Hi im new to the forum!
Me and a friend of mine are taking on a project. A nieghboe of ours has a pinto aside his garage. It has been sitting there for as long as i can rember. We plan on asking him about fixing it up/ restoring it. If he askes us if we would buy it what $$$ shoudl we say. Also im 14 and this is my first car project!! How should we start on getting the engine running?
thanks!!
See if he'll let you have it if you mow his grass until your 16. I'd also recommend getting your parents (dad) involved.
my dad doesn't have much intrest in cars. ALso i have taken 1 cource of H.S. mechanics. I am not going to drive till im 16, correct. How to get it running?
hmmm, where to start. ??? start by checking the battery. what condition was the car in when it was parked? was it running, giving it's owner problems, or does it have an engine at all? I'd also drain the gas tank, replace the fuel filters ( I recomend putting one between the gas tank and hard fuel line) and change the oil. give it a little squirt of carburetor cleaner down the airhorn, and click the start switch. I do not recomend using starting fluid, (ether) I've heard of it doing damage beyond repair. there might be a few more problems down the road, but most are easy to figgure out.
krazi
All good points, krazi,
but if a car has been sitting for a very long time, the very first thing that I would STRONGLY SUGGEST doing (before spending any time or money on the project) would be removing all the spark plugs, putting it in NEUTRAL (if a stick shift car) and then checking to see if the engine can be turned over by hand, using a wrench on the the crankshaft nut.
If it CAN'T, you might be best advised to look for a different 1st project as the engine most likely is rust seized from the piston rings to block.
If you don't remove the spark plugs, it will be harder in any case, but if there is water in on top of a piston that is coming up on compression, it might not want to turn over, leading you to believe that it is seized when it isn't.
(The water on piston problem is less serious, most likely a head gasket, and actually not bad for a 1st project.)
Having to do a major engine teardown/rebuild on a car that wasn't even running in the first place can be a very frustrating experience for anyone, especially someone with little or no prior experience.
There are literally HUNDREDS of things you NEED to look at with a car like that. If you don't have someone with experience to help you, you might want to wait on this type of project.
If you post where you are, there might be someone from this site near you to help.
Bill
All the above plus you will want to squirt some oil or some penetrating lubricant in each cylinder and let it soak.Last weekend i got the new wagon fired up for the first time in 7 years.I was pretty confindent that it was a runner when i got it.I also changed the hoses,belts radiator,oils and fluids,thermostat,plugs wires,plugs,Pulled out the gas tank cleaned it inside and out.replaced all the rubber fuel lines.Any filter i could find.
Mine fired up after a couple of trys and purred like a kitten.There was only one problem i missed the rubber fuel lines under the fuel pump.Has soon as it fired up i checked under the car and saw fuel dripping out.Shut it down toot sweet hate like hell to get a fire on the new wagon.
This is the 3rd car in the last year and a half that i have resurrected from the grave.So far this method has work great for me.
If you are indeed 14 you need some help with this one. :accident:
Talk to your shop teacher maybe you can bring it to school for a shop project.
Consider yourself lucky to be able to take auto shop at your tender age.When i was in school you had to be in 10th grade.I'm not sure they even offer it anymore in public schools in California.