Truck has been sitting for 15 years

[cougswan]

Hello All,

I was given my Great-Grandfather's 1972 F250 390 after he passed away earlier this year. The tags expired in 1997 so I know that it hasn't been driven for at least 15 years possibly more.

Do you guys have any suggestions on what I should do (replace fluids etc.) before I even try to turn the key over?

Thanks! I'll be sure to post some pictures after I pick it up on Monday.

[Mancar1]

Change oil, fresh gas, new battery. If me I would change all other fluids also. Once you get er running I would replace those tires, the ones on there r getting to rotten 4 me. Good luck...someone else will chime in with some more ideas.

[averagef250]

Bought a '72 that had sat for 15+ after a tree fell on the cab in the driveway. Changed the oil, put a used starter in it, used battery, poured gas in the tank and it fired right up and ran very good.

[mrollings53]

Definitely replace the tires. Don't haul any loads or do any heavy towing until you do. It's just plain not safe. I made the mistake of trying to tow my car cross country on twenty year old tires. Didn't make it 300 miles before the tread started to separate.

After you change the fluids and verify that it runs, I would give it a tune up. Fresh filter (air and fuel), plugs, points, wires. While the plugs are out I would do a compression test too. Flush the coolant. Verify that the wiring is sound, check the lights, radio, cigar lighter, heater blower, etc.

After all that, give it a bath and enjoy it. Take care of it, and it should last you another 40 years.

[cougswan]

should I try to clean out the gas tank or just drain the old gas out?

[ultraranger]

It seems after these old trucks sit up for a while and then start getting use again, the brakes have problems or go completely out, shortly there after.

[bluef250]

You may want to put some oil in each cylinder to pre-lube the rings. After draining old gasoline, carefully remove the sending unit and check the tank bottom. Remove any debris as needed and put gas in tank. you may have to remove the tank to get out debris, rust (if any). Prime the fuel pump. Connect good battery, use some starter fluid, and start the engine.

[Bill Ramsey]

i strongly suggest pulling the valve covers and use a prybar and make sure the intake valves are not stuck!
my truck sat for 10 yrs. previous owner tried to get it running and it bent the pushrods all up. plus the little clip came off one of the lifters and popped apart and the lifter came out of the bore. i got all the parts out, put it back together with new pushrods, after freeing the valves with marvel oil. got it running but cyinder was still dead, did a big burnout in the driveway and cylinder came back to life, now runs great.

[Kurt Combs]

I'd drain the tank and add fresh gasoline, change the oil and filter then crank it over with the coil wire pulled to get some oil up in the engine where it hasn't been in a long time. Check all rubber hoses for hardening and cracks. Look around under the hood for obvious problems (spiders in the distributor?) and then crank'er up. Expect some smoke at first and rough running and then most likely it will settle down and run as good as when it was parked. After you get it running I would start looking for leaks.

[Subzero]

It seems after these old trucks sit up for a while and then start getting use again, the brakes have problems or go completely out, shortly there after.

My truck has/had lots of brake related issues and I'm still battling them now after 4 months. My truck didn't sit for 15 years but it was not run regularly at all by the looks of things. Axle seal is leaking on mine too. It starts quicker than new cars and runs excellent- brakes though have been troublesome. Ultraranger helped me with my master cylinder replacement awhile back. Be careful and check them good.

[cougswan]

Thanks for all of the great responses!

[68_250]

I parked my '68 F250 in 2005. It spent the last 8 years sitting in my Grandmothers back yard baking in the central Ca. valley heat. I started driving it again a few days ago. Fired right up with new battery and new gas.
I have had a few issues with this week. Check all your hoses and lines. Came out of work yesterday to find a large puddle of gas under the fuel tank. The original fuel lines fron the two tanks started leaking from the ends. I had to cut the FoMoCO hose clamps off and replace them yesterday.
Check for blackwiddows. Lots of them under mine. Use an air compresser to blow loose dust and debris off of the engine. Re pack you bearings. The grease may have hardened.

[motzingg]

My truck was in about the same condition when i got her, previous owner said 'she's gonna need a lot of work' and i had it running 3 hours later.

you can check my project thread 'buck the truck' in the project updates, but the quick version is

change oil and filter
replace spark plugs and pour marvel oil down into the cylinders, at this point you can probably give her a crank and let the MM get distributed
change coolant (i used water to start with because i figured i'd probably have leaks and wanted to replace hoses anyway)
remove tank, thoroughly drain and rinse
replace fuel filter
clean carb
blow out fuel lines if possible
check points, timing
new battery (duh)

thats about the bare minimum of stuff to do before trying to start 'er up. i'd also recommend cranking it a bit with the coil wire unhooked to the distributor to get the oil run through the engine before firing it.

If you have auto trans i'd probably say pull the pan and clean the screen and put in new ATF.

in the next couple weeks you'll probably find plenty of stuff that needs fixed like brakes, etc, but to just hear the engine run without wrecking anything you can run through the list above

most of this stuff has a lot to do with how the truck was stored and if the previous owner was up to date on it when parked, or if he ran it into the ground then ditched it in the back 40.



welcome to the wonderful world of 'bumps'... you're a lucky duck to get one with family provenance and for free no less!

[hedz]

that sounds like a wonderful gift!

my truck has a very similiar history. Unfortunately when these trucks sit up many things on them like to go bad. such as the outermost gaskets on the engine. The hoses. transmission yolk and rear diff yolk seals. brake lines start rusting. wheel cylinders leak. carburetors turn to junk. i would change the oil and make sure there is a zddp additive in there. i use mobil delvac 15w40 high mileage for diesel engines. it has great sulfer and zinc content. You would be fine using stps zddp additive with your oil of choice which is what i use. it's zinc content for the price can't be beat. add it to your new fuel filter( i use wix for the sake of being cheap and reliable) and fill it to the top before screwing it on. by doing this you will ensure once the engine is started that the first thing to hit those dry bearings that have been sitting up so long will be the protective zddp bonding agent which has likely decayed and nonexistant at this point in the engines life. Then with the new filter filled with your additive and oil added to your engine crank her up. Make sure you put a tiny bit of some high octane gas in there. Don't add a full tank or even half a tank. Just in case something goes wrong you didn't waste money on unneeded gas when further repairs are called for.

you will probably need a carter fuel pump before long, valve cover gaskets, wheel cylinders, engine rubber hoses, fuel filters, things of this nature. Take the highest precaution when first starting your trucks engine. If you can ensure your shortblock and heads stay in great condition without the need for repairs it will save you a huge headache. this means giving it loving oil and metal to metal surface protection with additives that are no longer in todays average oil. good luck!!!