VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans Starting a 216 After Sitting For Many Years

We want try starting the engine in the first series '46 pickup truck we are working on. The truck has not run in many, many years. So does anybody have any ideas on how we should do this?

Drain the oil, coolant.
Refill with new oil and coolant
Pull the spark plugs, squirt a couple of tablespoons of Marvel Mystry oil ATF or motor oil into each cylinder via the sparkplug holes, let sit overnight, while letting engine sit overnight , pull the distributor cap and wash distributor and distributor cap with WD-40 replace the breaker points OR check the old points and file and gap them and replace the condensor. remove the valve cover and check for stuck valves. I remove the rocker arms and shafts as a unit and after checking the pushrods and unsticking any stuck valves oil all the valve stems with a squirt can and re install the rockers and shaft. I do this and leave the valve adjusting nuts untouched for now. Squirt motor oil all over the rocker shafts.
install a new fully charged six volt battery, check the battery cables. Pull the carb and clean it and replace the gaskets, and needle and seat. I use a 3 gallon tank off of a outboard motor for fuel ( you probably need to clean the gas tank , and lines and rebuild the fuel pump) but maybe not, if you get clean gas to the fuel pump, if you get old stinking gas to run thru the lines, drain the tank and put in 3 or four gallons of gas with a half a can of Seafoam. now before you replace the spark plugs turn the engine over for 10 or 15 seconds to blow the liquide out of the cylinders. also watch the valves go up and down. gap and install new sparkplugs or clean and gap the old ones. Connect the fuel line or the boat tank. I prime the carb with a glug og gas from a soda bottle, and check the choke is open. Close the choke crank the engine with ignition and if you are lucky after a few seconds the engine will start running.

I would drop the oil pan and clean out the sludge that is sure to be there and also after putting oil in the cylinders turn the engine over by hand to lubricate the cylinder walls and check for any strange noises in addition to Mr Macks fine suggestions.

If we drop the pan, do we need to fill the troughs with oil before we try starting the engine? I know you need to do this with Hudson "slpashers".

You can remove the distributor and operate the oil pump with an improvised shaft turned by an electric drill. If you look at the end of the distributor it has an end that fits into the oil pump and drives it.By turning the pump for a few minutes it will pump oil into the troughs.Be careful to pay attention to reinstalling the distributor the same way it was removed . I did this with my 32 engine and I believe the 31 would be the same. If not I'm sure someone will step up and correct me.

No correction needed. That is what I do. Prime everything by pumping oil with drill, check the gauge to be sure you actually generate some pressure.

Thanks guys your help as been great!