...it has been 2 years the Terminator ran. What to do?

[CEE1NG_RED]

Hello.

It has been nearly two years or so that I had started my Terminator. It was leaking fuel from the rear (last time I warmed it up and gave it a few good revs), and due to space restriction in the garage and time/work, I left it as it was when I last warmed it up.

Now my question is, what do I need to do to get it running w/o damaging the motor, transmission, drive-train, suspension (aside the obvious, which is to find and fix the gas leak)? What necessary fluids need to be changed? And, are my gaskets okay to use prior to changing it with new fluids? It had been parked in my enclosed insulated garage. Lastly, where do you think is the gas leak is coming from?

Last time I started it up, I gave it a couple good revs. then the next week I see gas leak from the rear.

 

[mkb116]

Change the oil and the fuel filter. Put some new gas in it. Need a few more details to diagnose the fuel leak. I mean it's leaking from the rear is pretty vague.. Where in the rear?

 

[CEE1NG_RED]

...do you think the gaskets should be okay? I'd hate to change all these fluids only to find out it's leaking. Lesson learned. Warm up the car and take it for a drive around the block once a week!!!

 

[mkb116]

Yeah the gaskets should be fine.

 

[cj428mach]

Malcolmv8 has some info posted about how to prelube a motor with a weed sprayer and I'd try to find that.

My car had sat for a very long time at some point in its life and had a dry start. The car got 3500 miles on it in the first year and only another 4000 miles on it in the next 9 yrs. The motor came out for the head tick repair and the main/rod bearings were like new but there was some scoring on the cam journals and inside the oil pump from the dry start. Nothing that was going to cause the motor to fail but definitely there.

The motor ended up getting new heads and a new oil pump while it was apart.

 

[SlowSVT]

Pulling the plugs and spraying WD-40 thru a bent spray tube to loosen any rust on the cylinder walls that may have accumulated is not a bad idea. You let it sit for a day before starting it. You live in Long Beach so I don't think this will be much of an issue for you. If you lived in Seattle that would be a different story.

 

[CEE1NG_RED]

...I was just going to change the engine oil, radiator fluid, and check the spark plugs to before starting it up. It had been sitting for about 2+, possibly 3 years I believe, last time I warmed it up before I noticed the fuel leak. Do you think the internals rusted/corroded? It's been inside my garage since. Also, I was wondering would it be okay to add little gas to just fire it up despite the leak??? There is no way of getting it out of the garage aside moving it forward and very little space to maneuver.

 

[Coxy]

You'll be just fine. Look at some of the miles guys have on their stuff, they let em collect dust longer then that. Fix the leak, put some fresh fuel in it, crank it over with no injector pulse to prime the oiling. Then I'd warm it up before dropping oil/filter. Coolant flush, etc.

 

[01yellercobra]

Then I'd warm it up before dropping oil/filter.

I have to disagree with this part. That oil has been sitting in the pan for 2-3 years. I'm sure the inside of the engine has had some condensation while sitting there which dripped into the oil. I'd change the oil and filter before starting it. Even if it's just with cheap stuff for the first start up.

 

[lescok]

We need pics of this poor crowded Cobra.

 

[Coxy]

That's why if it was mine, I'd prime it, warm it up, then drop it. Helps collect most of the condensate, and anything that might have settled in the heads, pan etc. I mean unless you want to drain it cold, and put oil in it, then warm it up, then dump that, and start there. There's many ways to acomplish the same end result. Oil/filters are cheap enough, do whatever makes you happy.

I have to disagree with this part. That oil has been sitting in the pan for 2-3 years. I'm sure the inside of the engine has had some condensation while sitting there which dripped into the oil. I'd change the oil and filter before starting it. Even if it's just with cheap stuff for the first start up.

 

[MalcolmV8]

crank it over with no injector pulse to prime the oiling.

Have you seen how long you have to crank these cars before you get oil pressure? the pump is just sucking air when its dry and you have to crank it long enough to create enough suction to pull the oil up from the pan into the pump and then start building pressure in the engine. It takes so long it almost defeats the purpose of your priming because you have to spin everything over so much.

If you've ever had an engine completely drained of oil, lifters pumped down etc. and you just crank it over and fire it, watch how long the engine ticks and how long before the oil pressure gauge registers pressure. Then realize how much cranking of the starter that would take to get oil pressure.

Myself I took a bug / weed sprayer I got from the hardware store and just changed the nozzle to have some flex tubing and an NPT fitting. I remove the factory oil pressure sensor and screw in my sprayer. I dump about 4 to 5 quarts of oil in it (oil pan drained) and then pump it up and open the valve and let it push oil through the engine under some pressure. While it's going I turn the crank over slowly by hand with a socket so all the oil holes on the crank and rods etc. line up at some point and let the oil pressure go through everywhere. When I crank and fire the motor I get instant oil pressure and if lifters were drained or replaced they silence within a second because oil is already pushed through out the entire system.

Just me, some feel that's over kill. Your call.

 

[CEE1NG_RED]

??Prime it? Drop it?? Huh?? What does that mean? Initially, I was thinking of just changing the oil/filter then firing it up. Greg from RET said it should be fine and I should just fix the gas leak
.