So as my Friday night activity, I decide to pay attention to the new girl. I got a fresh interstate battery along with 8 qts of 30w oil, (4 cheap stuff and 4 kendall stuff. I hear kendalls still have zinc), Zinc additive, starter fluid, and a couple of oil filters. I start opening up the plugs and was surprised at how clean they were. Knowing that the truck sat for the past 9 years, I was expecting the worst. I had a can of seafoam laying around, so with every squirt of oil into the plug hole, I added some seafoam to it as well. I buttoned her up and went to sleep.

This morning I checked the point. Once again it was pretty darn clean, if not almost brand new. The cap and rotor looked good too. I just gave them a quick scrub with fine grit paper, and closed it up. Next was the oil. I guess I never seen under a 239 before. That was one big f%$#ing drain plug head. Anyways, oil was drained and was smooth flowing black. No foamy stuff... For now I left the old filter and filled her with fresh 30w. Figure a bottle of break-in juice wouldn't hurt it as well.

Next was the fuel. I got some fresh high octane (only 91 in California) gas. My neighbor decides to snoop around and told me that he has some lead substitute. I figure it wouldn't hurt as well. Sprayed some starting fluid, then came the moment of truth. Turn the ignition, and starter... crank crank crank... Nothing... Again... then nothing. Well the next step was to listen to the old guy who used to tell me stuff. Any motor will run with fuel and spark. I went to go check the distributor and realized that I forgot to fully connect the positive wire. I rerouted the wire the night before because it was running really close to the water pump pulley. I connected it and figure I try it again. Another shot of starting fluid...

Crank crank and broom!

Holy cow, it fired! And there was oil pressure reading on the gauge at about 30. Then it died. But to make the already long story shorter, after a several rounds of start cycles, she was idling as well as revving too. Not to mention that I was smoking out the entire driveway due to seafoam. Wifiey just about had a heart attack when the smoke filled the driveway and the house.

Although the rear brakes were sticking, I was able to drive it around the block and take it up to about 35 mph. I was so excited.

Anyways, I guess I will slowly get through the truck, but I had one question for you gearheads. When I looked in the radiator, it was bone dry. Also when I went to go look at the truck a few weeks back, I hand cranked the motor and it was leaking fluid out of the passenger side water pump. But now, there is no leak. I filled the radiator to the brim, and ran to get some air out. So there is full amount of fluid. But I don't see any leak. Do you think it is possible that the leak sealed itself?

 

Yes, they do!

 

The seals can be fairly pliable still, but like a kitchen sponge - or many types of seals gaskets, they shrink when they dry out. The moisture and heat probably made it swell back up and seal!

But when something used to leak and then it stops you were wise in thinking that might not be right. I used to have an MGA and British Leland Cars are notorious for leaking oil. We had an expression: "if there isn't a puddle of oil under it in the morning you better check it - it's probably empty!" If you have a leak someplace that stops, it may have sealed up but you might also have leaked all the fluid out and are dry - check those fluids regularly!

Congrats on getting the truck running and on your "maiden ride." Time to make sure the brakes are good now, then start to drive it regularly. If you have any bugs, it will tell you and they will be pretty straightforward to fix.

I might also be prepared for the sediment in the fuel tank and lines to start softening up and flowing to the carb as well. I highly recommend you get a couple inline fuel filters and but them BOTH inline as close to the carburetor as you can get them to catch all that stuff as it starts to flow!

These old trucks are wonderful in that even if you have limited mechanical experience and plan to learn by restoring one, they are pretty darned hard to hurt let alone kill!

 

I used to have an MGA and British Leland Cars are notorious for leaking oil. We had an expression: "if there isn't a puddle of oil under it in the morning you better check it - it's probably empty!"

I had an MGB, and it didn't "leak." it just Marked it's territory!"