Car Troubles...

[TWITCHDOCTOR]

I've had my Chevelle in storage(grandma's garage) for about a year now.
I 've been cranking on the engine and I'm starting to make progress.
When I first started, the engine would hardly even turn...even with a battery booster/charger. Now after a couple days of "tinkering", I got it to where it could start. Notice I said "could".

I'm not getting spark, so I will replace my spark plugs first, before anything else. Also, I'm not getting any oil flow! I've been priming the engine for that last few days, and I removed the valve covers today, to see if I was getting oil circulation, and no.
Add to that, my Holley 4 barrel carb thinks its a fucking sprinkler!(its flooding out...driplets) I must have got some dirt in there...as I did drive it a couple times around the block without an air cleaner.(last year)
The conditions where nice though, no wind/dust blowing etc. It would basically be like running a few times at the drag strip with the air cleaner removed for better airflow.

Anyway, I'm really discouraged now, as I really am going to be depending on this car now, (read as "daily driver") as my mothers car needs a complete engine rebuild.
So, there are at least 3 people depending on my car, and currently its, not running.

Any suggestions? I was not planing on running into this many problems with it.

[system11]

You need to run engines on stored cars once a month, up to operating temperature, or the seals dry out..

[TWITCHDOCTOR]

You need to run engines on stored cars once a month, up to operating temperature, or the seals dry out..

Yea, I knew that I should have run it more often, but I guess my priorities were kinda screwd up.
I don't think the seals are bad, as I have no leaks or anything.
I'am expceting a few problems even when I get it back up and running. Of course, I'm going to baby it for at least a month. I'm already prepared to replace the alternator and power steering belts, as well as the fuel and radiator hoses. (craking and drying)

BTW: Where you refering to the front and rear "main" seals? (bottom end engine block to oilpan?

Hopefully, I won't run into any more problems...at least major ones.

[landshark]

Awe man . Sorry to hear about that Twitch. I run my car about once every 2 or 3 weeks (just did it yesterday, actually took it for a ride to prevent moisture build up in the exhaust) during the winter.

This is unlikely to be part of the problem, but it wouldn't help any. When you stored it, did you have a full tank of gas? Moisture can build up in there too and mix with the fuel over time. Your carb - is it pure gas coming out of there? Not a mix of gas & water? (don't know how you would tell honestly, just throwing out ideas).

How old are your plug wires? And the dist-cap/rotor? Make sure nothing nasty got in there either (you most likely checked this already).

You said the engine was barely turning when you first started. Is it still barely turning or did you fix that?

That sucks. I hate car problems, especially if it's your daily. Sorry.

Find a good car forum too. The people at ls2.com know their stuff, it's mainly an f-body site but I've seen other posts too, there's always the off-topic forum

[Super Mega C]

After a year without use the oil in the push rods and bearings might have gummed up. NAPA used to sell an engine flushing treatment that you poured into your oil and then let your car idle for about fifteen minutes with it. If you decide to try it make sure you let that shit drain out for a good while, it was pretty tough stuff. And if you left the air cleaner off during that year you might want to check for mice nests in your intake. I've seen that a time or two .

[TWITCHDOCTOR]

Nah, there was hardly any fuel left in the tank when I stored it, and I'm sure its all gas in the carb.
Its not leaking out onto the engine/intake, but it is flooding itself out.
My plug wires could be changed too, as I noticed few header burns in there near the boots. The intense heat from the headers has caused a few of the boots to dry and crack. The wires are Accel, and are pretty massive, as there are no bare wires showing through or anything.
I think new plugs (I use Accel Header PLugs) will give the engine some life.
My distrib is an HEI, so it has no points.

Oh, a friend told me that mearly "cranking" on the engine wouldn't be enough to shoot oil through the pushrods. He said that the engine will have to at least run, and in a few seconds, I should see oil flow up there in the heads.
I could have sworn "cranking" on it, without actually starting, it would provide the flow I was looking for. I guess I was wrong then?

