Learn me: Reviving cars that have sat

How do you? I'm moving back to my hometown and my parents have some cars that have sat for up to a few years. All ran when parked, sorta. What is your general list of must-checks?

The only car that really concerns me is a 1965 mustang that, due to lack of use, has run crappier and crappier every time my dad tries to drive it (generally every couple years or so). Last time it needed ether to start according to him. About 8-10 years ago when this storage cycle began, the car ran better than new.

I would also welcome any info specific to early efi engines (with oil cooled turbo if that matters), and more late model engines, as I have one of each of those to look at as well. All worked good as new when parked, no issues.

fuel system first

New batteries always help

What, like an SVO?

In reply to belteshazzar:

Mk III supra

Fresh gas is a big one, especially with ethanol fuel.

In fact.....did your dad put fresh fuel in the mustang?

Where were they parked? Outside, inside, or inside climate controlled?

My procedure is battery, fresh gas, spark plugs out and ignition disabled, maybe a little WD40 down the bores, crank until oil pressure, reinstall plugs and attempt start. Change all fluids once it's moving.

If it's sat a really long time, like 3+ years, probably a good idea to roll it over by hand a few revolutions to check for sticking valves, with the valve covers off if you really care about it.

If stored outside and not winter, bring hornet killer and be ready to use all of it.

Any interference timing belt engine that's sat for a long time, fix that before you crank it. Friend of mine junked an alright beater neon that way once, crank crank, vroom, snap, dead.

He's "pretty sure" none have ethanol gas, the newest gas is in the Supra from a little under a year ago. I'm not too worried about that car since it got run a little (less than 100 miles probably) last year but at its age and being pretty much 100% original one can never be too careful..

The mustang has gas no newer than 2 years old, and had an additive for leaded engines that may or may not also contain stabilizer. That's a big maybe, but it's all I got. Even if the stabilizer kept the gas from getting too bad in 2 years, that doesn't mean something in the fuel system wasn't going wrong before to make it run worse and worse. Also 2 years ago is the last it ran, but it didn't go far. It's possible it ran on gas that was in the tank when it came out of storage then, and may have some of that still in the tank now. As of now, I have not tried to start the mustang, and preliminary checking suggests new oil is a must. Probably all around, If these don't get driven I doubt they get new oil.

All are stored inside, confirmed insect and rodent free, and the mustang in particular is in climate controlled-ish conditions. Temps kept above 45 or so Fahrenheit in winter, below 85 in summer. Last winter I doubt any of them got much below freezing if at all. All have been on trickle chargers on and off (rotated) over the winter

For fresh gas, how would I dispose of the old stuff?

On the climate control, all you're trying to do there is keep metal from sweating in spring/fall.

Old piss yellow stinky gas, old flathead lawnmowers and whatnot seem to run alright on it. Or start fires with it (carefully). Some claim you can run it in your car a gallon per tank or so (I wouldn't). No clue where you can actually dispose of it.

My stepdad would let his Town & Country (think C-body, not minivan) sit for 2-3 years then just jump start it and drive off.

We picked up a Chevy S10 Blazer (late 1st gen) recently that had been sitting for 6 years. Put a new battery in it and it started right up. So much for the theory that the fuel spider will clog easily.

If it had been having drivability problems, I'd just yank the carb and rebuild it - new gaskets and a soak of the hard parts in Berryman's will do wonders if it has been getting varnished fuel through it. Likewise replace the points, wires, and plugs. They're probably shot and 90% of drivability problems are ignition. Drop the tank if you can and pull the sending unit, if it is covred with yellowish blobs of varnish, do not pass GO, get a new tank. You COULD try getting the tank boiled out, but every varnished tank I've had get boiled out turned out to be paper thin rusty with a zillion pinholes that were being sealed by the varnish.

I am not sure what causes varnish like that. I've never experienced it. I've drawn fuel that was a minimum of 7 years old from a car and my other car ran fine on it. The tank was still pressurized with a functioning evap system, which is probably a major clue.

I usually check the fluids and fire them up.

I started my 97 mustang back up after about 4 years the other weekend.

Change the oil, you want good lube that hasnt pulled moisture from the air and the condensation in it.

Battery, does it have power?

Spin over freely? Try by hand

Sniff the gas. you can tell a lot about how the gas is by smell. If it smells bad, drain the gas. If it smells ok, top off with fresh and give it a go.

