• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Restart after years sitting in garage...advice?

Share this page

davester

davester

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
I'm pretty close to the point of restarting my '71 MGBGT. I rolled it into the garage about 7 years ago, pulled the wheels to do a brake job, but one thing led to another and I soon had the master cylinder out, plus other responsibilities intervened, and the project languished. About a year or two after immobilization I dumped some gas stabilizer into the tank but the battery was dead by then so I didn't pump the stabilized gas through the lines/carbs.

It's almost back together and I'm wondering what I should do to prep it for takeoff. I gave the gas tank a sniff and it still smells like normal gasoline. However, I'm guessing the lines, pump and carbs are gunked up. I figure that I ought to yank the pump, jets and float bowl covers and clean all that stuff up with carb cleaner, plus backflush the line with spray carb cleaner. Anything else? Am I crazy trying to use 7 year old gas, or will it likely start up like Woody Allen's VW in Sleeper? OTOH, is this overkill? Should I just try to start it up?

One other thing, pre-immobilization my pump had the occasional "whack it with a mallet" startup requirement. Is a quick file and clean of the points a good fix or should I replace the point assembly or rebuild the whole thing. I'd rather not do that since I want to maintain forward progress, not tear more things apart.

Opinions (of which I know there are many) please.
 
I second! I've used it on two cars and started on the third.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Is a quick file and clean of the points a good fix or should I replace the point assembly or rebuild the whole thing.[/QUOTE]
I always opt for rebuilding if at all possible...sounds like yours is ready for points & diaphragm.

As you look at my checklist, you'll know which items you can skip & which ones to do...I tried to lay it out just like I do it, one area of the car at a time.
 
The list Tony has is great. I am slowly working my way through it so my 65 can go thundering down the road again.

Once my new starter from Hap shows up, I can turn over the engine to get some pressure back into the old girl.
 
Back
Top