I'm hoping you guys can share some wisdom on this one. I'm helping a buddy with an old 7.3 idi that has been sitting neglected for 3 plus years. Is there anything that we should do before we try and fire it up again? Supposedly it ran great when parked. I just want to make sure we don't harm anything when we try and bring it back to life. Have heard bad stories about scored cylinders and such after trying to bring an old motor back to life after an extended period of sitting, but don't know what to believe. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

crank it over untill you get fuel out of the schrader valve ontop of the fuel filter.
if its got no air in the system, the glow plugs work, she should fire.
not really much you can do to F it up besides eather in a engine with a glow plug system heated up
glow plugs + eather = boom!
if you need to use eather, disconnect the glow plug controller.

 

What about the old diesel that's been sitting in the tank for that long? Could there be any issues from it? Water in fuel from sitting? Should we try and drain it and use fresh? Or just leave it and get after it?

 

I had a truck exactly like this that I picked up after sitting for at least 3 years, guy was 84 so who knows. Anyway, I did drain the old fuel, checked connections on the tank and tank selector valve. Change the fuel filter, disconnect glowplugs, get a good battery charger and bleed the injectors. Once you have fuel at injectors add a few touches of ether. Expect a bunch of white smoke as the injectors clean out the cobwebs. After it's ran a while fill the fuel filter with ATF, idle for 30 seconds and let it sit overnight.


Also wouldn't be a bad idea to change the oil.

 

run it like you stole it...couple tanks of fuel then change the fuel filter. if its not broke don't fixit...get it fully warm a few times before changing the oil..

 

i filled the fuel filter and put batteries in a truck that sat for 11 years. then turned the key and it fired up, and drove it on the trailer.
once home did an oil and coolant change and sold it to a neighbor who is still using it 4 years later.

 

Mine sat for at least 4 plus years without moving an inch or being started. I dropped 2 fresh batteries in and after about 15-20 revolutions, she fired off. I actually ran on the fuel that was in it until time to refill the tanks. I also ran on the oil in it that had been changed in 2007 (only had 1k on the oil change when I parked it) I did replace the radiator hoses, the belt and bled the brakes.

I've owned the truck for a good while. I parked it simply because I just didn't need to drive it or pull anything with it. I got it going again this time last year when I needed it badly and it's been going ever since.

Hope yours goes back into service as easy as mine did.

 

I have an 88 same story. Been sitting 2 -3 years, only it's froze up! Starter won't do anything but click & bumps, new bats, connections, etc?
Gonna get me some Kroil oil and shoak it, but HOW? Pull the injectors? Reckon I can get by just pulling the glow plugs & squirting penetrating oil or ATF/thinner mix into the glow plug holes?

 

Did you try turning it over by hand?

 

Yes, no luck, let it soak a while longer