Ls9SkyRedline

Hello everyone I am new to the board and I have just recently gotten a 1985 Berlinetta 2.8/5sp. This car has been sitting for a few years. I know it needs a new battery but what are some other things I should check before I try to fire her up. Thanks in advance for the help.

84CAMARO28inFL

Hello Ls9SkyRedline! Id like to answer your post, as i have some experience with this.

My 1984 Camaro 2.8 (you have a stick, SWEET!) had "Sat for a year" too. NASTY Oil in there, and again, no battery (had it towed.) I put a battery in, and it started up pretty well.. then died after 30 seconds or so. It had run out of gas, not had bad gas (it started after we added some, actually) .. and i drove my particular car with a Fuel Pump with a "ruptured diaphragm" for two months! Lost much gas, wasted much $, and no it wasnt safe. Your car is Fuel Injected.

That said, i would:

1) Get a battery with a GOOD long deep-charge OR smart charge, it will avoid issues (trust me, you get to know when a battery is at fault, and there are a couple of things you can do until the battery is just about 100% gone, which will happen eventually.)

2) Make sure FRESH fuel is in it, try dumping between 1-6 gallons (honestly one gallon should do it, then go to gas station) and FILL 'ER UP!! I am still debated between 87, 89, and 93.. myc ar is de-carboning so perhaps some more premium, then 87. 87 is likely fine, if its not a board member will say, i *think* Premium helps de-carbon and make the car not "run-on/diesel" idk.

3) CHANGE THE OIL!!!!!!!!!! I have started using 5W-30. Supertech at Walmart is $10 for 5 quarts, and carries the newest "SN" rating of oil. You dont beed Pennzoil platinum, Mobil 1.. you could but it is often counterproductive, and it likes to get right past all the sludge you DO have and cause a leak (Oil forum guys would berate me for that, but about 50% of people that try it develop a leak and switch back. I used to be one of them.)

If you have money, get Castrol Syntec 0W-30, the first number is irrelevant and its actually a "Thick 30" and will protect nice and not leak. Of course the 5W-30 for $10 is fine too

4) Change the oil AND FILTER (Supertech S3870 is 2X as large and costs $2.. yes, $2) than the "S3387A" and i took them out of the box and the threads are the same, so get the big one.)

5) Drive it, drive it, DRIVE IT! :drive:

I also SeaFoamed mine through PCV valve and changed the oil after ~1000 miles i didnt have to but i did, and put SeaFoam and many other cleaners in the gas tank, and changed my spark plugs and wires. Wyou should change spark plug and wires too.

I plan on changing the "Dizzy" Distributor.. it may have weak spark and i may not even know it. it cant hurt, and my engine IS "out of time" .. check how your starter acts, if it fires right up or cranks and starts up irregularly.

Anything else is slipping my mind at this time. Its now my second car, gets used a lot and serves me well, and i love it.

Ls9SkyRedline

Thanks 84CAMARO28inFL, I believe there is gas that has been sitting in the car for a long time. Do I need to drop the gas tank to get it all out or can i just get a rubber hose and siphon it out.
How many times should I run oil threw it. I change the filter ever time, right?
Thanks again i need to go pick up a battery anyone in particular that is cheap that will work?
Sorry for all the questions I am just new to the v6 F-body game and want to get her up and running.
Thanks, Ls9skyredline

84CAMARO28inFL

Dude im PO'd now, had a whole thing typed up and im NOT gonna type it again. had everything you needed to know, too

1) Put gas in, dont touch tank, will run, put in Seafoam, run tank out, put in fresh gas

2) ~1000 miles or 3000 miles is fine too, filter is $2 at Walmart ST3870
Drive driver-side front tire on curb, slight angle = get to filter. 1/4 turn past "Snug"
Drive passenger side front tire on curb, slight angle, 13mm or 14mm socket i forget i think its 13, = drain oil, $5 Blitz 5 quart container.
Plug bac in after drain, then filter, put in 5qts, drive. Warm is best.

3) Test battery it can be on Craigslist usually $25 to $50, batteries new can cost ~$60 to about $120. Same things usually, too.

