Jimmy sitting for awhile, start-up advice

[SilverduneJimmy]

I just recently purchased an 87 Jimmy thats been sitting for over 6 yrs without being started. Is there anything I should take into consideration before I try to start it. PO said it ran great before he put it away. It sat inside a newer, dry garage the whole time so moisture shouldnt have been a problem, but I never assume anything. What do you guys think?

 

[chalet2506]

Pull each spark plug and squirt a little Marvel Mystery oil in each cylinder. Let it sit for a day or so and hit it. Just be prepared for lots of leaks. Gaskets will dry out when they're not being used.

Probably a good idea to either drain the gas and use new, or if there's just a little in the tank put 5 gallons or so of fresh and maybe a can of seafoam.

 

[SilverduneJimmy]

Thanks for the reply, Chalet. Should I also replace things like rad hoses? Should I drain the radiator itself and flush the block? I already plan on draining the gas tank, but didnt think about the seafoam. Sorry for all the questions, this is fairly new to me so I dont want to cause more damage than need be.

 

[496truck]

I've started cars that have been sitting for 10 plus years outside with good results, at least for demo derby use...

Check the coolant, open the cap, what color is it? Nice and green or dingy yellow or brown, or is it there at all? If it's green it's good to go, at least untill you get to changing out fluids. If it's brown or dirty looking, could be more problems or may just need a coolant flush. I wouldn't run any longer than needed with that coolant.

Definitely worth a new oil and filter change before startup.

Belts and hoses, do a good visual check. Hoses bloated, soft, cracking, leaking... replace before you rely on them. You can start and run on old belts but again, replace before you need to rely on them.

Check the air cleaner for mice, don't want to suck one of them or a nest into the engine. Ask me how I know.

Start with a good battery. The old one shouldn't be considered reliable and a new one from walmart is cheap enough. Plus an old battery can cause or make problems that wouldn't be there with a good battery.

If I were in your shoes I would, change the oil and filter, put in a good battery, start it up and get it running. While it's running you can go through and start checking all systems, lights, horn, trans fluid level, etc. MASH THE BRAKE PEDAL, if any lines are gonna pop you want them to pop while you're standing still. If the brakes are good (or after you've fixed them), then put it in gear and drive it around the yard, down the street, around the block. See how it goes, any issues pop up? Make a mental list or write it down and start checking into them. If it starts and moves and drives under it's own power, then I would get into cooling system flush, belt/hose replacement, trans fluid and filter change, t-case fluid change, front/rear axle fluid change...

 

[4xcrazy]

When I refired a motor that was sitting awhile, I replaced the oil & filter, removed the distributor and reprimed it just to make sure things were still lubed well enough at start-up, coolant still looked fine, tossed in some super unleaded gas, (not sure if that helps, but did it anyways )

I also had some fuel stabilizer stuff in it when it was parked too, hoping that helped. But either way after everything was back together and cleaned up a bit, I primed the carb alittle and it fired right up, obviously had to prime a few times until the carb was filled and self supplying. This motor only sat for alitle over a year I would guess, it was a fresh rebuild shortly before the car was wrecked.

And if I remember right, I believe I did remove each plug and just squirted alittle thin weight motor oil in each cylinder, not a crazy amount, just enough to provide a slippery surface in case any rust formed from moisture.

The motor was ultimately the one I installed in the dually I drove for about a year or so, then traded it for the 15k Warn winch and the next owner drove it for almost another year until some show boater was screwing around on the street, lost control and crashed into the dually ripping the front end off..

 

[SilverduneJimmy]

Thanks guys, great advice. 496 I like your list and plan on following the majority of it. I'm one of those guys that will change everything just to be safe sometimes to my own detriment, so I will definitely take it in stages. So far my plans are the following:

1) Drain old gas and ck fuel lines. new gas and seafoam. (should I drop the tank or use the fuel pump?)

2) Pull the plugs, squirt oil in cylinders. (new plugs?)

3) Ck coolant, last I looked it was pretty green.

4) Change oil and filter. (5w-30?)

5) It will have a new battery, old one was beyond recoverable.

At this point this about as far as I can go. I really just want to get the engine running and up to operating temp so I can check the radiator, hoses and belts. Should I run fuel injection cleaner thru it after I get it started and running? I'll have to tackle the tranny and both diffs later as the trans only has 1st and the rear has its own problems. Thanks again for the help and thanks for your patience.

 

[kevin400ex]

ill just add, that when it fires up run it at an elevated rpm for a little bit like when you break a camshaft in. sinceits been sitting for soo long there is no oil on the cam anymore and idle speed wont fling enough oil and you could eat a lifter. ive had it happen in my k5 before. sat unfired for 3 years, go out fire it up let it idle and cam went flat.

 

[496truck]

Thanks guys, great advice. 496 I like your list and plan on following the majority of it. I'm one of those guys that will change everything just to be safe sometimes to my own detriment, so I will definitely take it in stages. So far my plans are the following:

1) Drain old gas and ck fuel lines. new gas and seafoam. (should I drop the tank or use the fuel pump?)

2) Pull the plugs, squirt oil in cylinders. (new plugs?)

3) Ck coolant, last I looked it was pretty green.

