need help turning over 66 coupe

[Anonymous]

My wife's first car was a 66 coupe 200ci and it has spent about 5 years sitting (outdoors unfortunately)
we're moving to a new place (with a garage) in 7 weeks and I need to get it there.

we had it towed here and would prefer not to spend time/money towing the vehicle, considering that I could put that time/money into getting it running instead.

at the moment, it won't turn over. I've replaced the battery, engine oil, filter and spark plugs, and added a couple of gallons of gas for good measure. the vehicle cranks but cannot turn over.

I'm not very car literate but would like to get this one to a driveable condition and someday to a restored condition.

to turn it over, where should i be going next? I don't want to replace anything else that doesn't need replacing, but we live in the high desert and it's taken a beating of 100+ summers and 20 degree winters. I've got a shop manual but would like some personal support as well.

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Are you saying the starter will crank it over, but it won't start?
Or, is it seized up?

If it will crank over, then check and make sure you have spark. If not, look at the points, they may be bound up from sitting so long
Also, the float in the carb may be stuck, and/or other carb problems. Check and see if you have gas getting t the carb, and if not, see if the fuel pump is working.

I'd try those two areas first, and see where it takes you.

Mike.

 

[mustang6]

If the engine does turn over and has spark but it will not fire, I can guarantee you that after 5 years of sitting outside whatever gas was in there has turned to crusty/line plugging crud that will not burn. Adding new gas to the tank will not help. You can disconnect the line to the fuel pump in the engine compartment and run it off a gas can to be sure.

 

[Lazy JW]

Reckon that must be some bizzare regional dialect that I don't understand. I always think of "turning over" as meaning "the engine spins with the starter but won't run under its own power". :roll:

First thing to check is spark; not much point in adding fuel if you can't build the fire.

Once you have a proper, well-timed spark, it can't hurt to give it a SMALL shot of starting fluid to see if it will fire. Five year old gas is not going to co-operate very well.
Joe

 

[Bort62]

Where in the High desert?

 

[JackFish]

Fuel filter could be gunked up as well as the rest of the carb.

 

[Bort62]

Pour a little gas (or anything else flammable, I started my ranchero on one of our propellants) down the carb and see if it coughs.

 

[Anonymous]

High Desert = Albuquerque, New Mexico = 5,000ft


So basically check that I'm getting a spark first
(is this at the plugs, wires, distributor, or all these areas?)

then try starting it with fresh fuel, bypassing fuel lines.

thanks for the help, i'll check it out this week and let you know how it goes.

 

[Bort62]

Ahh okay, I thought you meant California high desert. I was going to offer to come give you a hand.

At any rate, by far the simplest thing to do is pour some gas or WD-40 Or carb cleaner or starting fluid or whatever you got down the carb and then give it a try. If it won't cough and try to catch when you do that, chances are you've got an ignition problem.

5 year old gas isnt going to clog up a fuel line - i swear that is an old wives tale. My Ranchero had 3 year old gas in it and started up just fine once I actually hookd the line up. I drove it around for a week on that gas with no problems.

 

[wallaka]

Yeah, my Comet had gas that was at least five years old. I rebuilt the carb before I even tried to start it, but then it caught and fired the second I hit the key.

 

[matt1967]

my '51 Chevy was running on gas that was at least 8 years old, after I hooked up the new fuel pump. did smell bad tho, and I did siphon it out and put fresh in.

 

[Bort62]

Im sure you aren't going to make every last horsepower out of old gas (it does go bad) but its not going to turn into a solid or something.

It just won't be as efficient.

 

[mustang6]

Gas may indeed last longer in drier climates than where I live (Seattle). I have had a few vehicles I've picked up that have been sitting for years and in all cases the gas had turned into a very stinky liquid that would hardly burn even if lit with a match and the tanks, fuel pickups, and metal lines were clogged with a red crystalline material that looked like rust but wasn't. The only way I could get it out of my Ranchero's tank was to have it boiled out at a radiator shop. The fuel pickup and hard lines had to be replaced. I've seen this same phenomenon in motorcycles, lawnmowers, and chainsaws that sit for a number of years in unheated spaces. The air is very damp around here most of the time so maybe that has something to do with it.

 

[Anonymous]

One of the best ways I've found on cars sitting a long time is to tie a chain to it and pull it down the street with the car in gear. Like second or third. Of course you have to have a manual tranny to do this. They typically will fire up after about a half block...

 

[rayell]

Mustang 6 I completely agree with your post, we have the same problem in Georgia. After sitting from 3 to 6 months the crap we have turns to varnish. After 4mos. of sitting the crap fouled my Ranger's injectors.

RayBTW: Adding about 2 ounces to 4 ounces of acetone will prevent this from happening.