The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Starting a 47 3600 parked for 6 years

I just bought this truck that I was told ran very well when it was parked 6 years ago. This seems reasonable after I inspected all the electrical and fluids. The owners story was solid, but I still want to get off to a proper start. Any pitfalls to avoid? Can the carb hold on that long without fresh fuel? Its still on the 6 volt system. Thanks for any help. Mark

Congrats on your purchase. Make sure you look inside the gas tank before you do anything. Old gas kills engines. You should also pull the spark plugs and see what they look like, they should give you an indication of how well the truck ran when it was parked. While you have the spark plugs out I would put Marvel Mystery oil into each cylinder. Then slowly turn the engine over by hand and then oil the cylinders again. The points should be cleaned and re set or replaced depending on condition. Its hard to say about the carb and fuel pump, if it was mine I would get a kit and go thru it. Change the oil. Inspect all the wiring, if all looks good put the battery in, turn the key on and check for power at the + side of the coil. If you find that the gas tank is not useable you can always use a remote gas tank to get the truck running. If you do a search here you will find many posts about getting a truck back to life after its been sitting. Also take a look at the tech tips section.
Good Luck
Don

Hey Mark,
Don's comments x 2.
I think you should assume anything fuel related is "toast". From my experience, it usually is, after sitting for 6 years. Fuel tank may be salvagable, but will probably need to be cleaned. Remove the carb and inspect the bowl. That will give you an idea of what the fuel tank and fuel pump may look like. If it looks and smells like "varnish", you don't want to be putting it into your engine. Like Don said" old gas kills engines". When you are ready to fire it up, use plenty of fuel filters. I usually put one between the tank and pump and another one between the pump and carb. Taking your time now will save you a bunch of time and $ down the road. Good luck!

Well Don and Victor, I spent a few hours in the cold garage here in Denver on Sat, draining old fluids and searching for an oil filter that didn't exist! LOL. But Sun morning I put a jar on the fuel line at the carb, and turned her over till fresh fuel flowed. Clear and plenty. Then I sprayed a health dose of starting fluid into the carb and stomped on my first foot starter. The old girl fired right up, no hesitation at all. I cant tell you how cool that felt. Not even a puff of smoke (I only put a few drops of Marvel in each bore). Now its time to figure out the broken cables to the carb, and get her to idle. Thanks so much for all the great input.

You just can`t beat that feeling and sound when you bring one back like that! I remember it well myself! Congratulations.

Thanks, Good times.