Car sitting for 6yrs, what to change?

Venus

Active Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2013
Have a 87 TR that has been sitting in a heated garage for 6 years and has not been started. Car only has 16k miles on it and is completely stock. I know this thread is similar to the other guys thread about what to do to a car that has been sitting for awhile but my situation is a little bit different. Below is a list of stuff I am going to do to the car and I am open to any other input that others might have to get the car road worthy again.

Here's my list of things I am going to do:

1. Drain Coolant and replace
2. Drain oil, and do Richard Clark 20 qt. oil trick to oil the entire engine internals.
3. Remove powermaster and have it rebuilt & tested at RCs.
4. Flush Brake fluid
5. Drain/fill trans fluid and change filter
6. Drain/fill gas tank - might have to replace the pump and sending unit depending on condition. Previous owner did fill tank with race gas, not sure if that makes a difference or not, any insight?
7. Change fuel filter

Am I missing anything?

Thanks,
B-
 
I doubt the brakes or trans have issues. I'd inspect the fluids but put those down the list until you test their function in the driveway first.

Race gas goes stale, no benefit there. For sure drop the tank and wash it out along with a new filter and maybe pump sock.
 
I think you are way over thinking this.

I wouldn't fool with the brakes or trans fluid first. Find out if they work, then come back and bleed the brake system. Neither of those impact engine running. Without a running engine don't waste money on other repairs.

I don't know what the 20 qt oil trick is but good idea to get new oil in the car and the engine primed .

How much gas is actually in the tank? I If half full, I would top off with fresh 93.

If full to the brim with old gas I would pump it all out through the fuel rail using the in tank pump, then refill with 93. Their is a good chance you will have no problem with pump. I wouldn't bother to change the filter first, change it after startup. Right now it will catch any bad stuff, if you install a new filter it possibly could just get plugged.

My car sat for 5+ years, I started 2 times to move it onto a trailer but it never saw the road, never put a drop of new gas in the tank, it ran fine every time. No fuel pump/bad gas problems.


My plan would be :
get modern turbo tweak chip if you don't have one.
Start with the engine - Prime engine and fresh oil
Top off tank with fresh gas
Check all other fluid levels
Check for obvious things like spark wires that fell apart
new battery
ROLL CAR OUTSIDE
Get fire extinguisher and garden hose out and ready.
cycle fuel pump a couple of times and look for gas leaks BE CAREFUL OF FIRE
Start engine BE CAREFUL OF FIRE
If confident you have oil pressure let it run and check on the ground for any leaks. Shut it down if bad oil leak. Make sure radiator fan works don't let car overheat.
Let engine warm up, then shut it down.

Inspect condition of all rubber radiator hoses and heater core hoses. Drain coolant and replace any of hoses at same time. Change thermostat

Check performance of powermaster system no leaks, pump, switch, accumulator etc. (many guides about that).
Inspect rubber brake hoses and bleed brakes to get fresh fluid.

Visual inspection of rubber fuel lines.

When you have confidence in car take for drive. NO WOT until have all the old gas gone and good running condition. Top off once or twice (depending on how car runs) then run tank empty and refill.
After fluid are hot change transmission fluid and gear oil in rear dif.

Check rear wheel cylinders for leaks by this time in the process they will have started leaking.

change spark plugs and test wires
change O2 sensor.
Fuel filter

Wash and Wax the car.




Things not in this list are adjusting IAC and TPS as needed.
 
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Yes the gas tank was completely filled.

My experience with the powermasters is the brake fluid gets dirty and thats what ruins them because people don't change the fluid each year, mainly the seals, so I assume because the car has sat for 6yrs and the fluid hasn't been changed, more than likely the seals in the PM are shot due to old/dirty fluid that's my thinking for having it rebuilt.

Yea I guess the Trans fluid could be ok, but again my experience has been it's just not the mileage/heat that causes fluids to deteriorate, time does as well and since none of them have been changed in 6 years, that's why I think it's a good idea to change them out.

My thinking with the pump and sending unit is I know old fuel oxidizes, so I will inspect them and see if they are corroded when I remove them.

Perhaps @Sydwyndr or @A2000RICH or @SloGN could chime in and post any thoughts or recommendations.

