Bringing car out of storage

CDsDontBurn

CDsDontBurn

6th Gear Poster
Joined
Sep 24, 2023
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USA
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97 Thunderbird Sport
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My T-Bird has been sitting for like 6yrs and it's been about 4yrs since I last cranked the engine over and let it run to normal operating temperature. In the coming months or so, I will be (finally) moving it into the garage so I can get working on it. The questions I have are:
  • Do I need to worry a about any sort of internal engine rust?
  • Can I run it for a short period of time with the existing fluids (oil, coolant, ATF)
  • What are things I should watch out for not fluid related?
  • What are some checklist type items I should do before even thinking of turning the engine on?
  • What do I need to concern myself in regards to any remaining fuel in the tank (appx 1/4 tank at last startup)?
  • Should I push it into the garage or drive (limp) it into the garage considering the above questions?
    • ATF is currently low, likely dangerously low, should I get some ATF in there before even attempting this as I will be pulling out the AT for rebuild anyway?
The only thing holding me back from getting the T-Bird in the garage is my old dining room table as we got a new set recently and we can't seem to get rid of the old one.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
My T-Bird has been sitting for like 6yrs and it's been about 4yrs since I last cranked the engine over and let it run to normal operating temperature. In the coming months or so, I will be (finally) moving it into the garage so I can get working on it. The questions I have are:
  • Do I need to worry a about any sort of internal engine rust?
  • Can I run it for a short period of time with the existing fluids (oil, coolant, ATF)
  • What are things I should watch out for not fluid related?
  • What are some checklist type items I should do before even thinking of turning the engine on?
  • What do I need to concern myself in regards to any remaining fuel in the tank (appx 1/4 tank at last startup)?
  • Should I push it into the garage or drive (limp) it into the garage considering the above questions?
    • ATF is currently low, likely dangerously low, should I get some ATF in there before even attempting this as I will be pulling out the AT for rebuild anyway?
Click to expand...
If all you're doing is getting it running to drive it in the garage, it'll be fine as is. Only thing I would be concerned with would be the fuel. Wouldn't hurt to put some fresh E0 and a bottle of Iso-HEET in it beforehand.

Beyond that, you probably need to check for rodent infestation and wiring damage from that.

CDsDontBurn said:
The only thing holding me back from getting the T-Bird in the garage is my old dining room table as we got a new set recently and we can't seem to get rid of the old one.
Click to expand...
Set it on the curb and post a "Curb Alert: Free to good home" ad on Craigslist. It'll be gone by sunset.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
My T-Bird has been sitting for like 6yrs and it's been about 4yrs since I last cranked the engine over and let it run to normal operating temperature. In the coming months or so, I will be (finally) moving it into the garage so I can get working on it. The questions I have are:

The only thing holding me back from getting the T-Bird in the garage is my old dining room table as we got a new set recently and we can't seem to get rid of the old one.
Click to expand...
  • Do I need to worry a about any sort of internal engine rust?
I would turn the engine over by hand if you are concerned about rust. If it is badly rusted, you are looking at a full rebuild anyway so you won't really be doing much additional damage. That said, I'd bet it is just fine.
  • Can I run it for a short period of time with the existing fluids (oil, coolant, ATF)
Should be fine to run on the old fluids to move it into the garage.
  • What are things I should watch out for not fluid related?
Locked up brakes are probably the biggest pain. Other than that, if it has been sitting on concrete it is probably fine. Other than that, as Derp mentioned, critters getting into the wiring can be a big hassle. When you first connect a good battery just take minute and listen for any strange noises/smells/smoke.
  • What are some checklist type items I should do before even thinking of turning the engine on?
You could prime the oil system to make sure you have oil all throughout the engine before actually starting it. Honestly, if it were mine I might crank it over with fuel and/or spark disabled to build oil pressure and then let it rip.
  • What do I need to concern myself in regards to any remaining fuel in the tank (appx 1/4 tank at last startup)?
Could have stuck or sticky injectors from the old fuel. Clogged filters and pickup strainers. Rust on the sending unit in the tank. You can try pumping the tank dry using the fuel pump.
  • Should I push it into the garage or drive (limp) it into the garage considering the above questions?
    • ATF is currently low, likely dangerously low, should I get some ATF in there before even attempting this as I will be pulling out the AT for rebuild anyway?
I'd throw some ATF in it and drive it in. You're going to have to start it at some point. The $25 (?) in trans fluid is worth it to me. I hate trying to push cars around.
 
