Springtime Maintenance: Rolling that Hotrod Out of Storage

For quite some time now, your hotrod has been sitting quietly under that dusty old car cover, tucked away in the deepest corner of the shop. For whatever reason, you just haven’t been able to pull it out and give it the attention it needs. But 2020 is the year…

Sometimes, a car can sit for several years and then, you can just charge the battery, throw some fresh gas in the system, and you’re good to go—cars are tough like that. But there can be something fun in playing it safe, too. So today we’re offering a rundown of several things to check before cranking that iron back to life… even if you can just gas it up and go.

Go Deeper with the Visual Inspection

Best-case scenario, you pull the car cover up and there are no sign of life. Worst-case scenario, you open the door and find some mice droppings all over the place.

Maybe they just ate some seat—annoying, but not the end of the world. OR maybe they found their way into your vents and wiring. Even in the case that there aren’t any signs of pests dwelling in the car, it’s always a smart idea to give the wiring a once-over.

Nobody wants to invest money in replacing a wiring harness as soon as they try to get their car out for the season. But if the existing harness is absolutely mangled, spending the money to replace it beats potentially spending tireless hours repairing the system.

Painless Performance wiring harnesses are an obvious choice unless you’re looking to keep the vehicle as close to original as possible; most of their offerings are actually a system update that does away with all the old-school wiring. You’ll spend roughly $600-$1000 depending on your selection and application, but the investment can be well worth it, as electrical headaches can be a total nightmare.

Make Sure that Engine is Good

As you get some tools together for the fluid change, you will avoid making eye contact with that breaker bar in fear that just acknowledging it will somehow seize the engine. Well it won’t, but the reason to check that the engine turns freely is the same reason you check the fluids.

Over time, moisture in the air will have an impact on the internals. Water in the air can put a layer of rust on the cylinder walls and in the worst-case scenario you’ll find that the rings have locked to the cylinder wall. This is likely the case if that engine ran perfectly fine before it sat and now suddenly locks up. With PB Blaster in the plug holes, patience, and some luck, you’ll be able to work those pistons free.

“If you have an engine that seized from sitting for a long time, pull the spark plugs out of all the cylinders. Fill the cylinders with engine oil and let it sit for a few days. Then, try turning the engine over with a breaker bar. If it moves, you may be able to salvage the engine. If not, you’ll have to pull it apart and rebuild it,” explains car buying company, Car Brain.

Even if the engine does turn freely with a bit of elbow grease, it’s always a good idea to check the cylinder walls and look for any signs of pitting or serious damage. However, even if things look good, you still may want to hold off on running the thing. This is because if the rings can stick to the cylinder wall, they can stick to the piston. Tearing down to replace the rings and hone the block is something to seriously consider.

Plugs, Wires, Fluids

Do you need plugs, wires, and fluids? Chances are, you can make the thing work with what’s in it. But for good measure, why not replace them all? As I mentioned earlier, the battle is against moisture. Even in a climate-controlled garage there’s still potential for water to mix into the oil. This is because oil is hygroscopic, meaning it will absorb water that is present in the air.

While it may be minimal, the longer it sits, the longer it can pull in water. So, for the sake of the engine, transmission, and differential, you should always replace the oils in the car after it’s sat for several years. While you replace the engine oil, be sure to throw some Lucas Break-In Oil into the mix. Today’s oil is low on zinc and phosphorous, which those old cams and lifters are depending on for protection. This additive gives those parts the protection they need, not just for the break-in cycle but to prevent premature wear as well.

 

Keep in mind, you need to prime the engine of any classic vehicle that’s been sitting.

More importantly, you need to do so with the proper procedure. If this requires you to pull the distributor and drive gear to properly prime the pump, then so be it. Running the engine to build pressure or cranking it is a great way to damage engine components, as during this operation many moving parts will not be adequately lubricated.

With that said, replacing the plug wires depends on their condition. If it’s been the better part of a decade, and there’s signs of cracking or rotting, it’s time for replacement. Similarly, if you pull the plugs and they’re corroded or dirty, you may as well replace them.

