Barn find - need advice

R

Randy in Oklahoma

New member
Now own a 69 Fairlane 2 door HT V8 Auto that was parked in a barn about 25 years ago. I have been around cars for years, but this is my first attempt at reviving a car that has been sitting so long.

Solicit your ideas on what I should or should not do before trying to fire it up.
 
pull the spark plugs and put some marvel mystery oil in each cylinder. Or Trans fluid in each cylinder. Let it soak. Try to turn the engine over with a breaker bar & socket on the crank bolt. If it turns freely you're good. Then change the oil. Then remove the distributor and use a drill with the oil pump shaft hooked to it to spin the oil pump. This will get the engine oiled through all the journals and rockers and all. Disconnect the fuel line from the gas tank to fuel pump. Do not run fuel from the old gas tank. It is probably full of bad gas and sediment. Hook up a bypass hose and run it to a 1 gallon gas can of fresh gas. Drain the radiator, and flush the system. I would bypass the heater core until later. Check the Carb, make sure all the linkage turns easily. I might even rebuild it before starting the engine.

Good luck.
 
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Ditto everything Squire said, plus:
before you spin the oil pump with the dizzy removed, make sure you are rotating in the proper direction. For example, in my V8 engine, the dizzy shaft rotates counterclockwise, but in my 6-cyl engine, it rotates clockwise. You may need a reversing drill.
If you have an automatic transmission, I would keep an eye on transmission fluid leaking after you get it running. The front pump seal may be dried out and cracked.

Look over all the rubber hoses and rubber vacuum lines for cracks too.
 
All of the above comments are right on the mark, however, no mention was made about the brakes...
The wheel cylinders will be junk with the majority of the pistons frozen in the bore. The front wheel bearing will need attention very quickly... As a general rule the bearing grease will have solidified, running out of the bearings, forming a hard lump in the hub.
The rear wheel bearings will also be dry as a result of the oil migrating back into the center section... Jack up the rear end so the wheels can turn free... They might be frozen onto the bearings and/or brake shoes.
If the trans is a stick you might find that the clutch has seized to the flywheel.
Generally speaking, 'Barn Finds' usually turn out to be more trouble than they are worth, requiring major rebuild of all components..
 
Before turning the engine, I like to remove the rocker covers and push down each valve with a hammer handle to be sure the valves will open and close.
 
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