Hello CorvetteForum , recently purchased my first corvette. 1985 Corvette Two Tone Base Model with L98 / 700r4 103k miles runs and drives ,and within a month i bought another one, 1987 Z52 coupe in red with 55k miles. Love the early C4 corvettes with circle lights, need some advice on how to get the 1987 started because the car has been sitting for at least 5 years even though the owner said 2 the tank smelled of varnish and the fuel pump and sending unit were completely rusted and shot when i removed. Prior to removing the pump and sending unit i got the car to crank but would not turn over. Since i have cleaned the tank i mean really cleaned this tank out removing all the bad gas and debris, installed a brand new AC Delco pump and brand new sending unit, have not installed a new fuel filter and have not tried to start since i installed the new pump , what is my next steps after cleaning the lines to the fuel filter, then from the fuel filter to the injectors im just starting out with these cars and any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Moved to C4 Tech.

 

Congrats on your C4s. You did a lot of the hard work. You will still want to replace the fuel filter and "blow out" all the lines from tank to filter to Fuel Pressure Regulator. Once complete, put in gas and give her a try.

Do not be surprised if your car starts, and runs poorly. Having sat for 5 years, there is a good chance that the injectors could have clogged. If you want to fix it the "right way" replace the fuel injectors, replace the FPR and clean the fuel rail- that way you know that your fuel system is 100%

 

The only thing I will add to above is to flush the Fuel rail before trying to start, you can use a old POS R12 hose or a pressure gauge with a Dump port screwed to test port, and once you have heard it run dump oil and all fluids might even be good idea even do before with cheap oil change and redo soon after with good stuff.

 

refurbed injectors from fuel injector connection is a great inexpensive option. get all new orings.

definately purge the fuel lines/rail. dont be shy, dump seafoam or something in there. u can use a cheap syringe off amazon.

while u r in there, use a vac tester to check your egr, personally id pull it off and check the pintle seat. egr gasket is a couple bucks.

 

i purchased bosch 3 24lb injectors from SouthBay Fuel Injection , definitely going to check the EGR and Fuel Regulator, the previous owner gave me a new BBK Adjustable Fuel Regulator to install, would you install it or go with the stock unit

 

id stay stock fpr.

85 was 24 lbs injectors. wasnt 87 22 lbs injector? im pretty sure.

i always recommend john cause knows the details like that.

double check your injectors for the car. not sure if u mean ur 85 or 87.

 

I too would stay stock on the FPR. The newer diaphragms are more resistant to ethanol, I am not sure about the aftermarket ones.

You can verify the EGR is still moving by using a handheld vacuum pump. If you do this while the engine is running you should hear the engine's sound and RPM's change. The EGR is controlled by a Vacuum Solenoid that is mounted on the thermostat housing stud. Be sure the vacuum lines are good and that the EGR Vacuum Solenoid is indeed working like it is supposed to. The Vacuum solenoid is controlled using Pulse Width Modulation coming from the ECM so don't expect a solid 12 volt signal. Having a functional EGR valve is important for a good running L98. My vacuum solenoid went south and I spent a lot of time cleaning the parts of carbon. A functional EGR helps the car not ping or detonate and run cooler. If the car needs premium fuel not to ping then I would start back at the EGR and figure out why. The Stock L98 was designed to run on 87 octane without any issues.

Having two C4's you should buy the vacuum hose on a roll to replace every inch of it on both of your Corvettes. If you have any dashboard issues you need to know about BATEE.COM, the owner is one of the best resources on our dashboards out there.

After five years of sitting with fuel in it means you have to really check the flow and volume of fuel getting through the existing lines. On my 1988 C4 they rusted shut in less than 18 months. The ethanol encourages corrosion on the inside of the fuel system. My supply line was virtually plugged but let enough fuel to start but not run. Drain the fuel out of the tank and then flush it out well. You want all the junk out of there and make sure it is not rusted too badly. Classic Tubing in NY makes all the fuel lines and brake line replacements.

The Corvette that sat will need all the fluids changed/flushed. Coolant, Brake Fluid, Power Steering Fluid, Engine Oil and Differential Oil. My 1988 C4 also had a rusted out brake line from sitting. I would inspect every inch of the brake lines to ensure your safety. Don't forget to look behind the drivers seat where the ABS control system lives. My ABS controller had a rusted brake line, it looked like the brake line had a olive in it. Be really careful with your project and you should be fine. After five years the calipers should be looked at for leaks or frozen calipers. Thank goodness for RockAuto and their great prices.

Measure the battery voltage and then measure the voltage at the fuse panel. They need to be very close, if not you might have corrosion in your Fusible Link Post. Another issues I ran into.

What do you mean by this statement? "Prior to removing the pump and sending unit i got the car to crank but would not turn over." Did the engine turn over or the starter just go "Click"?

I would not turn that engine over until I had put oil in the individual cylinders. I have been using Marvel Mystery oil for lubing the cylinder walls, I don't put too much in the cylinder but any oil will help when you push the pistons up and down in a potentially dry corroded cylinders. Without oil you risk breaking the piston rings and that is a big no-no. To get the oil inside the cylinder I use a disposable syringe with a rubber hose, this allows me to measure how much I am putting into the cylinder. I have a C3 so every year for the first startup I use an electric drill and spin the oil pump and get full pressure and oil circulating prior to startup. On the C3 it is easy, the C4 will still be fairly straight forward to pre-lube your engine. Summit has the oil pump drives that attach to an electric drill.

Best regards,
Chris
Don't forget to buy a new Oxygen sensor for the Corvette that sat for five years, you might need a new one for the other Corvette as well. For the best performance and economy a good functional O2 sensor is important!

 

absolutely incredible detail, really appreciate the advice you gave me , starting back up working on the cars in a week , it has got real cold working outdoors thanks again!!!!

 

What rear differential fluid do you recommend along with the GM additive?

 

Jcheech, we are both recent custodians of 82CE’s. I got mine two weeks ago after a 30 year wait. Congratulations. Lot of potential with yours. Just give yourself some time. Do it right and you will be able to pass it on to your children. These things drive wonderfully.

My hatch was stuck also. I was able to loosen the four bolts on the inside roof hinge mount and slide my hinges forward just enough to get it open. I took my gas lift struts off to take the pressure off the hinges until I get some replacements. I don’t need to lift the glass anytime soon.

L-46 Man, your CE looks amazing. When I saw the picture, it was a, “Woah!” moment.