The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Advice on starting a 216 after 5 years

Hi guys

Earlier I posted an introduction about my 46 Chevy and how I obtained it. It's been sitting for 5 years and I'm working on a checklist of things I need to do to get it to start. I'm a little concerned because when the truck was restored 28 years ago the engine was NOT rebuilt. The truck has 17,000 original miles and besides the last 5 years It ran perfect.

I'm concerned about the 5 year time period on an original engine like this. Do any of you have advice on some of the things I should check and look into before trying to fire it up?

I figure the oil should be changed and the plugs pulled. The carburetor is also a concern, the lacquer smell is very strong! Is it worth pulling the carb off and cleaning it out?

I guess I'm just a little nervous. Being as it's the original engine I would like to be pretty careful.

I checked the fuel tank today and it's full of gas right to the top. I have to somehow siphon the gas out. Any advice on that would be great also.

Thanks. Sorry about all the questions

Mike

Get a can of Kroil ( www.kanolabs.com ) pull the spark plugs, and pour a couple of ounces into all the cylinders. Pull the valve cover and lube the valve stems liberally with the same stuff. Roll the engine over by hand, or spin it with the starter after a few days of soaking, and make sure all the moving parts you can see are functioning properly.

The gas needs to go, all of it. I'd suggest removing the tank and getting it professionally cleaned. Do the initial startup from a clean container like an outboard motor tank or something similar. The most common problem with starting an engine that's been sitting for a time is gummed-up valve guides and bent pushrods, caused by varnish from stale gasoline. It might be an excellent idea to open up the carb and do a thorough cleaning job. A rebuild kit is cheap insurance. Clean or replace the ignition points and spark plugs check the timing and valve clearance, and fire it up! Don't be surprised if the water pump and/or the fuel pump develops a seep leak. Sometimes they dry up with a little running, sometimes they'll need to be replaced.
Jerry

Thanks for the advice Jerry, good information. I was just checking out that link. Looks like pretty good stuff.

Mike

I've used it for 30+ years, and nothing I've tried is any better. It was on bench stock in every USAF shop I worked in, worldwide. Kano Laboratories is based in my hometown of Nashville Tennessee, so I just drop by their headquarters and pick up a gallon every now and then. A little goes a long way, so a gallon is about a 5-year supply split between my auto shop and my gunsmithing business.
Jerry

Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil, Kroil.

Also make sure to either replace the points or clean them.

Mike, I just went through this with a truck I got six months ago. It had been sitting for 17 years and had over a hundred thousand miles on it. I could smell the gas as soon as the truck arrived on the flat bed. I removed the tank and had it dipped at a stripping place. I also replaced the fuel line from the tank to the carb. Fuel pump had to go, too. I did what Hotrod Lincoln mentioned above and disassembled the carb, soaked the parts, and rebuilt it. I also had a very thick layer of gummy residue in the intake manifold, so i removed that and soaked it. When I started the engine, I didn't have any problems with fuel flow or dirty gas. I DID have problems with all sorts of other things, though, but since your truck has only 17,000 on it, I doubt you will have the same problems.
I would check the tube behind the pushrod cover, which carries oil up to the valves and rockers, and make sure it is clear. Mine was blocked with crud and little or no oil was getting up to the top of the engine. I removed the tube and found the blockage at the rear port, where it connects to the block.
My engine smoked like a cheap cigar and only got worse. It's coming out in two weeks and will be replaced by a new one. But it did have a lot of miles on it and looked like it was used pretty hard.

In addition to what others have said, I would pull the distributor and spin up the oil pump with a cut of large screwdriver chucked into an electric drill motor (spin clockwise). Keep spinning up the pump until you see oil running out of the rocker return tube. Do this BEFORE you spin the crank as you want oil pressure to those dry bearings immediately.