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1985 Corvette Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter drcorvette
  • Start date Start date
D

drcorvette

Guest
I have been into the home renovation thing for almost two years and forgot all about my favourite pasttime.

My 85 Corvette has been parked under car cover and not started since June 2004.

What do I need to do before turning over the key? I do not want to attempt starting the car and have major problems occur.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!!!
 
Can't offer much in terms of advice as I am still learning a lot of this myself, but just wanted to say hello to a fellow Lower Mainland Vette owner.

cheers
 
racsluos said:
Can't offer much in terms of advice as I am still learning a lot of this myself, but just wanted to say hello to a fellow Lower Mainland Vette owner.

cheers

Hey Andrew ... Cheers Bud!!!

:w
 
Any gasoline in the tank is most likely bad and there could also be some water in there from condensation. Drain the tank by siphoning out the old stuff and refill with fresh gas.

The fuel lines may be empty so it coud take a few seconds to get the pump to push fuel up to the rails. There is a Schraeder valve on the passenger side fuel rail. Turn the ignition to ON and after a few seconds, depress the valve stem to see if there is gas in the rail. This make take a couple ignition switch cycles to get gas to the rails.

I would change the oil and filter before attempting to start the motor. You may even want to pull the distributor and use a drill to prime the oil pump beforing attempting starting the motor.

Remove the battery and have it charged and tested. A battery sitting for that 2-year period will probably be discharged and it needs a good 15-20 amps input to get a full charge in it. A load test should be performed to make sure it's in good condition.

Check the coolant level. It should be right at the base of the filler neck. After you get the motor running, I would replace the upper and lower hoses and flush are refill the coolant using a 50/50 mix of ethlyene glycol (green) antifreeze and distilled water. If you have overheating problems, it could be a sticky thermostat.

If the car has an auto tranny, check the fluid level and add fluid as needed. Given the car is over 20 years old, you should have the fluid changed and a new filter installed if it has not been done.

Check the brake fluid level and the power steering fluid level. I would do a complete flush of the brake fluid and the PS fluid. Doesn't have to be done immediately but within a short time.

Sitting for a couple of years may have caused some seals to dry up and shrink so expect some fluid leaks. They should go away after driving the car for a few weeks.

Check the air pressure in the tires and check the tire sidewalls for any evidence of cracking. Tires dry out over time and if you see cracks in the surface of the sidewalls, there is a good chance that the tire can fail.
 

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