My car had sat in a garage for seventeen years when I got it. The owner told
me the oil was Mobil 1. I believe her. Here's the process I used in order:
1. Pull each plug and give it a healthy dose of WD 40 spray;
2. Pull the radiator and put a wrench on the crank to make sure it still turns.
In retrospect, I could have done this with the starter, but the thought was if
it felt seized or close to seized, I would want to work it in slowly with a
wrench (in fact, not only was it not seized after 17 years, I had put a 3/4"
ratchet on it, and after the first pull it free spun for five more clicks);
3. Put in a battery;
4. Disconnect the uptake and exit on the fuel pump, attach rubber hoses, and
run from a gas can to make sure the pump is working. Mine wasn't so I replaced
it;
5. Reinstall plugs;
6. Pour 1 1/2 oz gas into carburator, and try to start. Mine fired right up.
Ran for four seconds on the carburater gas;
7. Reinstall radiator and flush;
8. Run a hose to the carburater from the fuel pump. On the uptake side, run a
hose to a can of gas. See if car runs;
9. Check fuel lines to see if they're clear (I did this with a compressor
running air to the fuel lines. Do not run through the fuel pump because it
will pick up all the crud that's laying inside;
10. If not clear, blow out and root out the fuel lines. I did this with 3/64
inch cable for bicycle brakes. As to the "blow out" part, I almost killed
myself. I had put all the rightuous solvents I could think of into a mix that
I was trying to leach through the lines. When I was blowing out the rear line
and it finally gave at 130 psi, everything blew out the back under the trunk
where the fuel line disengages, and my running compressor found itself in a
literal cloud of flamable solvents. Miracle of miracles, no explosion;
11. Take down the tanks and crossover tube and have a radiator shop boil, coat
and paint them;
12. Reassemble;
13. Replace all hoses.
14. Bleed the brakes, and then put huge pressure on them to see if there are
any leaks. If so, repair immediately.
15. Replace the wires and do a tune up.
Now you're ready for the road. Back out of the driveway. You will not make
the street before the first electrical problem rears its head. Fix and repeat
and repeat and repeat.............
Incidentally, in reading your questions, I too assumed that the carburator had
to be rebuilt even after the above had been completed. The carburater guy
thanked me very much for my $, and explained that everything had looked fine.
On replacing the hoses, if you go down to your local national parts shop with
your current hoses, you can find matches that are on longer more intricate
hoses. Buy these and cut out the part that matches.
Bob Nersesian
B38200975
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