Starting after long storage |
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Posted: 24-August-2003 at 10:50PM |
Does anybody have any tips for starting up after the car has sat for a long time. I finally have some time to start restoring my old '74 Gran Torino Elite. I went to start it yesterday after recharging the battery. The starter grinds but it can't get the engine to turn. The oil's in good condition, as I changed it right before I put the car away. I seem to remember somebody in a similar jam taking a wrench to his crankshaft and turning it manually just to break it free and spread some oil around. I don't know where to apply the wrench, though. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Right in the middle of your bottom pully(the one with the harmonic balancer attatched to it), there is a 3/4??13/16?? inch bolt that you can get a ratchet and a cheater bar on and turn the motor clockwise thats the way I turned mine while putting in a new flywheel. Might build up some compression maybe loosening a few spark plugs will help.
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i would change the oil again it breaks down just sitting there in the oil pan and squirt a few drops of oil in each cylinder before you rotate the engine by hand sometimes the rings will seize to the cylinder walls which will crack them itll smoke for a little bit but its worth it if you save the rings depending on how long it set your gas may be bad also it has a tendancy to turn to varnish quickly
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Thank you both. I'm going to change the oil and squirt some in each cylinder, then try to turn it by hand, then try to start. If that doesn't work, do you think it would be wise to squirt some WD-40 in each cylinder? If the gas is bad, what's a practical way to drain the tank? I'm afraid the tank is fairly full, so disposal will be a pain. I swear if I get this thing started again I'm never going to let it sit more than a week again.
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well the wd 40 i would not try.. just a few drops of motor oil or tranny fluid would work just fine .and just pull the coil wire off and leave the spark plugs out and crank it for a few seconds this will distrbute the oil around the cylinder walls and reprime the oil pump. it will crank alot faster with no plugs in it and sholud pump thge gas back to the carb.then put the plugs back in and the coil wire on and give her a couple shot of starting fluid and see if she fires up. does the gas in the tank smell like gas or more like varnish? if its got a gas smell its probably still good. good luck
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77LTDII
New Member Joined: 22-July-2003 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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I had a old 77 LTD II with a 351 sit in the barn for 6 years, and since my Ranger couldnt manuver it out it had to go under its own power, all I did was pump the gas, turn the key and pray. I wouldnt worry too much about it seizing up, givin the oil pump is in working order.
later Dustin |
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