Lou Bergdoll
New Member
Perhaps this has been posted before but recently happened to me.
I "accidently" stored my 86 for 20 years. I was doing some work on the engine. New injectors, long tube headers. All light weight stuff. I didn't really prep the car for any storage but I did drain the coolant and oil. Don't believe anything else. Remember it was an accident. A wife and 2 kids later I decided to revive the car last year. I took pains in doing this. I made sure the engine would turn by hand which it did easily. I put marvel mystery oil in the cylinders and let it soak. I totally disassembled the tuned port system and replaced all the O-rings. Since the inj. were new 20 years ago but had fuel in them I made a fixture to soak them with cleaner and to actuate them so I could see the spray pattern. I decided I would remove the distributor so I could run an oil pump primer to circulate oil throughout. being not sure if this alone would get fresh oil everywhere I rotated the engine by hand a number of times during the priming to work all the parts of the valve gear. At this point the induction was back together. Everything indicated I was ready to actually try starting.
I had the fuel supply and return removed at the manifold due to draining the old fuel and cleaning both fuel lines. The battery was connected due to checking the electrics throughout the car. I decided (call me paranoid) to prime the engine once again. If you pay attention to the manual it would have you remove the battery to change a headlamp. Throwing caution to the wind (after all, I know what I'm doing, right?) I spin the oil pump and to my shock and horror gas issues forth from the supply line dousing everything in the vicinity. This is with the key off. I am aware of the secondary electric system that will power the fuel pump in the event of a primary wiring problem. It never even occurred to me that pressurizing the oil system with the key off would cause the fuel pump to run!!!!!! There was a lot more details to reviving this thing that I would be willing to share with anyone. Long story shorter, it runs great, you'd never know it was sitting (inside) for 20 plus years. I now have a fairly low mile survivor (except for headers, injectors and some small time stuff like that) with a perfect interior. And I didn't even kill the wife, kids, or anything like that because I didn't have my Vette!!!
I "accidently" stored my 86 for 20 years. I was doing some work on the engine. New injectors, long tube headers. All light weight stuff. I didn't really prep the car for any storage but I did drain the coolant and oil. Don't believe anything else. Remember it was an accident. A wife and 2 kids later I decided to revive the car last year. I took pains in doing this. I made sure the engine would turn by hand which it did easily. I put marvel mystery oil in the cylinders and let it soak. I totally disassembled the tuned port system and replaced all the O-rings. Since the inj. were new 20 years ago but had fuel in them I made a fixture to soak them with cleaner and to actuate them so I could see the spray pattern. I decided I would remove the distributor so I could run an oil pump primer to circulate oil throughout. being not sure if this alone would get fresh oil everywhere I rotated the engine by hand a number of times during the priming to work all the parts of the valve gear. At this point the induction was back together. Everything indicated I was ready to actually try starting.
I had the fuel supply and return removed at the manifold due to draining the old fuel and cleaning both fuel lines. The battery was connected due to checking the electrics throughout the car. I decided (call me paranoid) to prime the engine once again. If you pay attention to the manual it would have you remove the battery to change a headlamp. Throwing caution to the wind (after all, I know what I'm doing, right?) I spin the oil pump and to my shock and horror gas issues forth from the supply line dousing everything in the vicinity. This is with the key off. I am aware of the secondary electric system that will power the fuel pump in the event of a primary wiring problem. It never even occurred to me that pressurizing the oil system with the key off would cause the fuel pump to run!!!!!! There was a lot more details to reviving this thing that I would be willing to share with anyone. Long story shorter, it runs great, you'd never know it was sitting (inside) for 20 plus years. I now have a fairly low mile survivor (except for headers, injectors and some small time stuff like that) with a perfect interior. And I didn't even kill the wife, kids, or anything like that because I didn't have my Vette!!!