Thanks guys for all the help and replies.
 
You are over thinking this. My GN sat in a heated shop for 7 years. All I did was change the oil, put fresh gas in the tank, checked fluids, primed the oil pump in the motor and fired it up. I changed the coolant once everything was checked out.That was 2 years ago. Car has been running fine ever since. If the car had been sitting outside in the weather that would be a different issue.
 
Yea perhaps I am over thinking it but at the same time I'm cautious given the cars value and low mileage. I just don't want to run the risk of hurting anything because I didn't change fluids etc.
 
Any other input? What kind of a chip should I get? Remember the car is all stock and will stay that way.
 
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Any other input? What kind me of a chip should I get? Remember the car is all stock and will stay that way.

The chip should be a Turbotweak 5.7 Street Chip. I had one burned for my stock 87T and it really cleaned up the cold idle and operation over the stock GM chip. This was last year.
 
In a 16,000 mile car you will scratch up paint fasteners and damage parts that are not made anymore. If you are concerned about it being original. I wouldn't take stuff apart that didn't need it.
 
In a 16,000 mile car you will scratch up paint fasteners and damage parts that are not made anymore. If you are concerned about it being original. I wouldn't take stuff apart that didn't need it.

Um changing the fluids doesn't hurt any paint or fasteners.

Replace the tires

Yes I have new tires for it but I'm keeping the originals.
 
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On the power master just pump the brake pedal about 10 times key off, the pedal will get hard. Then get a turkey baster and suck out the old fluid from the master cylinder. Then replace with fresh Dot 3 fluid. Do not over fill the passenger side of the reservoir ! Fill it once to the level it was after pumping the brakes, then turn the key to the on position and you will hear the pump motor turn on and it will suck most of the fluid 1/2-2/3 out of that part of the reservoir. Do not top it off, if you do it will overflow when the brakes are pumped!

Do this once a year and your seals will last a long time!
 
On the power master just pump the brake pedal about 10 times key off, the pedal will get hard. Then get a turkey baster and suck out the old fluid from the master cylinder. Then replace with fresh Dot 3 fluid. Do not over fill the passenger side of the reservoir ! Fill it once to the level it was after pumping the brakes, then turn the key to the on position and you will hear the pump motor turn on and it will suck most of the fluid 1/2-2/3 out of that part of the reservoir. Do not top it off, if you do it will overflow when the brakes are pumped!

Do this once a year and your seals will last a long time!

Yea I know. Problem is this car has sat for 6yrs so the fluid in the PM reservoir hasn't been changed once a year like it should have been. The car even still has the original black PM Brake switch on it :eek: but I will be changing that to the new updated one. I then plan on changing the fluid in the reservoir, flush the brake fluid in the lines, check the rear wheel cylinders which will more than likely need changed, and after all of that I will test the PM operation and hope that it is ok, if not then it's off to Richard Clarks for the rebuild.
 
I would just pu
Yea I know. Problem is this car has sat for 6yrs so the fluid in the PM reservoir hasn't been changed once a year like it should have been. The car even still has the original black PM Brake switch on it :eek: but I will be changing that to the new updated one. I then plan on changing the fluid in the reservoir, flush the brake fluid in the lines, check the rear wheel cylinders which will more than likely need changed, and after all of that I will test the PM operation and hope that it is ok, if not then it's off to Richard Clarks for the rebuild.
First off the number one contaminate in brake fluid is copper. There hasn't been any movement of fluid in system. So I would do what Lil truck said and then bleed if you want. To be honest I would pull power master and seal it up and put in a box and stow it away under your work bench where it belongs and install a vacuum setup you can always have it rebuilt and reinstall it if you were going to sell car. I would not risk wrecking a 16k mile car with a problem master. I would prime oil system after oil and filter change. I would charge battery and start and let it warm up. If it runs fine pump old fuel out of tank and install new filter. I would pull injectors and have the screens replaced and have the injectors cleaned. Before driving I would pull diff cover and make sure ring gear is not rusted from sitting out of gear lube for so long. If the trans fluid looks clean I would not touch it. Being in a heated garage was probably the best thing for it. Now get it running and put some miles on it. Good luck
 
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