Reviving a truck that has sat for 4+ years

My soon to be father in law has asked me if I could get his old truck running again. It's been sitting outside his barn for at least 4 years now, possibly more. Ive not revived a sitting car before, so I need advice to make sure I've got the bases covered. Here's the back story on the truck:

94 F150 with a 302 and an automatic. He says the truck ran perfect, but started shifting weird (I suspect modulator valve) so he drove it home and parked it and it hasn't moved since. I plan on replacing the modulator valve and the vacuum line going to it, but I'm more worried about actually getting it started.

Here's my plan to try and start it. Please chime in with anything I might be missing.

1. New battery in it

2. Several gallons of fresh fuel

3. New fuel filter

4. Going to try turning the engine over by hand to see of its seized. If so, ill pull the plugs and soak them with PB blaster and let them sit for a couple days.

5. Inspect the air box to make sure a squirrel hasn't made a home out of it.

6. Possibly pull the valve covers and drench the valve train in oil since its probably bone dry.

The big issue with this is that the truck is an hour away from me, in a yard, weeds grown up all around it, no tools (except for what I bring) and the nearest parts house is 30 minutes away. I would like to have my ducks in a row so I don't have to make a bunch of trips to get it going. Thanks in advance for any help!

If you can see in the cylinders see if there is rust. If there is, I would pull the heads and drop the pan and clean up the cylinders. This is the #1 reason boat motors fail, improper storage and rust in the cylinders causing premature ring failure and scoring.

I would also change the oil and pre-prime the oil system with a drill.

If you can spray some oil on the seals while you are letting everything sit for a day or two I would do that as well. Nothing like ripping a seal. Front and rear mains and well as input shaft and tail shaft seals on the transmission included.

If the worst case scenario is it is seized with rust. I would use vinegar to eat it's way through.

Good luck and have fun.

It's only been 4 years...

Put the key in and turn it.

Sitting for four years, I would make sure it's got fuel and oil, drop in a new battery and fire it off. Let it run until up to temp and change the oil. A 302 will most likely rattle like mad for the first 5-10 seconds if it's been sitting long, but that will be the lifters. They will pump back up fairly quickly.

Yeah, shouldn't take a whole lot of work. I'd still change the fuel filter and put some fresh fuel in it first. And a can of Sea Foam.

Bring jumper cables. Pull the fuel pump fuse and crank the engine over for a bit (say, 3 times at 10 seconds each) to build up oil pressure, reinstall the fuel pump fuse and fire it up. It's fuel injected, so it should fire right up. Remember that the fuel pump will need a few seconds of cranking to refill the fuel filter and lines after you change that.

Trans_Maro wrote: It's only been 4 years... Put the key in and turn it.

I'd at least crank it over with no fuel/ignition first to get some oil pressure, ideally with injectors unplugged and spark plugs removed.

GameboyRMH wrote:

Trans_Maro wrote: It's only been 4 years... Put the key in and turn it.

I'd at least crank it over with no fuel/ignition first to get some oil pressure, ideally with injectors unplugged and spark plugs removed.

If you're nervous about firing it, you can manually crank it over. My Skyline hasn't been started in about five years, but I get out there and turn it over with a breaker bar every once in a while. It should turn nice and easy. I'm sure you won't have much of a problem getting her back up and running.

put fresh gas in it, cycle the key a few times to prime the fuel system and flush out any old gas that might be in the fuel rails... start it up...

If the engine can be turned by a breaker bar, I would skip all the businesses with pulling the plugs. I think there is more potential for harm than good by dirt or other contaminants getting into the cyls. I would prime the oiling system by pulling the fuel pump fuse and cranking it until the oil pressure light goes out + another 10 seconds. The rest of the plan sounds good though.

If it was mine, I wouldn't even change the motor oil until the trans problem was sorted out (unless it was really nasty)

Pull Fuel pump fuse crank till you get oil pressure. Drain tank add 5 gal fresh gas. Start it. You may have to add some starting fluid or fuel down the intake to get it started as the fuel in the lines is going to be nasty but other than that I would see if it fires

I would change the oil before I ever started it. Also pull the plugs and soak with WD40. Bring extra plug wires and plugs for when you pull them and shoot the oil in.

It is spring so bring wasp spray.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm gonna try the breaker bar on the crank, fuel filter, fresh gas and priming the fuel system and see if it starts. Ill report how it goes next time I'm down there.

Change oil, oil cylinders, crank without fuel on and plugs out to build pressure. Siphon out as much bad gas as you can before adding fresh. If the trans has a drain plug, I would pull that too, water is extremely bad for an auto and will all wind up in the bottom of the pan till you start it.

Well how did it go?

Be prepared for oil leaks later. Seals like to dry up if they aren't bathed in oil regularly. Axles, and pinions, too.

Flight Service wrote: Well how did it go?

I haven't had the chance to get down there and work on it. Ms. Pigeon had a medical emergency so the truck quickly became low priority. It may be several weeks before I make any progress on it.

Trans_Maro wrote: It's only been 4 years... Put the key in and turn it.

dont forget to add fresh gas!

Spoolpigeon wrote:

Flight Service wrote: Well how did it go?

I haven't had the chance to get down there and work on it. Ms. Pigeon had a medical emergency so the truck quickly became low priority. It may be several weeks before I make any progress on it.

best wishes to you and ms pigeon. the truck can wait.

Last night I revived a friend's minivan that was sitting in the woods behind their house for 2+ years.

It had an aftermarket security system that malfunctioning, and wouldn't disarm. It was installed by a buy here pay here used car lot. It had a transponder so that the car could be disabled remotely by the dealer. The system crapped out after she was done paying for it, and the dealer refused to help her out. For that and some other reasons, it got shoved in the woods and forgotten about.

She needs it gone in the next few weeks, and asked me if I knew anyone who would tow it away as junk. I told her to give a few hours with it, and it could drive out on its own power.

The dudes from the used car lot did a good job of hiding the control box for the alarm, but a lousy job of making the electrical connections. Anyway, I had completely extracted, and back to OEM condition in about an hour. I checked all the fluids, and checked the air box for rodents, and found wasps! Once they were delt with I dropped in a spare battey and it fired right up like it was parked yesterday! The interior didn't smell overly musty and A/C even worked!

No trip to the junkyard for this van. If it goes to someone we know it will get a full fluid change, to anyone else, full disclosure.

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Back from the dead!!!

I finally got around to fooling with this truck. Put 5 fresh gallons of gas + a can of seafoam in it, checked all the fluids, put a fresh air filter in it, stuck a known good battery in it and gave it a try. The front fuel pump is bad, so I switched to it and cranked the motor over for a minute or so to make sure oil was in all the right places. Switch to the rear tank and it fired up like it was parked over night! Win!!!! SWMBO's dad was so happy he cried. It had some lifter tick so I changed the oil after I let the truck warm up. Lifter tick went away after the oil change.

He parked it because the truck wouldn't shift out of first gear. It had a fresh fluid and filter change (fresh as in a week before he parked it). I checked the adjustment on the shift cable and it all looked as it should. It doesn't have a modulator valve, so the next suspect was the neutral safety switch. Picked one up at the local parts house and now it shifts like a new truck! Double win!!!

Nothing like scoring some serious brownie points with your future father in law one month before the wedding

Nice work!