Engine won't be started for 1-1.5 years - preparation, prime?

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Getting ready to drive the old truck for the last time. I have mixed emotions about it, this will be the last time in 26 years. Now I'm getting a little verklempt. "Talk amongst yourselves." I'll actually miss the "diamond in the rough". To the untrained eye, doesn't look like much.

The tank is low of course, 12-months of gas stabilizer. The tank is being replaced anyway. There's no reason to believe I'll touch the engine/pump, which was rebuilt 22 years/40K miles ago. That said, there is a leak (probably rear main) and it wouldn't hurt to replace the flex plate, which is missing some teeth. Not really a problem, but if access becomes a whole lot easier, be foolish not to replace.

1. What do I have to do to prepare this engine, if anything? All systems will be flushed. Don't think it necessarily matters, but the engine oil is currently 10w40 Durablend, with Zddp oil additive.

2. Will I need to prime the engine?

3. Any other considerations?


Thank you 67-72 ChevyTruckcommentators.

[SS Tim]

Drop it in a cheap beater and keep driving it while your truck is down. Then pull it and reseal/paint before it goes back in your truck. Same goes for your automatic trans. Sitting is never good for drivelines only odometers.

http://stockton.craigslist.org/cto/5087754619.html

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Drop it in a cheap beater and keep driving it while your truck is down. Then pull it and reseal/paint before it goes back in your truck. Same goes for your automatic trans. Sitting is never good for drivelines only odometers.

http://stockton.craigslist.org/cto/5087754619.html

Ha..............No way dude. Suggestion #2?

[Jurassic-1]

If it has been 1.5 years it never hurts to prime it . You could pull the plugs and give it a shot of WD 40 and pull the coil wire and crank it. It should pick up quickly. If you wanted to be totally sore you would then pull the distributor and use a primer. Since it was a runner and not a new engine I think WD40 and turn it over will be fine. Watch the pressure gauge and it should move after a few turns.

[racerface]

I would agree with Jurassic-1, prime the engine, drain carb or at least run long enough to pump the Stabill/gas mixture into the carb. Sorry about not having your ride for a year and half

[Coley]

Having been fairly used to storing vehicles for periods of time this is what I would do:
1) Definitely add fuel stabilizer and make sure you run it enough so some of that ends up in the carb. (ie: don't dump it in the gas tank then immediately shut the engine off)
2) To shut the engine down, I would slowly trickle transmission fluid down the carb (...yep)...the engine can't run on it because it isn't fuel. So the engine would start to sputter. I would continue until finally the engine slowly coughed its way to a stop.....I usually did this 'drip' over a 30-60 second period to make sure it was getting in everywhere...all cylinders.
Now, this trans fluid would/will sit in all the passages like a coating of cough syrup until you are ready to re-start. When you do....it will smoke like a bugger for 5 minutes while it burns it all off....no worries tho'. Better to have it in there coating everything during storage than to start rusting due to moisture attacking the intake manifold and passages.
3) Then, I would pull all the plugs and put a teaspoon of oil in every cylinder and due some minor engine cranking...usually by hand (NO start) to lubricate the cylinders from that side.
4) The last thing I did was block up the truck off its suspension...slightly. I used a floor jack and took just enough weight off the wheels and suspension to limit fatigue on the springs. I used a series of 6x6, 2x4's, plywood spacers, etc to do this. Interestingly because the truck wasn't 'up in the air' for this it actually looked fairly normal from 20-30' away...a little high mind you. Remember, it was just to relieve the suspension from carrying all that weight in one place/iteration over the storage period.
5) One of the most important things I did was 'rust-check' the truck before I put it away (under a spaced tarp). The rust-checking made sure that when I went and retrieved it,.....it was just as solid as when I put it away. ZERO rust creep....zero.
Anywhooo, whenever I went to start up my truck from these periods of storage within 15-20 minutes....it was back running like a swiss watch again and looking exactly like the day I stored it.
I never had problems with this procedure.
Good Luck and keep us posted.
Coley

[CST10]

Man. That's a great storage tip.

[MARKDTN]

Not quite sure I understand the question.

I think you are saying you are about to start a 1 to 1.5 year restoration of your truck during which time you won't be able to start the engine?

If that is the case, I would run it out of gas and then just connect the big radiator hoses together and fill it with 50/50 antifreeze through the t-stat to make sure the water pump stayed wet. I would store it in a dry place. I might squirt oil in each cylinder and turn it periodically. Or I might not worry about it at all. A year is not really all that long for a small-block to sit IMHO.

