Hi

I have a 1956 firetruck engine that hasnīt been started for some 30 years. Now has the time come for me to start it up. Do you have any advice for me when doing this? The engine is a completley original 272 truck engine and it looks great with all original parts. Nothing has been removed or added. What should I think of, before trying to start it?

 

Drain and change the oil, replace the plugs, wires, coil, points, cap and rotor. Pull the valve covers and poor some oil on the rockers/top of heads before refilling the pan. Replace the air filter, rubber fuel lines, fuel filter, maybe rebuild carb, replace radiator hoses and heater hoses, change out the coolant, flushing the system clean with fresh water before refilling, replace thermostat. You may want to use some penatrating oil (marvel mystery oil was recommended to me in the past) in the plug holes of each piston to lube up the rings. I may have missed something but this should be a relatively complete list. Also, if this is still in a vehicle and that has sat for 30 years and you plan to move said vehicle you may want to flush and refill the transmission and differential, plus bleeding the brakes and checking the e-brake system. Whatever your plans are good luck with them. I met a guy who was firing up a 1930's ford dump truck that after a carb cleaning/kit and basic tune up and fluids ran like a champ first try.

 

i was not in a hurry.
so. had a 69 f-250 been in wrecking yard 31 years had not been run.
brought it home. filled the engine to the very top with tractor hydr. fluid. was 10 like gals. took top of shifter did the same. not 10 gals.
let it sit for a year
remember not in a hurry.
did change out to petronics before i drained it all out and of course cleaned out all the hydro fluid.
did a regular service..ran fine for 3 years...then decided for a larger engine..
truck had 18,000 miles on it..when i got it.

 

I am ready to do this again also. I have a 56 with a 272 and not run in 2-3 yrs po said. I will drain all fluids. Drop oil pan and clean and reinstall. New everything and clean out radiator and all new fluids. New battery and try to crank her over. I hope it starts as easy as all my others have.....Love them yblocks!!!!! Bill

 

There is a lot you can do. But it is always a good idea to make sure you have a sound engine before spending any unnessary money. If the engine has a problem you do not want to find you have wasted any mony on it. First, the engine is about as dry as it can get (has no oil on anything in any quantity that can do much lubrication. DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE OVER EVEN BY HAND UNTILL LATER. That being said, if it has oil and it is not the consistancy of mud, don't change it. You do not need water in it to fire it off and let it run for a few seconds so don't worry about the cooling system. disconect the fuel supply to the fuel pump to keep any bad gas out of the engine. You can start it by using starter fluid or a little gas poured down the carburetor bores. You do not need fanbelts on the engine to start it but if they are there then leave them. Pull the spark plugs out and take a squirt can of engine oil and put several squirts in each spark plug hole. Don't worry if you think you put to much in, you will take care of that later. Let that sit for about a week. Then after the week mark and pull the distributor out and hand crank the oil pump thru the distributor hole. If the oil pump works you will feel quite a bit of resistance to turning this by hand. Keep turning the pump for a few minutes to get oil through the oiling system. You can now pull a valve cover and see if you had wet oil at the rocker arms. If you did then put the valve cover back on, you do not need to replace the gasket at this time because the little it might leak won't matter for the short time you are going to run it. Put the distributor back in and set it where it was, tighten it down. Hook up the battery, try to turn the engine over with the plugs still out. Spin the engine over using the starter for about 30 seconds that will spread the oil on the rings and throw off any extra. Put the plugs back in unless they look really bad inwhich case you need to replace them now. Spray starter fluid down the carb and try to start it. It should try to start almost right away. If it runs a little with no bad noise then you probably have a good chance the engine is sound. Then the fun begins, spending $. If at any point something does not work like starter or battery you will need to fix what ever it takes to get to the point where it will start. Even the carb does not need to work up to this point. The distibutor and ignition system just needs to be working and set close enough to let it start. A lot more will need to be done before you could drive it but you will have a good idea about the engine before you have spent much money on it.

 

i agree with c-700. but i would use marvel mystry oil or even tranny fluid in the cylinders. i would change out the oil though. dont wanna be pumping sludge into the motor after its long slumber.(more tha likely, that oil will be in sludge form) Now, this is my personal preference, I would use gas and stay away from starter fluid. dont like the stuff. to volital for my liking. plus, from what i am told, it burns real dry, and my thinking is, not good for first time starting up a motor. but like i said thats my opinion.