Build oil pressure. (disable ignition or fuel and spin on the starter for awhile to build oil pressure. if not a total pain, pull plugs and squirt some lube in each cylinder.

reconnect ignition and fuel and give it a go.

If the car is carbed, you will likely need to remove the carb and clean it to address the running problems. Fuel sits in the float bowls and in the passages and is kinda exposed to air and allowed to become gummy. This is why your dads mustang runs poorly. A quick and dirty carb rebuild and I bet it will run like a dream. A wise person would drain the float bowls before storing a carb'd car for a longish period of time. (I also try to do so with small equipment) If not full rebuild, pull it and clean the innards.

I've done this a few times in recent years. With my CSX, I checked to see if it turned over first, and then hooked up a battery to try and start it. It would crank but not start. I then checked for fuel, and it wasn't getting any. The tank was rusty and leaking, and the fuel had turned into a really strange state and ate the plastics on the fuel pump!!! That was after about 6-7 years of sitting. Fresh gas (and a new tank/lines/filter, of course) was the ticket.

My Trans Am also goes for months at a time (and sometimes years) of not running. I usually use fuel treatment like Sta-Bil in the tank when I know it's going to be sitting. The good thing about older stuff is that there are less in-tank parts for old gas to destroy. At worst, you may be looking at a carb rebuild, but I would add fresh gas, make sure there's spark, and go for it. Also, as I'm finding out with my Trans Am, condensation can build in the crankcase and cause the oil to look like a milkshake. After you get it running, change it!

One thing with cars as mentioned. Often they are not run long enough. "Fresh" fuel needs to flow through the system and the oil needs to get hot. Hot oil needs to be circulated through the whole engine.

Here's one of the most comprehensive procedures on the topic i have ever seen.

http://www.mgexp.com/article/awakening-sleeping-mg.html

It is MGB specific, but most would apply to any classic, and some would apply to a FI car that has been sitting.

EDIT: on second thought, I am now pretty sure this is more thorough a procedure than the factory used to send cars out the door.

As IDK when the last time my e30 m42 ran, and planning for the future, I'll be installing one of those oil prime gizmos on it.

A can of sea foam in the tank will help a lot if you don't want to jump directly into a carb rebuild. I don't believe in most "fix in a can" products, but it's really good stuff.

Change the oil because it gets worse with age than miles, drain fuel, change fuel filter, change coolant, check all the ignition components (cap rotors wires plugs) make shure there arent any rodents building homes in the air box chewing up your air filter (you can guess how i learned that one) never hurts to throw on a new filter anyways. I like to prime the oil system before i crank it, easier with efi to just pull the fuel pump fuse/relay but on that mustang do what you see fit to turn over the motor without it firing right up. Also doesnt hurt to give the belts and hoses a look over, age hurts rubber. Then pray to your automotive deity of choice and fire her up! Let it warm up while your under the hood and car looking for leaks, let it get to op temp and then if you feel comfortable take it for a spin around the block, give another check over and you should be good

Edit: saw people recommend seafoam, its good stuff but a bit expensive, i like barrymans b12, more potent for fuel but DO NOT PUT IT IN OIL LIKE YOU CAN SEAFOAM. One can cleaned out my severly varnished kjet fuel distributor that seafoam couldnt, thats good enough proof for me.

On the mention of B12, I will say I've had limited luck with carbed power equipment that ran like crap and wouldn't clean up with the usual cyling the choke at WOT by giving it a massive dose (like 8:1) of Chevron Techron concentrate getting it going, letting it sit half an hour or so, and then doing the choke thing again. I never tried this on a car.

Don't forget to grease the water pump.

I want to take a bunch of parts off this ranger for my new XR4Ti. Some thief stole the wheels off it almost three years ago, and it's been laying on the ground in a cornfield/cow pasture ever since. I'd rather it was in my shop so it'll be easier to take apart. Unfortunately that's a half mile drive off-road, and then another half mile back.

Someone stole the battery. And I put the radiator back into an SHO where it belonged. Not sure why the serp belt is gone either. LOT's of fresh mouse poop though.

Ignition key went missing too. Just break out the torx bit sockets, and the ol' ranger will do anything you want.

Had some old jeep rims laying around. Tires hold air, so wth. Ass hole thief threw away the lug nuts though.

Just took two off per wheel from one of my other rangers. Should be plenty for a short drive.