Coolant should also be drained and replaced. As the engine sits, rust from the block can build up in the coolant. Circulating that through the engine will only make cooling more difficult. It can also cause heartache for the water pump and other parts of the system.

Royal Purple is ideal for classic cars, as it’s rich in all the vitamins and minerals that they need. At about $10 a quart for engine oil it’s really not that much more expensive than your typical brands.

Clean that Carb

Speaking of fluids, dealing with old gas needs to be on your checklist as well. While gasoline may be hydrophobic, ethanol is hygroscopic—pretty much like everything else in that car. “Like a wine without a cork, gas can go bad when it sits around mingling with air. Fuel actually starts to turn nasty after 30 days,” says Road and Track.

This means, you will need to drain the tank and get some fresh gas in there. Though, if you’ve run modern fuel through the system and it’s been sitting inside the tank, lines, and carb all this time—you likely have some serious gunk to clean up.

This is because as the gas evaporates, it leaves behind additives which can cause clogging and poor vehicle performance (despite being designed to help the system). You’ll definitely want to clean the carb but keep in mind: running fuel through a dirty filter and lines to a perfectly clean carb won’t do you any favors. Clean or replace them as well.

For $30 you really can’t beat what Gunk’s Carburetor Parts Cleaner. Disassembly the carb, let the parts sit in the formula overnight, give them a little bit of elbow grease the next day, and you’re ready to put it back together.

Give the Rubber a Once-Over

Another reason to ditch the old fuel lines is because rubber dry-rots. It might look okay but a belt shredding and flying off, a vacuum line falling apart, or a coolant hose busting are all good ways to give yourself a headache. Finding lines or hoses that are dry, cracked, or rock hard means it’s time for replacement.

“Rubber” doesn’t just pertain to what’s under the hood, either. Seeing as the tires have been sitting on the car all that time, they likely have issues of their own. It may go further than what you can immediately see, too. It’s a good idea to roll those tires around and check for any flat spots as you check for signs of rot.

This will also help you understand the condition of what’s in store when it comes time to check the brake system. Locked-up wheels will most likely be on account of rotted and crusty brake parts.

Brake lines and brake parts

Brake fluid also draws in moisture which will run through the brake lines, eventually causing corrosion and a build-up of sludge in the system.

“Even if brake fluid is kept safely contained in a bottle or in the brake system, it can still do serious damage,” says MOTOR Magazine. “This damage is usually caused by neglect, rather than direct contact with the outside world. Polyglycol fluids (like conventional brake fluid) are hygroscopic, which means they readily absorb water vapor from the air (or your skin). On average, water accumulates in the brake fluid of a brake system at a rate of 1% per year.

That doesn’t seem like much, but think about it. A vehicle with 10-year-old brake fluid now has brake fluid that contains about 10% water. This gradual transformation may go unnoticed.”

With that in mind, if your car has been sitting and you’re not sure of the condition of the fluid or how long it’s been in there, it’s a good idea to just replace the fluid. Replacing the lines and brake components may be necessary too, if a bunch of sludge is found in the system or if they appear to be heavily corroded.

While I can’t twist your arm, replacing brake lines with anything other than preformed lines can be a total hassle. But if your system is completely shot and you’re left working from front to back, you may want to consider running NiCopp lines. Not just because it’s easier to form, but because it takes way more to corrode the Nickel-Copper blend, as it is extremely tough against corrosion. Compared to other options, it’s rather expensive at about $60 for 25 feet of ¼ inch line but the long life is worth it.

You’re not out of the Woods Yet

You know running through the vehicle and freshening things up is a great way to instill pride in yourself. It serves as a great reminder of what makes you love these cars so much. Sure, it’s hard work but it’s rewarding work. Even when it’s done, you’ll still probably have a few hiccups and binds to sort out, but you’re on your way to living it up once again in your favorite ride.