Even if I don't have enough money to give it everything it needs right now, I at least want to be able to get it to run, so I can keep it that way, as well as start it up at least once a week.

I'll be getting some spark plugs tomorrow, and if she decides to start, I'm also going to change the oil and filter...its not really "used up", but it was sitting...
I may have to check the tranny too(fluid)...hell it doesn't even have 50 miles on it!

[landshark]

I'll be getting some spark plugs tomorrow, and if she decides to start, I'm also going to change the oil and filter...its not really "used up", but it was sitting...
I may have to check the tranny too(fluid)...hell it doesn't even have 50 miles on it!

Last year after the 2nd time of taking out the tranny to put in a spacer behind the slave-cyl, we overfilled the tranny after putting it back in. We didn't realize it at the time. So we lowered the car, and took it back out for a ride. When I got back I saw fluid all over the floor and panicked because I was worried we somehow busted a seal or something near the back.

Turned out it just drained out the back when the car had it's snout still up on the jack stands.

Good luck with your car - keep posting updates.

[landshark]

I was talking to a friend at lunch about your ordeal.

He mentioned that your car is likely to have a solid steel gastank. And water + steel = rust. Sometimes they rust and clog up the fuel lines or obstruct them. Plus I'm guessing the gas-rust mixture isn't as combustible as you'd like

He also made a comment similar to Super Mega C. Make sure mice didn't nest in your carb. And since you already started it, if they did, you might have some fishing to do as parts of the nests may have been sucked into one of the barrels.

Another comment he made was that if it was his car and it sat for that long. Before doing anything, he would have pulled the plugs and squirted some oil in there to make sure it was somewhat lubritacted.

[TWITCHDOCTOR]

Nah, I'm not worried about any bugs or mice "nests" in the carb, as the air cleaner was on there during storage.

I did think about squirting some oil in the spark plug area, but I doubt that would really do any good. I mean, the oil won't penetrate through the piston rings, and all it will end up doing is burning oil as if the rings were shot/worn. I think that "cranking" on it before it starts should "prime" the engine enough for when it first fires up.

BTW: The engine isn't new, meaning its been "broken in". Its the original block, but its been rebuilt at least once in its lifetime.

Maybe Zeroeight can help me send in some photos?

[TWITCHDOCTOR]

I've got the car running, and I've have found no leaks. (I'm releaved!)
I also lowered the primary floats in the carb, and the carb isn't flooding anymore! When I start driving it everyday, I'm going to try and "super tune" the carb.

The only thing negative is that my alternator/fan pulley is loose. I mean it wobbles. The pulley connects to the front of the water pump, and there's the belt that powers the alternator. There are no bolts to hold the thing on!!! Weird? I'm stumped now...by a friggin pulley no less!!!

My moms car will have to wait as the oil pump went bad and could have damaged the parts...however, she got a great deal on a 1988 ThunderBird. It even has a High Output 5.0 (302 like a Mustang)
It needs to be repainted, and the interior has seen better days, but for $380.00 its pretty cool. Hell, its got a nice Pioneer CD stereo in it(6 speakers) Much less than rebuilding the V-6 in the Olds.

More updates later on through the week...maybe even some pics.

[Super Mega C]

My moms car will have to wait as the oil pump went bad and could have damaged the parts...however, she got a great deal on a 1988 ThunderBird. It even has a High Output 5.0 (302 like a Mustang)
It needs to be repainted, and the interior has seen better days, but for $380.00 its pretty cool. Hell, its got a nice Pioneer CD stereo in it(6 speakers) Much less than rebuilding the V-6 in the Olds.

I had one of those (89). It leaked oil land transmission fluid like crazy, the rings and seals were wrecked, the trany slipped, the climate control stuff didn't work (I froze in winter), and the front bumper was held on by blocks of wood, zip ties, and bailing wire. I drove that thing everywhere. The only problem I ever had out of it before the trany went was the starter relay. Your mom got a good deal.

[landshark]

Good to hear you got your car running TWITCH. Interesting car your mom got. I wasn't aware any of the recent t-birds had beefier engines.