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New Guy with Old Questions

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scjim1

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Fort Gratiot USA
I'm getting ready to put a `53 Chevy 1 ton back in service. It was my father inlaws and was used on the farm until the early 80's. I suspect it was simply parked back in the corner of the barn and left. I would like some advice on starting the truck up and would like to know if I need to look for an additive for the gas to make up for the absence of lead in gasoline to lubricate the valves. Help from some of you experienced fellows would be much appreciated!
 
Welcome New guy. Boy if the truck has been sitting since the 80's you are probably going to have to remove the tank and have it cleaned. After gas has sit that long ti turns to black gooy gummy crap.So the lines and all will have to be cleaned as well as the carb. other than that let the motor turn over with out the coil wire connected so you can circulate the oil thru the motor. If you go to a speed shop they should have some gas substitute to replace the lead you need. Hope this helps. Good luck
 
Thanks for your response. I kinda figured I'd have to deal with the fuel tank. If it appears fuel was left in it I planned on removing the tank, fuel line and carb and having the fuel tank boiled out by a professional. I will work on the fuel line and replace it if necessary, and I can rebuild the carb. I found some lead substitute today. I also figure I would pull the plugs and put some WD40 in the cylinders and turn it over by hand and then drain and replace the oil before I attempted to start it. Should I wait to replace plugs, points, wires and etc. until after it has run? I also figured new coolant and transmission and differential fluids should come into play at some point.
 
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Mar-17-04 AT 02:35 PM (CST)]" Should I wait to replace plugs, points, wires and etc. until after it has run? I also figured new coolant and transmission and differential fluids should come into play at some point."

You can save a lot of time by replacing the electronics NOW, not later. By taking out the old stuff you eliminate it from any diagnosis of problems when it comes time to start the old girl.

The "spark" is just as important as the air/fuel in getting anything to run. Do it now and eliminate it from possible starting problems.
The same can be said for the lubricants. Change it all before hand.

Give all the wiring harnesses a good look too. It will be great to get it running, but not if it turns into a 1 ton Flambe 10 minutes later ! Rodents love wiring as a suppliment to their normal diet so you will most likely find some minor problems there. They are also prone to drying out and cracking too. ( the wires, not the rodents) There are only a few critical circuits to get it running, so look those over good. If you want headlights, wipers & stuff later you can repair as you go. But look over the ignition / starter connection closely.

Lastly, don't forget about the brakes ! Look over all soft / hard lines for leakage, master cylinder, wheel cylinders etc.

Dennis
 
Thanks for your input. It makes sense to me to start with fresh fluids and all. Had neglected to think about the wiring. I would hope the rest of the plan is sound.
 
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Mar-18-04 AT 01:25 PM (CST)]Oh Yea, Rebuild the carb and install a fresh fuel filter.

Replace those things that are needed to run air/fuel mixture and spark and I bet it will run so long as the crank & pistons aren't frozen.

Parts list should be:
Carb rebuild kit and Fuel Filter.
Points,condensor, rotor, dist cap, plugs & plug wires.
Oil & oil filter
90 wight gear lube for trans and differential ( if you are just going to start it and not move it right away, this can wait)

Other things possible are:
Battery & battery cables
Radiator Flush & coolant. ( I would drain the radiator first & replace with water ) until you can check for leaks)
Radiator hoses.

You have the right idea on turning the crank by hand. Pull the spark plugs, put trans in neutural and see if you can get movement on the crank pully. Any movement means that the pistons are free and clear.

DV
 
I guess my answer as to the fuel pump working or not is to make sure the tank and lines are clean and if I don't get fuel it will pretty well narrow it down to the fuel pump. I really appreciate everyones input. Back when I was a teen I actually worked on these 50's things so you're helping me to remember all those things that could go wrong. I really haven't "worked" on an automobile since I restored a 1973 Corvette which was my wifes car.
So again thanks and keep those thoughts and suggestions coming.
 
" I guess my answer as to the fuel pump working or not is to make sure the tank and lines are clean and if I don't get fuel it will pretty well narrow it down to the fuel pump. "

You can bypass the tank AND fuel lines at the fuel pump. You can try the old coffee can with gas method. Rune a length of hose from the input of the fuel pump to a small can of gas. BE CAREFUL WITH AN OPEN CONTAINER OF GAS !! Remember that the gasoline fumes are what is most dangerous here. Do this out in the open and NOT inside a garage !
And, have a helper whose job it is to make sure that the hose stays below the top of the fuel level and that the can does not tip over !

This is a quick way to get it started initially and remove the entire fuel system as a possible cause of starting problems. Remember, this is just to get it started initially ! After it starts and is running OK, then connect the rest of the fuel supply system after draining the tank and checking all connections. ( Remember to look at the rubber fuel lines in the system and the filler grommet for signs of cracks)

Oh yea, on my shopping list above ? Add 6 feet of fuel hose.. ;)

Dennis
 
>I also figure I would pull the plugs and put some WD40 in the
>cylinders and turn it over by hand and then drain and
>replace the oil before I attempted to start it.

I hope you didnt do this yet, this is actually not a good idea.
WD-40 is a wet-dry lubricant (I think that is what WD stands for). This means it starts out wet and then dries up and evaporates. This will actually do more harm than good as it will actually remove any oil that is there and dry it up so you have almost perfectly bare metal!

You are on the right track though, what you should do is remove the plugs and squirt in some 3-in-1 oil or similar. This will help coat the cylinders and keep them coated, unlike the WD-40.

When you get ready to do the first cranking, have the plugs out and turn the crank with a socket wrench by hand. Having the plugs out will make it much easier. I would recommend turning it a few revolutions and squirt a little more 3-in-1 in there. When you are ready to do some cranks with the starter, keep the plugs out as this will also make it easier on everything. Crank it over a few seconds at a time with a short break in between, and do that for a few minutes. This will get the oil moving and all over the parts and help make sure that you will have good oil pressure when you finally do start it up. This is the procedure that I used to get my 350 started after it had been sitting for about 11 years and was actually siezed. Now my engine has 14,000 miles on it since then.
 
I haven't attempted to turn the engine over yet. I got the WD40 idea from another forum and thouhgt I would toss it up for comments here as I had never heard of that before. Your suggestion of a light oil is consistent with what I had heard before. This truck only has about 35,000 miles on it and I want to drive it as is for awhile, so I really don't want to ruin anything as I ready it for the road. The bed is a mess as when the wood gave out my father-in-law welded in a steel plate. I see many hours spent getting that out and redoing the bed. That is the only major project for the truck I see immediately after the initial "start and run phase".
 
Going through the same thing. Have a 1955 3100 2nd series all original with 17k on her. Truck sat in a garage since 1978. Still has the original tires on her and the original 1955 plates were in the cabin the glove box.
 
The WD in the name stands for Water Dispersant, it prevents water from destroying a component, it does sort of what silicone does with the exception that with silicone you get no lasting lubrication.
 
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