I have a 1986 200sx that has been garaged for one year without being
started. I did nothing to prepare for garaging, like draining the oil
beause I was always going to start it "tomorrow." So, what should I do
before starting it to protect the engine? I figure I should change the
oil. The gas tank is almost empty and that gas is over two years old -
should I siphon out the old gas? Anything else?
Bill
JimV - 20 Oct 2007 23:55 GMT
> I have a 1986 200sx that has been garaged for one year without being
> started. I did nothing to prepare for garaging, like draining the oil
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Bill
You probably need a new battery. Change the oil. Get as much of the old
gas out as you can and put in 5 gal of fresh gas. Turn the key and cross
your fingers. Change the coolant and trans fluid after you get it running.
Jim Yanik - 20 Oct 2007 23:59 GMT
> I have a 1986 200sx that has been garaged for one year without being
> started. I did nothing to prepare for garaging, like draining the oil
> beause I was always going to start it "tomorrow." So, what should I do
> before starting it to protect the engine? I figure I should change the
> oil. The gas tank is almost empty and that gas is over two years old -
> should I siphon out the old gas?
Absolutely.you stll may have a gummed up fuel line and/or fuel filter.
> Anything else?
>
> Bill
tires are probaby rotted,could fail on you while driving.it didn't do the
sidewalls any good sitting in the same place for a whole year.(unless you
had it up on blocks)
maybe pull each spk.plug and drop several drops of oil into each
cylinder,then crank without starting to lube the cyl. walls.

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
al - 21 Oct 2007 04:36 GMT
> I have a 1986 200sx that has been garaged for one year without being
> started. I did nothing to prepare for garaging, like draining the oil
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Bill
Jack up each wheel and ensure the wheel rotates freely. One or more
wheels may not. Likely the brakes have rusted to the disc or drum.
You'll have to free it. Also, remove each spark plug and drop in
liberal amounts of very thin oil such as three-in-oil oil. Let it sit
for several days to allow the oil to penetrate the rings. Then add
more thin oil and rotate the engine by hand via the crankshaft pulley
nut. If it rotates through several engine cycles without making any
nasty noises, then just crank it with the ignition disabled. I'd
crank it just a few turns initially. If all goes well, crank it
longer. If all is well, then start it. Of course, you'll have
changed the oil and maybe other fluids too. Good luck. Al
al - 21 Oct 2007 04:43 GMT
> I have a 1986 200sx that has been garaged for one year without being
> started. I did nothing to prepare for garaging, like draining the oil
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Bill
Jack up each wheel and ensure each wheel turns freely. One or more
may not. The pads or shoes may have rusted to the disc or drum.
You'll have to free it. Remove each spark plug and squirt in very
liberal amounts of very thin oil such as three-in-one oil. Let it sit
for several days to let the oil penetrate the rings. Then try to turn
the engine by hand via the crankshaft pulley nut. It it turn through
several engine rotations without incident, then try to crank it with
the ignition disabled. Initially just crank it a few turns. If all
goes well, crank it longer. When all that goes well, start it. Of
course, change the oil, and maybe other fluids too, before all this.
Good luck. Al
Bill Rider - 21 Oct 2007 07:17 GMT
>> I have a 1986 200sx that has been garaged for one year without being
>> started. I did nothing to prepare for garaging, like draining the oil
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> course, change the oil, and maybe other fluids too, before all this.
> Good luck. Al
I'd put the battery on a charger 24 hours to clean up the lead sulfate
as much as possible. I think the kind without a regulator does it best.
If all I had was an automatic (regulated) charger, I'd charge it
several days if I had time.
For a car that had sat in a garage just a year, I wouldn't have thought
of squirting oil into the cylinders and giving it days to penetrate.
Wouldn't something thin like WD-40 or Marvel Mystery Oil penetrate faster?
I would remove the plugs, and squirting oil in sounds good. If it were
my car, I'd disconnect the ignition and use the starter to turn it a
second or so without plugs to distribute that oil.
