phantasms

I've got a situation on my hands and would love some help to try and figure out my best course of action.

My father, for reasons I won't get into, has a 96 LT4 that's been sitting in a garage for over ten years without being started. The car probably has 7k miles to date. He thinks he's saving it in pristine condition.

Anyway, I'd like to get this car road worthy again. I figure it certainly needs the gas syphoned out and replaced, an oil change, new tires, and a new battery.

What else do I have to do at this point? I presume all the oil has dripped off the components so will there be any rusting issues I may have to deal with? As I said it's been in a garage, but not a climate controlled garage.

What other fluids need changing? Trans oil? What else? What's my best course of action with this crazy situation?

Thank you very much for all the help!

Best,
Gene

Race Prepared

Other suggestions:

change fuel filter
after change oil & filter, turn engine over and over to circulate oil prior to trying to start
bleed brake system
replace tires
replace water/antifreeze & flush system
check condition of belt & hoses
with fresh fuel, can of injector cleaner
clutch fluid may need bleeding or changed
trans fluid should be good but change at some point soon
diff fluid should be good but change at some point soon
cat converter may need replacement, you will know at start-up

ToniJ1960

Brake fluid or power steering fluid change?

FAUEE

I'd try to spin the engine by hand before actually starting it.

Truthfully, you're probably gonna be fine without doing it, but on the off chance you're not, it's better to find out that a piston is seized spinning it manually rather than trying to start it and busting up the engine.

cv67

x2 by hand

If all checks out you have fuel pressure (turn key to on w/starting) with no fuelleaks then just fire it up. Soon as that motor turns over quick youll have oil pressure. Keep an eye on the brakes from sitting.
7k mi LT4 awesome

WW7

I would suggest pulling the distributor wire off so the car won't start.. Then crank the engine over 3 or 4 times for maybe 5 seconds each time, just to get oil where it's needed...This is the equivalent of spinning the oil pump with a drill before starting a new engine for the first time....The worst thing you could do is start the engine without priming it with oil first...If it was mine , I would pull the plugs and shoot a little oil in each cylinder before turning it over as I discribed above, just to make sure the cylinders are well coated..Some of the guys on here may consider this overkill , but better safe then sorry.......WW

wydopnthrtl

If the engine won't turn over by hand..
Pull each spark plug, put about 1oz of tranny fluid in each cyl. reinsert plugs just a few threads. Let it soak for a week, pull the plugs and again spin it by hand.

Otherwise it'll need all fluids changed, new belt, new tires, and I'd keep an eye on the hoses when at full temp/pressure. (look for swelling around the ends)

Also, I'd check to see if all the intake to head bolts are adequately tight.

hooked073

i agree oil or wd40 fug the hell out of the cyl, also replace the fuel filter add a can of dry gas after draing all the fuel you can then 5 gal of fresh fuel. I would not mess with any of the other fluids till you get it running and running right. I would be a bitc? to do a ton of work fluids beelts hoses tune ect then find out age has killed this thing. When it fires DO NOT TOUCH THE GAS MAKE SURE THE AF IS FULL AND LET THE THING IDEL UNTILL FULLY UP TO OPERATING TEMP. THEN SHUT IT DOWN LET IT COOL THEN IDEL TILL UP TO TEMP THEN GIVE IT GAS SLOWLY.

rithsleeper

What part of country are you? Here in sc and in swamp fox territory its so humid that there would be signifigant corrosion on whatever cylinder had the exhaust valve open. Cold metal then hot 100% humidity hot air would mean condensation. You might get lucky.

You have all the info. Might just blast that corrosion out but might have damaged something. I hate when people sit on cars and let them rot. He could have sold it to someone who would take care of it and then bought another with the properly invested money from the sale later down the road.

Silver96ce

Great advice in prior posts - I would agree. I would definitely change the oil before the initial start. And fill up the new oil filter with some of the fresh oil before spinning it on. Also I would spray some PBblaster or Liquid Wrench into the cylinders a day or two before trying to start. Before trying to start, leave the plugs out and spin it over.

I had to do the same thing around '04 after my aunt died. I was helping my sister who bought the house from the estate and had to get two cars out of her garage - a '75 Tbird (near perfect condition and only about 3k on the odometer) and a '73 Lincoln. The Tbird had been periodically started and only needed a new battery but the Lincoln hadn't been started for about 12 years. I did most of the things suggested plus what I suggested above. It started but took some time as the mechanical fuel pump took its time getting fuel to the carb. Good luck.

phantasms

The car is in Long Island, NY so this is a serious concern I have. I'm going to be moving into a new place in a few months with a huge climate controlled garage. I will flatbed the car over to that garage and work on it there for a while. I totally agree that it's insane to sit cars like this. I've spoken to my dad about it but he thinks it just needs new gas and a battery and will be fine like new. I'm literally going to take it out of the garage where he pays to keep it and not even tell him about it until after it's moved.

As for everyone else. Thank you so much for all the replies. This is exactly what I was looking for.

All the best,
Gene

Supahone

I would put some mystery oil through each spark plug and crank the engine with the fuel line disconnected. Also I would use some isopropyl water remover for the fuel tank.

RandomTask

My recommendation or at least what I would do. .

1.) See if the motor will turn by hand.

1.5) Drink beer.

2.) Take out all the plugs and put some mystery oil in there; just a little. Put the plugs back in and let it sit for a day or two.

2.5) Drink Beer

3.) Change the oil and filter.

3.5) Drink Beer.

4) Change battery.

4.5) Drink Beer

5.) Get the fuel out of the tank. Depending how much is in there, bring a large container. Disconnect the fuel pump near the firewall and run a hose into the container. Find the fuel pump relay and jump it on; let the fuel pump empty the tank. This will make sure nothings in the lines and make sure the pump is running.

5.5) Drink Beer.

6.) Hook everything back up.

6.5) Drink Beer

7.) Pull the coil wire.

7.5) Drink Beer

8.) Crank it for 15-20seconds.

8.5) Drink Beer

9.) Plug the coil wire back in. Try to start.

10.) If it starts! Yay! Celebrate by drinking a beer. If it doesn't, think it over with a cold beer.

Just as an FYI, if it doesn't start, chances are the injectors are plugged from sitting for so long.

Lloyd Smale

prepare to buy seals. the front and rear main, waterpump, opti. Ac seals ect are probably going to be dried up after 10 years. Mine sat for 3 and im looking at some leaks.

T. Wayne Nelson

You are going to have some rust issues in the cylinders. that will be your first issue. 10 years, as others have said, just start replacing plugs, plug wires, injectors, opti. Then move on to where ever you find oil leaks. I would most concerned with the rust in the engine

Tommycourt

I would squirt a bunch of Marvel's Mystery oil down the cylinders and let it set for a couple of days and then do it again. You cannot hurt the cylinders with Marvels.
Tommy
P.S. I have even put Marvels Mystery oil in my gas tank if a vehicle has been sitting a long time. About 4-6 ounces for 15-20 gals. of gas

81c3

Did you attempt to fire it yet?

Bandit's C4

Long Island? Was the car there during Hurricane Sandy a few years ago?
Might have more than long-term storage side-effects.