Patrick;
If the engine has not been run for 27 years, I assure you that the oil pan
has at least 1/2 inch of grit and mud accumulated on the bottom. If you
crank the engine, you will begin to circulate all that through the oil
system. I urge you to drop the pan and clean it out before you even try to
start the engine. Failing to do that will no doubt quickly lead to bearing
and hydraulic lifter failure as the grit does it's thing.
You mention putting penetrating oil in the cylinders - this can do no harm,
but do not try to crank the engine with any fluid in the cylinders unless
you leave the spark plugs out. Hydrostatic force can do major damage to the
engine and surroundings if you crank it with fluid in the cylinders.
Dick Benjamin (an old geezer with some experience starting long neglected
engines)
----- Original Message -----
From: <PNKMoore@xxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 8:01 AM
Subject: Re: IML: Welcome Patrick Moore, '58 hrdtp
> Hugh:
>
> Thank you so much for your note and kind welcome into the Club.
>
> My valve covers say "Imperial," so I have another reason to be psyched
about
> this car today!. Thanks for that tip in identifying the 392 hemi. I
mentioned
> that the car arrived on Monday, and the last two mornings before work I've
> stood outside it a few minutes and just looked at it, walking around, to
muse
> about what has to happen next, etc. It's been very enjoyable. I'm in it
for
> under $1000 at this point, and for all of the fun I've had it's been
entirely
> worth it.
>
> You talked about leather seats and/or vinyl in identifying the model.
From
> my reading, I see where only the Crowns came with leather as a seating
option.
> Mine is not a Crown, which I knew, though I was surprised to see that the
> "Imperial" on the dashboard was capped with a little gold crown even
though the
> exterial trim was not. My car has vinyl seats which are filthy, but the
back
> seat is otherwise pristine and the front has bad wear only on the driver's
side.
> I may be able to save most of the upholstry as a result. The rest of the
> interior is in ghastly condition, right down to needing new floor pans all
> around. (I pressed on the accelerator and it dropped into the floor!) The
dash
> items, nonetheless, look intact and functional. My worst interior
trouble, I can
> see, will be the doors. One of the pot-metal door handles is broken, and
only
> the driver's door is opening at this point. I haven't figured out how to
> operate the locks yet.
>
> I still don't know how to tell if it's a Southampton or a base model,
> particularly if you could get a Southampton with only front air. It has
every other
> option except, sadly, no Auto Pilot. I would have enjoyed having that and
may
> retro that in at some point in the future.
>
> My first order of business is this Friday (I have Good Friday off), when
I'll
> have the time to wash the 1/4 inch of grime off the body and pressure wash
> the motor and trunk. Several generations of squirrels resided on the
intake
> manifold and in the trunk. From what I can see, however they did very
little
> damage to the engine. There was obviously a pecan tree nearby,
because the
> engine and trunk compartment are full of pecans. Then I'll pull the
plugs,
> pour some Marvel Mystery fluid into each chamber and shake the block and
let is
> sit a day or so. I'll also pull the valve covers and check for rust and
lube
> up the rockers, etc., as well. I don't know how much MMF to pour into the
> chambers and I don't know if I'm supposed to try to suck it out before
attempting
> a start, etc. I'll wing it unless you have any knowledge that you'd care
to
> share about that.
>
> Oil: After searching awhile I found the dipstick and it came out with
> clean-looking oil. Of course, I'm wondering if that means that the water
is on the
> bottom of the pan, and 27 idle years has allowed the goo that may have
been
> suspended in the oil to settle and leave the dipstick looking like the oil
was
> changed last week. Regardless, I'll drain the crankcase and see what I
find.
>
> Water: The radiator is dry and looks like it may have been replaced
because
> is looks new. I'll pull it and see what's at the bottom of the tank
before I
> fill it.
>
> Gas tank: I'm ignoring that issue for the moment. I'll probably have to
pull
> it, of course, but I sure don't want to. I hate fooling with gas tanks,
fuel
> lines, and the like.
>
> Key: The key is at large, so I'll have to bypass the ingnition for the
time
> being, but after taking care of the stuff I've described above, I'm going
to
> try and introduce a little fuel into the carb to see if I can get the hemi
to
> fire. I'm hoping, at only 45,780 original miles, that I've got a strong
motor.
> Wish me luck!
>
> Thanks again Hugh. I'll keep you posted of my progress.
>
> Patrick Moore
> '58 4-door Hardtop.
> Southeast Louisiana
>
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