Long Term Storage - Start Up Time
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Omaha Nebraska
Long Term Storage - Start Up Time My Camaro sat in the garage for 1.5 years (illness in family) and it's time to fire the old girl up. Background - 382 CID with less then 100 miles on break in. Sumped Tank w/ Bosch fuel pump. Kept in non-heated garage in Nebraska.
I screwed up on this whole deal. I let the car sit with less then 1/8 of a tank of high octane gas. I only added a water disbursement chemical (Heet). Can somebody give me an idea of what all I need to do to make sure I don't cause any harm to the car. So far I've been told;
1. Change the oil and filter before starting. (check all fluids and add if necessary)
2. Put Seafoam in the tank and add 10 gallons of 108 Octane
3. Let the car idle for 20 minutes after start up and watch the gauges.
4. Add fuel injector cleaner for the next 30 days with each tank of fuel.
Can anybody add anything to this list or tell me if something on this list is incorrect or if I should expect extra work? Thanks in advance!
I screwed up on this whole deal. I let the car sit with less then 1/8 of a tank of high octane gas. I only added a water disbursement chemical (Heet). Can somebody give me an idea of what all I need to do to make sure I don't cause any harm to the car. So far I've been told;
1. Change the oil and filter before starting. (check all fluids and add if necessary)
2. Put Seafoam in the tank and add 10 gallons of 108 Octane
3. Let the car idle for 20 minutes after start up and watch the gauges.
4. Add fuel injector cleaner for the next 30 days with each tank of fuel.
Can anybody add anything to this list or tell me if something on this list is incorrect or if I should expect extra work? Thanks in advance!
TECH Resident
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 807
Likes: 1
From: Toronto
do you have any means of siffoning the gas from the tank, 1/8 of a tank is a lot to run through the engine seeing that its almost for sure like varnish by now. IF you do have to run the gas, fill the tank and add some stab-bil or gas treatment to avoid clogging your injectors.
Change oil
check all fluids...coolant, clutch, tranny, brake etc
let the engine run for 5-10 mins(20 is ok tho)
do not excessively rev engine for a good few miles to get a coating of oil back on everything
you can add about a teaspoon of oil down each spark plug hole and cycle engine by hand
Change oil
check all fluids...coolant, clutch, tranny, brake etc
let the engine run for 5-10 mins(20 is ok tho)
do not excessively rev engine for a good few miles to get a coating of oil back on everything
you can add about a teaspoon of oil down each spark plug hole and cycle engine by hand
Banned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 334
Likes: 3
I would pull the spark plugs and put some oil in each cylinder then turn the engine colockwise by hand using a socket on the crank bolt. This will slowly break the rings free and assure the cylinders are properly lubed.
Then before you put the plugs back in PULL both fuel injection fuses(this will disable fuel and spark) then spin the engine with the starter until you see oil pressure. Put the plugs back in and deal with the old fuel. I would pull the line off at the fuel rail and run the fuel pump until fresh fuel comes out if it was me. Replace the fuel filter and go.
Then before you put the plugs back in PULL both fuel injection fuses(this will disable fuel and spark) then spin the engine with the starter until you see oil pressure. Put the plugs back in and deal with the old fuel. I would pull the line off at the fuel rail and run the fuel pump until fresh fuel comes out if it was me. Replace the fuel filter and go.
but i would pick up a can of fogging oil from parts store, or west marine or boat store if you have to. it'll burn much better and not foul the spark plugs. Pull the spark plugs and spray about 1-2 seconds worth in each cylinder via spark plug whole. I think turning the engine by hand is overkill, I've messed with boat engines that haven't been touched for longer and the rings rarely if never seize unless there's water in the cylinder. i would just crank it via the starter but only after pulling the fuel injector, ignition, and fuel pump fuses so it doesn't dump fuel or fire the coils. spin it over for 10 seconds at a time, will take maybe 2 or 3 times before you see oil pressure on the gauge.
to get the fuel out, get yourself a fuel pressure gauge adapter that screws onto the schraeder valve on the fuel injector rail and instead of using a pressure gauge run a hose to the catch can and let the fuel pump pump the fuel out for you. I think the computer only runs the fuel pump for 1-2 seconds when turning the key to run, so you might have to jump the fuel pump relay to manually run the fuel pump. refill the gas, install the plugs, and run it. if the oil was not changed prior to storage, then get the engine hot first then do an oil change.
All the above sounds good. . . . . I just don't know about letting the fuel pump run on the old *** gas. I would rather siphon the tank.
Everything else sounds right on the money:
Get a fresh battery
Add some sort of oil to each cylinder
Get rid of the old gas
Drain and replace the coolant
That about covers the engine. . . . . I don't think you mentioned above if it is a AT. If it is, I can not think of a safe way of bringing it back to life. . . .
Last time I let a car sit for long(about a year) with a AT. The AT worked for about a month and fell apart.
Everything else sounds right on the money:
Get a fresh battery
Add some sort of oil to each cylinder
Get rid of the old gas
Drain and replace the coolant
That about covers the engine. . . . . I don't think you mentioned above if it is a AT. If it is, I can not think of a safe way of bringing it back to life. . . .
Last time I let a car sit for long(about a year) with a AT. The AT worked for about a month and fell apart.
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