers buy this stuff to start their trucks in frigid weather climates.) If you ever want to get a gasoline engine to start, use this stuff. If the engine has spark it'll start and actually run on a spray of ether,even if the engine is not getting gasoline! Take the air cleaner off and spray it right into the engine with the butterflies open. (Ether is a good diagnostic tool because it will make an engine start if spark is OK.) Starting an engine with a carb that's been in storage for years can be a problem. The carb may be gunked up and not allow gas into the engine, or seals may be so lose that gas pours into the engine. I think these uncertainties can be circumvented with the ether spray. I think that almost no matter what your carb is doing, the engine will run if it has ether being sprayed into it and it has spark. I think the only concern with using the ether spray, is that with an old engine you should be careful spraying into the carb because of the danger of a carb backfire. I've used ether quite a bit to start engines (Corvettes)that haven't been ran for a while. I hold the spray can at arm's length so I don't get my face suntanned by a backfire. After a long winter I've used it to start lawn mower engines and a Gravely gasoline tractor also!

One last thing. A problem I had with a long stored engine, was a stuck shut thermostat. This won't prevent you from getting the engine started, but it's a good thing to remember if the engine suddenly overheats.

 

Interesting guys!

 

Thanks for all the advice guys, I guess its safe to say that I won't have this thing fired up today, at least it may not make sense to!!