First start in ten years proceedure - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Glenn A · 09-28-2013, 10:08 AM

Ok....just about ready to start a 53 AD that has been sitting in garage and hasnt been started in 10 years. What would you do to prepare ( in addition to a prayer) to inimize damage and increase chance of success? Thanks....G

_Ogre · 09-28-2013, 12:21 PM

new gas, file points, top off fluids, throw in a battery and see what happens.
pour a little gas down the carb when you first try to crank it

nvrdone · 09-28-2013, 01:58 PM

remove the plugs, squirt oil in the cylinders & let it soak. Then get an oil pump priming tool, remove the dist & build up some oil pressure. Re install dist & turn motor over by hand to make sure every thing turns freely. Install plugs, crank it & hope for the best. Good luck

Niteshade · 09-28-2013, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nvrdone

remove the plugs, squirt oil in the cylinders & let it soak. Then get an oil pump priming tool, remove the dist & build up some oil pressure. Re install dist & turn motor over by hand to make sure every thing turns freely. Install plugs, crank it & hope for the best. Good luck

Everything above, change the fuel filter, and change the oil. When the engine starts you want to make sure good oil gets circulated, and the fuel filter will prevent any contamination from the fuel system.
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mr48chev · 09-28-2013, 04:00 PM

Pretty much the same as the three previous posts. Fresh oil, fresh gas and new filters.

After I pulled the plugs and after I squirted a few squirts of oil or Marvel oil in the cylinders and let it set a bit I'd crank it over with the plugs out to work the oil in the rings and let the oil pump pump oil through the engine.
Once it was running if it will run I'd get it dialed in and run it a couple hundred miles and change the oil again as a lot of stuff may have washed down in the pan. Then you can go to regular oil change intervals from then on.

I'd make sure that the brakes were all checked out before attempting to drive it though.

63 & 64 Bowties · 09-28-2013, 05:50 PM

Only my opinion, but also from experience....
Just like nvrdone said, turn it over by hand first.
We just had a 70 GTO with a 400 that had been sitting for who-know-how-many years. We put 50/50 ATF and acetone down the spark plug holes and tried to turn it with a socket on the harmonic balancer bolt. After several days of soaking, it would only turn about 180 degrees because of a valve stuck in the open position. If we had tried to crank it, we would have had serious damage. I've also heard of others having luck using kerosene in the cylinders if it's stuck. Ten years is a long time to be sitting. I wouldn't just try the starter. Again, just my opinion.

55dude · 09-28-2013, 09:38 PM

Pull the plugs,squirt some oil in cylinders and will plugs out crank it over to get some oil psi and make sure you have spark,reinstall plugs and put little gas in carb and lite it off. Couple things to make the startup less painfully are fully charged 12V battery,remote starter switch and jumper wire from battery to coil'
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Number 9 · 09-29-2013, 01:09 AM

Diesel every where and let soak top and bottom. Then turn over by hand and starter if all is free. You still may have to replace seals and some gaskets. Sometimes it's just to late.
Pull rocker cover or covers and wash the top end down with diesel and a parts brush, drain and change filter and put 3 quarts of oil and turn over with starter with plugs still out. Pull the filter and let the oil drain for a day or so and add new filter and new oil turn over till pressure is up and put in new plugs and fire up. Good luck

09-28-2013, 10:08 AM	#1
Glenn A Registered User Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: NY Posts: 4	First start in ten years proceedure Ok....just about ready to start a 53 AD that has been sitting in garage and hasnt been started in 10 years. What would you do to prepare ( in addition to a prayer) to inimize damage and increase chance of success? Thanks....G

09-28-2013, 12:21 PM	#2
_Ogre Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Motown Posts: 7,666	Re: First start in ten years proceedure new gas, file points, top off fluids, throw in a battery and see what happens. pour a little gas down the carb when you first try to crank it __________________ cool, an ogre smiley Ogre's 58 Truk build how to put your truck year and build thread into your signature shop air compressor timer

09-28-2013, 01:58 PM	#3
nvrdone Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Moxee WA Posts: 1,425	Re: First start in ten years proceedure remove the plugs, squirt oil in the cylinders & let it soak. Then get an oil pump priming tool, remove the dist & build up some oil pressure. Re install dist & turn motor over by hand to make sure every thing turns freely. Install plugs, crank it & hope for the best. Good luck

09-28-2013, 04:00 PM	#5
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,279	Re: First start in ten years proceedure Pretty much the same as the three previous posts. Fresh oil, fresh gas and new filters. After I pulled the plugs and after I squirted a few squirts of oil or Marvel oil in the cylinders and let it set a bit I'd crank it over with the plugs out to work the oil in the rings and let the oil pump pump oil through the engine. Once it was running if it will run I'd get it dialed in and run it a couple hundred miles and change the oil again as a lot of stuff may have washed down in the pan. Then you can go to regular oil change intervals from then on. I'd make sure that the brakes were all checked out before attempting to drive it though. __________________ Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around.

09-28-2013, 05:50 PM	#6
63 & 64 Bowties and a few others Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains of VA Posts: 5,638	Re: First start in ten years proceedure Only my opinion, but also from experience.... Just like nvrdone said, turn it over by hand first. We just had a 70 GTO with a 400 that had been sitting for who-know-how-many years. We put 50/50 ATF and acetone down the spark plug holes and tried to turn it with a socket on the harmonic balancer bolt. After several days of soaking, it would only turn about 180 degrees because of a valve stuck in the open position. If we had tried to crank it, we would have had serious damage. I've also heard of others having luck using kerosene in the cylinders if it's stuck. Ten years is a long time to be sitting. I wouldn't just try the starter. Again, just my opinion. __________________ Bill US Army Vet -193rd Infantry BlueRidgeMuscleCars.com “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” Gandhi

09-28-2013, 09:38 PM	#7
55dude Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: tacoma wa. Posts: 1,037	Re: First start in ten years proceedure Pull the plugs,squirt some oil in cylinders and will plugs out crank it over to get some oil psi and make sure you have spark,reinstall plugs and put little gas in carb and lite it off. Couple things to make the startup less painfully are fully charged 12V battery,remote starter switch and jumper wire from battery to coil' Posted via Mobile Device

09-29-2013, 01:09 AM	#8
Number 9 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: boulder creek ca. Posts: 102	Re: First start in ten years proceedure Diesel every where and let soak top and bottom. Then turn over by hand and starter if all is free. You still may have to replace seals and some gaskets. Sometimes it's just to late. Pull rocker cover or covers and wash the top end down with diesel and a parts brush, drain and change filter and put 3 quarts of oil and turn over with starter with plugs still out. Pull the filter and let the oil drain for a day or so and add new filter and new oil turn over till pressure is up and put in new plugs and fire up. Good luck



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