4) Change oil and filter. (10w-30)

5) It will have a new battery, old one was beyond recoverable.

Fixed it...

ill just add, that when it fires up run it at an elevated rpm for a little bit like when you break a camshaft in. sinceits been sitting for soo long there is no oil on the cam anymore and idle speed wont fling enough oil and you could eat a lifter. ive had it happen in my k5 before. sat unfired for 3 years, go out fire it up let it idle and cam went flat.

Forgot about this too. Good call.

 

[SilverduneJimmy]

Thanks Kevin! This is the kind of stuff I would have no clue on. 4XCrazy mentioned something about repriming. Would this help alleviate the lack of oil on the cam? Brian it looks as though you have done or are doing alot of the things to your jimmy that I would like to do to mine. Do you have a build thread yet?

 

[folkenheath]

If you haven't started your Jimmy in 6 years you might want to consult your doctor first to see if you are healthy enough to operate the Jimmy again...

 

[496truck]

No build thread. But any questions you want to ask, fire away. I'll answer questions, get pics, whatever...

 

[SilverduneJimmy]

If you haven't started your Jimmy in 6 years you might want to consult your doctor first to see if you are healthy enough to operate the Jimmy again...

If thats another way of saying I should have had my head examined for letting it sit for so long, you would probably be right. LOL!!! Only problem with that is I just bought it from someone else. Seems he blew the trans, except for 1st, and promptly tore up the rear doing a burnout cause he was upset with the trans for taking a dump.

 

[folkenheath]

Well, these guys have you on the right track, hopefully I'll see you at silver lake sometime this summer.

 

[SilverduneJimmy]

Well, these guys have you on the right track, hopefully I'll see you at silver lake sometime this summer.

I've got a lot of work ahead of me, but thats the plan. The wife and are planning a trip in July sometime, probably for a couple of weeks. We camp when we go. Stayed at the campground on the left, a mile or so before you get into Silver Lake. Nice place. We'll probably stay there again. Would definately be cool to see ya there.

 

[kevin400ex]

Thanks Kevin! This is the kind of stuff I would have no clue on. 4XCrazy mentioned something about repriming. Would this help alleviate the lack of oil on the cam? Brian it looks as though you have done or are doing alot of the things to your jimmy that I would like to do to mine. Do you have a build thread yet?

priming would fill the oil galleries, not much ends up on the cam from it. the cam is oiled by the oil being flung off the crankshaft at the connecting rods.

 

[4xcrazy]

priming it makes sure all the bearings get fresh oil after you drop the old stuff out, and new stuff in, it makes sure the lifters are already somewhat pumped up, oils the top end ofthe vavletrain, rockers, springs, main bearings, rod bearings, cam bearings and whatnot, yes sure nothing is going to get sprayed on the cam until it runs, UNLESS you remove the intake and pour oil over the cam before restart, but in all honesty, unless some sort of cleaner of a ton of water was poured down the motor, there is still going to be enough residual oil on the cam for a few revolutions till the motor gets going and gets it oiled up.

It's been awhile since I have been inside an engine, but I could have swore there were oil ports for the sides of the lifters as well,. I just personally feel it's a good idea to re-prime the motor after it's been sitting awhile, maybe it doesn't change anything, maybe it helps, it's peace of mind really.

 

[Deuling]

Hey man where abouts in MI are you??? Gonna get this thing up to silver soon???

 

[SilverduneJimmy]

Hey man where abouts in MI are you??? Gonna get this thing up to silver soon???

Just north of Toledo, OH. Monroe area. Yeah thats the plan, although I'm running out of time. Suppose to finally have this thing home Sat. and will get to work on it pronto. We have a trip planned for the last couple of weeks in July to Silver Lake, so it has to be done b4 then. keepin my fingers crossed.

 

[Deuling]

Just north of Toledo, OH. Monroe area. Yeah thats the plan, although I'm running out of time. Suppose to finally have this thing home Sat. and will get to work on it pronto. We have a trip planned for the last couple of weeks in July to Silver Lake, so it has to be done b4 then. keepin my fingers crossed.

Yes I think all of us michiganders need to find a good weekend and all go up and leave all those darn jeeps in the dust

 

[scrappyk5]

I just did this with a 304 jeep motor. The jeep was sitting in the woods for about 7 years. The crank pulley only moved about a 1/4". So I figured I would try and see what happens. First I pulled all the plugs and squirted slick 50 in each cylinder, plenty of it. I changed the oil and filter, then disconnected the fuel line. I took the carb off and cleaned out all the bugs/nests/ and cobwebs. I then proceeded to turn the crank pulley slowly with a ratchet back and forth till it loosened up and started going all the way around. once it felt nice and smooth going around, I hooked up a fresh battery. with the plugs still removed I sprayed some more slick 50 and proceeded to crank the engine with a fresh starter too.
I then installed new plugs and ran a fuel hose from the carb to a can of gas. I sprayed some starting fluid in the carb did some cranking, she spit and sputtered a couple times then fired right up. I did end up rebuilding the carb and dropping the tank for a good cleaning and a new sending unit. I of course flushed the radiator and installed new belts and hoses cause the originals were dry rotted. but as far leaks leaks, I have not seen a drop.
good luck.