what is the best way to bring your car back to life.
:tongue3:The first 10 minutes after start up probably cause 80% of the wear an engines see's in it's lifetime. Whenever doing any maintenance or repairs on your car, Always disconnect the battery before you do anything else. I would drain the gas tank and blow air through the fuel lines to clear any obstructions. Replace all exposed rubber fuel lines and use new clamps.Replace the fuel pump as the diaphram is probably dried out. Manually prime the pump when you install it and reconnect the fuel line to the carb to make sure the fuel bowls are filled. Remove the spark plugs. Squirt the cylinders with Marvel Mystery oil through the plug holes. Remove the valve covers. Manually rotate the engine to top dead center. Mark the distributor and remove it. Using a very strong earth magnet or a stiff wire, remove the oil pump gear.Fill the crankcase with fresh oil, preferably a high zinc oil like Edelbrocks, Penn Grade, Amsoil as well as others. Fill the oil filter with oil and then install it. With a drill ,prime the oil pump and circulate oil through out the engine ,again manually rotate the engine every 45 degrees to make sure the oil circulates throughout the engine before you start it. Having the valve covers off will show you when the oil is getting to the top end. I would only put in about 5 gallons to start just in case you have a problem and have to drain it. Install the factory recommended spark plugs, stay away from platinum or muti electrodes etc... It will perform the best with what it was designed for. Have a fire extinguisher handy. I have a friend who has worked and raced cars for 40 years who was helping a friend start his car after sitting for a while. What he did is what most other guys take for granted and had his friend crank the engine while he poured fuel through the top of the carb. Big mistake! The car back fired igniting the fuel he was pouring into the carb. The fuel spilled onto his arms and hands, which were bare. Not having any way to extinguish the fire handy, by the time they got the fire out, he had to be rushed to the ER for second and third degree burns. Not fun at all. Always safety first. One of the purposes of the airfilter is to isolate any fire hazards that may occur. If it has a standard ignition system, replace the points and condensor. Inspect and replace the rotor if needed. Check your plug wires and all of the wiring under hood as rodents love the taste of rubber and silicone .:sleepy1: I know this sounds like really obvious stuff and mabe overboard for some, But if you want to protect your engine, you have to be serious about what to do to keep from hurting something in side. This list represents a lifetime of working on cars that have sat for long periods of time,and every thing does deteriorate with time.
This should keep you buzy for a while and is a great oppotunity to find out the real condition of your engine compartment. Good luck and have fun.
Oh and if you going to use the old battery, I would also replace it with a quality battery and make sure it is fully charged before you crank her up.
