Hi Everyone. I just bought a 1989 Corvette that has been sitting and hasn't been started for four years. I'd like to try to get it started. I know at a minimum I need to drain and replace gas and oil and replace the battery. What else should I do? Also, is there an easyway to clean out the gas tank?

Thanks for your help.

 

You can take the gas tank acess panel off the top with the gas cap.
Will give you more accessability to the tank without taking the tank out.

Check brakes and fluids. Look at the tires. Tires deteriorate when not being used also. Make sure the saftey things like seatbealts and lights work. Enjoy your new vette

 

This question comes up about once a year. I don't understand why I can't find one of the killer deals. Not living right I guess.

I would pull the plugs, squirt some kind of oil, Marvel Mystery oil, Liquid Wrench, BP Blaster, and turn the engine over by hand several times to get the oil into the rings and to coat the cylinder walls. If it turns freely turn it over several revolutions with the starter to flush out any remaining oil, new plugs and you should be good to go. It would be a good idea to check the distributor cap and rotor also. Don't forget the fuel filter.

 

Four years...

before you turn that key, get some good help from here. There have to be few factors to take into consideration.

How much did you pay?

 

$3,500 with 47,000 documented original miles.

 

I hate you! Just kidding. What a buy. Why cant I find deals like this!

Enjoy your vette

Corvette Mike

 

Very cool...my .02 on the subject - you could have anything from a 'real gem of a find' to a bit of a money pit and this will be determined on 2 main factors - what kind of preparation went into putting the car away for an extended period of time and under what conditions was it stored. You could have just stale gas to serious rust in the tank; seized wheel cylinders to just a brake fluid flush, relatively soft, flexible rubber components to dry seals, cracks and leaks. I hope you luck out.

Regardless how it was prepped and stored, before you start it and assuming you have a rotating crank assembly my *incomplete* list of things to do include:

- new oil/filter/lube
- replace all fluids esp. coolant and brake fluid (not necessarily the rear diff or transmission (auto or standard))...maybe not essential
- loosen the rings up with a good combination of anti-seize and lubricating fluid - get some good advice on this from the pros
- with the plugs out, new oil in the crankcase and the fuel supply off, rotate the engine SLOWLY at first, periodically adding a little more lube to the cylinder walls - if you want to be really cautious, you should be able to rotate the oil pump by taking the distributor out and spinning the oil pump with a power drill - BUT seriously, I don't think I'd go that far because you only create another possible problem if you end up getting a 'no start' when you try to start it.
- definitely change the fuel filter
- check for mice nests, throw a new battery in it (power up your fuel supply) and hit the key.

Hopefully all goes in your favour and remember to guage how much you put into preparing it for start up based on what you paid for it.

Have a blast!

 

have the hood open and a fire extiguisher handy as well. Plan on spending another $2500 for "stuff".

 

Dang, good deal. I'm jealous!

 

My car set for 2 years in a heated garage while I was having chrome done and I painted it. I had to replace the fuel pump and filter and fuel regulater, I had to pull the injectors and replace them. Clean the fuel rails. That was just after 2 years. I hope your vette is not that bad.

 

What's the easiest way to get the old fuel out of the tank?

 

Great find.

Best of luck with it.

All good advice here.

Take it easy and slow, make sure nothing is seized up.

I had mine in storage for a year, and one of the lifters had a tick, it eventually freed up.

 

The Tech Nerd in the latest issue of Chevy High performance answers this same question. Response is about what is here but it might be worth checking it out.

 

after pulling the top end off my 1990 engine (a car that sat for quite sometime) I separated all the fuel rail assembly and found from no fuel in it or overtime sitting most o-rings were massively deteriorated. I would check this if I were you or at least keep an eye on it so your project doesn't turn into a BBQ.

 

I've been there, my '85 had sat for 8 years more or less.

Easiest way to drain your gas tank is if the fuel pump works, pull the fuel filter, hook up a rubber hose from the line to a gas can, jump your fuel pump relay, it'll drain itself for you! Option B if your fuel pump is dead, is to get a hand pump and run the hose down the filler neck.

I'd flush coolant as well! Plus new spark plugs and wires. Odds are in favor of the fuel pump being iffy, definitely a new fuel filter, there's more but that'll probably be a good start.

 

A full tune up and through inspection is in order to get that car started, much less drivable.

 

Thanks for all the advice, so far. So, I've had the car since Tuesday morning and between working hours have squeezed in a bit of progress. Drained the oil for the last two days - looked like chocolate and barely dripped from the drain plug. Got a new battery and tested all electronics - EVERYTHING works, even the power antenna. Pulled spark plugs, sprayed all cylinders with WD40 and installed new spark plugs (one wire broke, so need to replace spark plug wires - would have replaced them anyway, but was hoping to get car running first). In the process of draining very ugly looking coolant.

 

I'll be surprised if you don't have problems w/ the fuel system. If it were me, I would plan on just replacing the fuel injectors, as the '89 to '91 Mutlitechs are know to fail. Call Jon at FIC, he will fix you up. Don't forget to replace all of the "O" rings in the fuel system, Jon I think has a kit. Do the filter, as others have suggested, and make sure the fuel pump runs. The fuel pump needs gas in the tank to stay cool, so after you drain it, replace it w/ at least 5 gallons.

Randy

 

Pray the mice haven't wreaked havoc on the electrical system. They love getting underhood and chewing on delicate fuel injection wires. Was it properly stored or left out in the elements?

 

as bad as you say the coolant is, I bet the head gaskets don't make it long.