Ask as many questions as you can, im a little less now and soon you will be taking pics like this , here is my 84. First camaro and 1st carb'd car, you have Fuel Injection.

jensen73110

iTrader: (4)

Do you know how much gas is in the tank? If only a gallon or two, I'd add about 5 gallons of fresh gas & fire it up. I know gas can go bad in as little as a few months, but I have seen a car fire up on 2 year old gas with no fresh in the tank....

2nd the Seafoam. $10 a bottle seems pricey, but the stuff works.

2nd the dino oil. Buy the cheapest junk they sell. Run on that for a bit to clean it out, then change to whatever brand/weight you prefer. I run 0-30 synthetic, and also have a slow leak because of it....

84CAMARO28inFL

I firsted and third the dino oil, as well as the whole post. One of the things in my post i messed up and made me was that "You can spend as much as or as little as you want on oil. you can buy Castrol 0W-30 for $8.19 a quart, or Royal Purple 0W-40 for $11.99 a quart, and give yourself a leak, you were spot-on there... OR buy 5 gallons SuperTech for $10 which carries the latest API rating and is more than fine and a filter for $2 which happens to be larger than the S3387A, its called S3980." Change ~1000 miles, it will look.. nasty. Then do it again. You gan go bonkers on cleaning engine, with flushes and stuff, DONT do this you dont need to and bad things usually happen.

I know an oil forum would berate me, but yes, switching to Dino USUALLY causes leaks. The oil forum HATES that (ever hear of BITOG? ) but they refuse to acknowledge "Synthetics cause leaks," THEY DO, they will disseminate that so much.. but in the real world, you SHOULDNT go synth.

+1 that whole last post.

Ls9SkyRedline

Thanks for the replies.

So I don't need to drain the gas tank. What if it has been setting for a long time like a really long time, say 5 years, is it still a good idea to try and start it up.

To make a long story short I got this car if I can get it to run and drive. My girls mom wants it gone (its her ex-husbands) and so I can not turn a free car down so I need to figure out how to get this bad boy running.

Thanks again, Ls9Skyredline.

Ls9SkyRedline

any other advice that anybody might have for me?

84CAMARO28inFL

Seafoam it through the brake booster line. If you have the carb'd one, you have the same engine as me.

IF YOU HAVE EVER DOEN THIS BEFORE DO NOT TO IT AND I TO OUSED TO BE VERY AFRAID OF THIS PROCEDURE, HOWEVER I AM NOW ABOUT TO VIDEO THE SMOEK SHOW AFTER IT SAT FOR AN HOUR AND WAS SEAFOAMED FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!

If you were in Jacksonville, FL i could show ya how to change the oil, how to do the spark plugs, air filter, all "the little stuff."

Oh, and DONT drive it jerky, drive it smooth, it loves it

Gukey75

Hey all, nice information here. I too am in the same shoes starting a older camaro for the 1st time in about 8ish years. I'm new to the site and have a 87 standard camaro with the a 305 v-8 4 barrel carb. Being from the north I did not drive it in the winter so it stayed stored in the garage for those months, and because of that mice have seemed to think the air filter would make a perfect nest. That next season the poor thing would not start assuming due to a chewed wire somewhere, and so she sat till now.
Anyways I plan on rebuilding the car with a new/bigger motor at some point, right now I just want her to run. I'm on the look out for some good books or other online info if anyone know some.
It was nice to see someone from Jax, FL. here and I too lived there for a peroid of time in the Navy, (had the camaro down there also)
Anyways thanks for the info, I do plan to be back with more questions.
Thanks!

Ls9SkyRedline

Hi welcome to the board could you please start a new thread for your car I would like this one to remain about my car.

Thanks,
Ls9SkyRedline

84CAMARO28inFL

.. Mayport? NICE! I actually will confess, the guy that sold me the 84 Camaro 2.8 Carb'd is on ACTIVE DUTY at that base.. RIGHT NOW! I got mine pretty well tuned, far from a sludgemonster with no battery, no rearview mirror, and "removed PCV" and a bunch of other stuff, including broken air pipe/check valve it still is i "plugged" it. Im actually typing from Southside Blvd right now too

now i want to change the Transmission filter/screen. it shifts well enough, yes. But it has ever so slight hesitation.. i think the screen/filter is way past due for a change. Do i "Put the old ATF back in?" I am still relative newbie, thank you, and viva DUVAL CO!