Then I'd give the oil a few minutes to penetrate. I'd see if the car
rolled freely in the garage. In an unlighted garage I could probably
check all my lights from the driver's seat.
I think the crankcase oil would be okay for now. I'd rather change it
hot so it would flow faster and carry more sludge. Before replacing the
plugs, I'd hit the starter several seconds to pump oil to the bearings.
I'd press the brake pedal fairly hard with the engine running, then get
out and see if the car still rolled freely.
Nissan says if your AC hasn't been run in a month, you should switch it
on momentarily several times with the engine idling, to distribute oil
in the compressor, then let it run several minutes.
still me - 22 Oct 2007 00:39 GMT
>I'd press the brake pedal fairly hard with the engine running, then get
>out and see if the car still rolled freely.
Brake cyl's/calipers often leak soon after re-use when they've been
sitting for a long time. I don't know if it's due to the piston seals
drying out or that gum accumulates in the cyl's and ruins them after
pushing them again, but it's an issue. But, it's not worth rebuilding
them just to clean them, so just keep an eye on them.
Other seals can have problems too... engine, tranny, driveshaft. Watch
for leaks in the coming months.
Bearings in older alternators, A/C compressors, PS pumps sometimes get
nasty. Again, just run it and see what happens, but be prepared for
funny noises that don't go away.
R J Talley - 21 Oct 2007 07:32 GMT
Well, I once bought a 36 GMC panel truck that sat in a back yard from 1955
to 1973. I trailered it home and did the following:
1. I pulled all six plugs and squirted Kroil (a very trick penetrating oil
which can be bought on line just Google the name) into the cylinders. I let
this sit for a couple of days.
2. I pulled the carb and shot Gunk carb cleaner through it. I then blew out
the passages with compressed air and put in a rebuild kit (gaskets seals
etc.)
3. I put in a new six volt battery and let it charge over night.
4. I drained the tank, flushed it with kerosene and filled it with five
gallons of gas.
5. I put a new diaphragm in the fuel pump and changed out the fuel filter.
6. I set off two Raid bug bombs in the cab to kill the black widows and the
mice
7. I changed the oil and the coolant.
8. I changed the plug wires.
9. I flushed the break lines, rebuilt the master cylinder and the individual
brake cylinders and I replaced the original rubber lines.
10. I hand cranked the engine several times ignition off to make sure the
rings were free and that the Kroil had done its job. This was not easy at
first as the rings had rusted to the walls but the Kroil did loosen it all
up.
11. I swapped out the points and condenser and set the gap and dead timed
the engine.
11. I shot some gas down the throat of the carb, pulled out the choke and
turned the key. It cranked for maybe 30 seconds and then fired up. Loads of
smoke. This tapered off as it warmed up. After it ran for a few minutes, I
put a vacuum meter on the manifold and set the carb fuel air screw.
13. I then set the timing properly and re-adjusted the idle and air mix.
14. I swapped out the tires for new and drove over to Pep Boys for a
complete engine flush and coolant flush.
15. I also changed out the tranny and rear end lube. I drove that truck for
three years and almost 20 K more miles before I sold it. That owner pulled
the engine and put it in a sort of dune buggy/farm tractor thingy and as far
as I know, it ran another 6 or 7 years.
For the record, Kroil makes WD40 or Liquid Wrench look like useless nostrums
in comparison. This stuff is amazing.

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R J Talley
Teacher/James Madison Fellow
"What? Me Worry? Alfred E Newman
DemoDisk - 21 Oct 2007 06:05 GMT
> I have a 1986 200sx that has been garaged for one year without being
> started. I did nothing to prepare for garaging, like draining the oil
> beause I was always going to start it "tomorrow." So, what should I do
> before starting it to protect the engine? I figure I should change the
> oil. The gas tank is almost empty and that gas is over two years old -
> should I siphon out the old gas? Anything else?
Great thread! I'm glad you asked, because I've got a '91 Civic that's
been sitting by the house out of the weather for years. I'll really need
the advice in this thread If I'm ever going to get it running properly
again.
Anybody got more recommendations?
JPM