YACT: Eng problems with 1972 Corvette (*she's working good now*)

[Salvador]

Do the same thing to motorcycles. I bought a 86 Shadow and the owner did NOT drain the fuel before storing it. I have to take all the fuel lines off, overhaul the carbs, etc... It was nasty.

I don't agree with this.. I always leave my tanks full and put a fuel stabilizer in it like the Sea Foam. Otherwise you will get moisture in your tank and it will rust. I've seen so many problems with rust in the tank and I don't even have a spot of rust in any of mine.

What I usually do before storage is change the oil, then fill gas the tank and put some Sea Foam in it. I then run the bike (car) at idle to let the treated gas circulate through the fuel system and motor. Then I drain the carbs, remove the spark plugs and shoot a little oil down the cylinders. If it's a bike, I put it up in a higher gear and move the bike forward in gear to move the pistons and circulate the oil. You could probably do this with a starter on a car. Just crank it lightly a few times to get the oil circulated around the rings. Then I pull the battery and move it to a warm location. Do NOT store a battery on bare concrete. It will suck all the energy out of the battery and kill it.

That's about it.. I just reverse the steps in the spring and they always start right up.

Sal

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: JC

Originally posted by: The_good_guy

Originally posted by: LordRaiden

Originally posted by: The_good_guy your carbs are gummed up for sure.. I would suggest some carb cleaner (take teh carbs off the engine) get some yamaha carb solution (any motorcycle shop should have it) put one part of it and 3 parts gas.. let it set for 24 hrs and periodically give it a shake.. then drain it and fill it with fresh fuel and then drain it again and assemble it back up on the engine. When you store a car/bike you use full tank of gas, and you use a bit of Stabil. You pour stabil run the car / bike for a few miles (one or two) and then let her sit... that way you wont get gummed up carbs.

So a full tank of gas when storing a car is better? I always thought it was the other way around. Hmm. I'll try that this winter.

less air to oxidize the fuel..

No, less space in the tank for moisture-containing air

Actually, you're both correct.

You're supposed to store it with the tank full, because there is less air to oxidize the gasoline and to hold moisture that will eventually get into the fuel, which will just expedite the oxidation.

Haven't you ever smelled old fuel before? It's nasty stuff. If you leave it long enough, it will turn into a hard varnish coating.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Salvador

Do the same thing to motorcycles. I bought a 86 Shadow and the owner did NOT drain the fuel before storing it. I have to take all the fuel lines off, overhaul the carbs, etc... It was nasty.

I don't agree with this.. I always leave my tanks full and put a fuel stabilizer in it like the Sea Foam. Otherwise you will get moisture in your tank and it will rust. I've seen so many problems with rust in the tank and I don't even have a spot of rust in any of mine.

What I usually do before storage is change the oil, then fill gas the tank and put some Sea Foam in it. I then run the bike (car) at idle to let the treated gas circulate through the fuel system and motor. Then I drain the carbs, remove the spark plugs and shoot a little oil down the cylinders. If it's a bike, I put it up in a higher gear and move the bike forward in gear to move the pistons and circulate the oil. You could probably do this with a starter on a car. Just crank it lightly a few times to get the oil circulated around the rings. Then I pull the battery and move it to a warm location. Do NOT store a battery on bare concrete. It will suck all the energy out of the battery and kill it.

That's about it.. I just reverse the steps in the spring and they always start right up.

Sal

He's saying to keep the tank full, but drain the carbs.

LordRaiden: We're talking about carbureted engines here, not fuel injected.

 

[Pliablemoose]

You need a carb kit...

 

[Eli]

Also, I also recommend at least Stabil ...

I'll have to look into this Sea Foam stuff.

 

[Slacker]

Get a can of BG 44K and add it to a full tank and drive it, I bet it will be fine after you use up that tank of gas.

 

[Ornery]

Is the vacuum advance functioning OK? May be sticking a bit, or the diaphragm leaking.

 

[LordRaiden]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Is the vacuum advance functioning OK? May be sticking a bit, or the diaphragm leaking.

Checked the vacuum system already. Dumb thing works so well I could suck an orange through a garden hose with it!

Got to playing with the carb like some people suggested and found that it's sticking and very slow to react when you hit the accelorator. Gonna pull it and see if I can't clean it up some to make it run better.

 

[Salvador]

I'll have to look into this Sea Foam stuff.

The Sea Foam is so much better than Stabil. I used to use Stabil for years until someone turned me onto Sea Foam. I love the stuff!!

I used to have to rebuild my petcocks on my motorcycles all the time with Stabil because it kept on drying out the seals and gaskets and causing it to leak. Imagine what it's doing to the carb if it's left in there for any length of time. I haven't had that problem since with the Sea Foam.

Sal

 

[Ornery]

"...it's sticking and very slow to react when you hit the accelerator..."

You mean it's hesitating? That would be the accelerator pump plunger seal being worn or dried out. I think you can only get that in a carb rebuild kit. Your car should still have nice pickup after you get past that initial hesitation, though.


"Checked the vacuum system already."

If you put a timing light on it, and suck on the hose leading to the vacuum advance, you should be able to see the timing increase. That's a quick check of the vacuum advance. The diaphragm could be intact, yet not be able to pull the rod if the assembly is stuck. If you rev the engine, you should be able to feel the rod pull inward from under the distributor.

 

[LordRaiden]

Well, after spraying the sh*t out of my carb with cleaner and some WD40 to lube it up, it's running great this morning. Did a test run through the country just a few minutes ago and I think I ripped up a couple hundred cubic feet of roadway with some of my takeoffs. Woohoo!

 

[Quixfire]

Good, now treat your fuel and fill it up before you store it next time like everybody else recommended.

Plus I also like Sea Foam better than Stabil.