[Dirt's72]

Coley, how do you do the spaced tarp?

[SS Tim]

The truck is getting blown apart for major body and paint resto work. That is why I suggested a bolt in receiver truck to keep him and his 402bbc happy (and rolling) while its down.

[summitflier]

Priming won't help much for storage. It won't be primed anymore than running the engine primes it. However after it's been sitting for a year, you might want to prime it before starting it.

[cdowns]

i'd go to a boat place and get the stuff made for longer term storage and you spray it in the carb till it stalls out and then your good to go for streage

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Good information and thank you. Not sure I understand the "space tarp" portion. If it matters, the truck will be in the garage. We're a dry climate. Driest in the country I believe.........That said, it's been unusually humid in Northern Nevada. Regardless, other than the RH fender (thanks to battery acid, of course) there's no sign of rust......yet. I'll know more when the cowl/windows are removed. Other than an rare bath under the hood and the under-carriage, this truck hasn't seen water in decades.

As for the suspension, I was thinking about using three sets of jack stands (aka axle stands). Tall stands for the rear frame, shorts for the axle, as the rear leaf springs, drive-line and rear shocks will be off, and short-mediums for the front of the frame.

[Coley]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

Good information and thank you. Not sure I understand the "space tarp" portion. If it matters, the truck will be in the garage. We're a dry climate. Driest in the country I believe.........That said, it's been unusually humid in Northern Nevada. Regardless, other than the RH fender (thanks to battery acid, of course) there's no sign of rust......yet. I'll know more when the cowl/windows are removed. Other than an rare bath under the hood and the under-carriage, this truck hasn't seen water in decades.

As for the suspension, I was thinking about using three sets of jack stands (aka axle stands). Tall stands for the rear frame, shorts for the axle, as the rear leaf springs, drive-line and rear shocks will be off, and short-mediums for the front of the frame.

Yeah sorry guys I should have explained a little further on the 'spaced tarp' thing:
I tarp the truck but I 'space' the tarp off the paint through a variety of parts including pvc pipes (or similar) or anything that will a) absolutely not hold water or moisture and b) has a very small 'footprint' on the body'.
One of the primary reasons for the tarp is to keep the bird poop off the truck. Storage areas, barns, etc always seem to end up having swallows, pidgeons or whatever in their dropping their business.
Oh...if you can buy some rust inhibitor...get under the truck and give it a good spray, including in the rocker panels and supports...but do this from under the truck. Its a little dirty, takes about 15-20 mins but it pays in spades on keeping the tin worm at bay.
All Good
Coley

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I wonder if I misunderstood your message concerning supporting the suspension with wooden studs. I never thought about it, but you might be suggesting the suspension should be supported when the tires aren't on the ground. So it doesn't matter that the frame is on floor jacks................That's sort of a question.

Incidentally Coley, that's what I thought you meant ("space tarp"). PVC, that's a good idea.

[Coley]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

I wonder if I misunderstood your message concerning supporting the suspension with wooden studs. I never thought about it, but you might be suggesting the suspension should be supported when the tires aren't on the ground. So it doesn't matter that the frame is on floor jacks................That's sort of a question.

Incidentally Coley, that's what I thought you meant ("space tarp"). PVC, that's a good idea.

Yeah, with respect to the frame support...I blocked up the frame slightly, not the axles. So I lifted the frames very little and used blocks to support them BUT not to stress or 'pull' the springs by having the axles or suspension 'hang'...just not supporting much load compared to normal.
The lengths people go to store their truck is a very personal thing...and it depends on how long the storage is and what is important to that owner. This always worked very well for me, but there are certainly easier ways with less tasks or procedures to put in place if so desired.
Its all Good!
Coley

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I kind of like the block idea. That said, I need to get under there to refinish and need some height, so jack stands may be the better option. My only fear about jack stands is having one side sitting on them (front or rear), while jacking up the other side with a floor jack. The floor jack rolls, but should the vehicle fail to lift straight up........Bad things should those floor jacks become unstable. I figure I'll do little at a time, and I can even incorporate blocks as I lift. By your response, I think I'll support the front and frame with jack stands, the front suspension with blocks, and the rear axle with jack stands.

Subject to change........This is mostly new to me.

I'm looking at these for the rear frame. Same for the front, only shorter.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...1755_200641755