Starting an ex that's been sitting

[4X4Bauer]

I plan on buying another explorer soon. One that I'm looking at has been sitting for two years, but was started last winter successfully. It was a southern car before those two years if that matters. I was just wondering, what should I do? Drain the gas tank, change oil, etc..? I just want to start it. It has a blown tranny so I don't plan on driving it. I know the battery is dead, so I'll hange that but should I be worried about bad oil/gas?

 

[Joe in NY]

change the oil at the least.

For my dads 64 Thunderbird that hadn't been run in 15 years we did the following:

changed the oil and filter
removed all spark plugs
sprayed each cylinder with either lubricating oil or penetrating oil
cranked the engine with no spark plugs until it built oil pressure
filled the bowls of the carb with 2 stroke gas and dumped some 2 stroke down each side of the intake manifold (2 stroke gas is very good for valve steam seals, guides, valve seats, and piston rings for an old engine and any engine that has been sitting)

doing that the engine fired right up and ran like a dream. Kept getting smoother and smoother too. Now mind you, the engine had also been rebuilt a few years before it was parked back in 1990. But it runs great just like it was freshly rebuilt.

 

[rwt101]

At least change the oil and filter and like Joe said spin the engine to get the oil pressure up to get everything lubed.
Bob T


I would also check the air filter and the intake to make sure no critters got in there and built a nest. You wouldn't want to suck anything into the motor.