I had a question about v6 84 camaro. I had not driven it for about 2 years, or started it for that matter. It's a long story the reason why, but now I am going to run it again. I was wondering what maintenance, if any would be good to do to it before start-up. Or in the next few weeks or in the future. I did think of one thing and that was perhaps the gas tank, there wasn't much in there the last time it was driven, and I was wondering if maybe moisture built up in there, and if removing it and cleaning it out would be a good idea. That was just a thought, but as for anything else I'm not sure. thanx

 

If you can, drain the gas and put fresh gas in. In fact, replace ALL fluids and necessary filters: cooling, engine, tranny etc. You should also put some carb/injector cleaner in the tank and use some carb cleaner spray down the throat of the carb/throttle body.

A full tune-up is also in order: cap, rotor, plugs, wires, etc. I would also consider filling my tank a few times and replacing the filter again. There are conditioners you can add to the tank but I find them of limited use. After a long period sitting, short of pulling the tank and "rinsing it a few times" with gas, just filling it and changing the fuel filter a few times will probably be best you can do.

 

84,

If you are concerned about rust or scale in the cylinders, you might want to try removing teh spark plugs, injecting a bit of fogging oil into each of the cylinders, and cranking the engine over by hand a few times. If the engine can be turned with a reasonable effort by a socket on the crank balancer bolt, try cranking a bit with a fully-charged battery and see if the oil pressure builds. If everythign appears normal, install the plugs, open the garage door to let the smoke out, and fire it up. Let it idle if it will do so and listen for unusual noises. After the smoke clears and the engine begins to warm up, shut it off and inspect for obvious leaks. Remove teh dipstick and check the oil level and condition. If you see a lot of foam on the stick, the sump has excessive moisture in it and the oil should be changed. Change the filter right away, since any rust or scale that was knocked off the cylinder walls will plug the filter and cause unfiltered oil to circulate.

Once you are satisfied that everything is normal, start the engine again and allow it to reach full temperature. Once the engine is running normally, change all the fluids.

As Glenn warned, be very aware that the fuel filter will likely plug at least once, so stay close to home until you are confident that the fuel tank is clean. A little methanol in the tank will expedite the process, and you can pour in a couple of bottles of fuel anti-freeze to add just enough methanol to get things loosened pretty well. Stand by with that spare fuel filter and wrenches...

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Later,
Vader
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"Make Me Bad"
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