I wanna throw my 2¢ in here cause I recall when I first got my car out of storage it had been sitting outside for about 3-4 years, I checked all the fluids, and I added transmission fluid, I checked for rodents nests and then I added some dewatering fuel additive and then started it up with no issues. I would recommend if possible, popping out one of the spark plugs and bore scoping a cylinder to see if there's anything out of the ordinary. If you can get all the plugs out, then some fogging oil would help prevent a dry startup since all the oil is in the pan and drained down but I never did that and it seemed fine, other than that I think you should be good to start it and drive it into your garage. I would def recommend putting as much new fuel in as possible with a dewatering additive as the old fuel will almost certainly be turpentine by this point.
 
If you didn't add fuel stabilizer when you parked it, I would consider draining the tank as much as you can and refilling it with fresh fuel. Replace the fuel filter, then add fuel system cleaner and prime the ignition several times to flush out the fuel rail before you try starting it and pushing slime through the injectors. What's in there now is very likely highly oxidized and on its way to gel.

You may want to pop the plug on the oil pan briefly to make sure there's no water/condensation pooled at the bottom as well.

If the transmission is horribly low on ATF, it won't engage any gears. It won't hurt anything to run the engine and cycle through the gears to see if it engages; that's a part of the fluid fill procedure, after all. :)
 
I have zero expertise to contribute, but I find this "reawakening" super exciting! Sounds like a great project!

...maybe one thing, although this may go without saying:

The aforementioned rodents love to build homes in the air filter box. I'd check that before starting the engine.
 
Mine has been sitting 15 years. I'm pumping out the tank, green/yl wire at inertia sw to +12, replacing the oil, topping up the trans to full cold, rotating it over by hand, feeling for problems,add 3 gallons fresh premium e0 gas,reconnect fuel rail,circulate fresh gas thru fuel rail, then pull fuse 15, and turn it over. I will load my new tune,and start it.
I'm changing the oil due to possible water in the oil from 15 years of condensation in my damp climate, yours is probably fine, in ca. If my trans has issues,I have a better one in the garage. My cooling system is dry, you might want to drain and fill,but I'd wait till it runs.
 
Jae 'Bird said:
I would recommend if possible, popping out one of the spark plugs and bore scoping a cylinder to see if there's anything out of the ordinary. If you can get all the plugs out...
Click to expand...
I would not do this on a 1997 4.6 for obvious reasons.
 
IIRC, the 96-up heads only have three threads in them for spark plugs. If they aren't installed with anti-seize, they'll strip.
 
Derphound01 said:
IIRC, the 96-up heads only have three threads in them for spark plugs. If they aren't installed with anti-seize, they'll strip.
Click to expand...
Ah, yeah I did not know that, don't take my advice for that, I had no idea there was a risk of that. the more you know1736810770831.png
 
CDsDontBurn said:
My T-Bird has been sitting for like 6yrs and it's been about 4yrs since I last cranked the engine over and let it run to normal operating temperature. In the coming months or so, I will be (finally) moving it into the garage so I can get working on it.
Click to expand...
Watch Vice Grib Garage and SimonFordMan on YouTube on how they get a car running after sitting for 15 year under years of eastern climits.

It's a basic recipe:
1. Pull the plugs, spray some lubricant down the hole.
2. See if you can get the crank case to turn by hand or wrench.
If it turns,
Put the plugs back in and see if it will start. Go from there on replacing stuff if it rotted or broke over time.

Good luck!
 
White Lincoln said:
Watch Vice Grib Garage and SimonFordMan on YouTube on how they get a car running after sitting for 15 year under years of eastern climits.

It's a basic recipe:
1. Pull the plugs, spray some lubricant down the hole.
2. See if you can get the crank case to turn by hand or wrench.
If it turns,
Put the plugs back in and see if it will start. Go from there on replacing stuff if it rotted or broke over time.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
3. Pretend you didn’t see this or that!
 
It'll start just fine with a good battery and some gas added to the tank. The trans leaking might make a mess if it even has enough fluid to move .. no need to do all this other shit just to move it 5 feet and you end up having to push it anyways. 🤣
 
Put a baby diaper under the trans where it leaks and then fill it up. That will catch most of what it leaks on the way to the garage. Use tape, rope, etc to hold it up since you're not going far enough to get it on fire.
 
Zep5.0 said:
Put a baby diaper under the trans where it leaks and then fill it up. That will catch most of what it leaks on the way to the garage. Use tape, rope, etc to hold it up since you're not going far enough to get it on fire.
Click to expand...
A diaper... yeah, that will collect a lot before leaking itself. I bet the bolts are lose on the pan and the seal is leaking.
 
I'm with Brandon on the fuel. You can unplug the ignition coils and turn the motor over to get oil into everything.
 
Derphound01 said:
Beyond that, you probably need to check for rodent infestation and wiring damage from that.
Click to expand...

I know I've had a couple of wasp nests in my T-Bird. The first one was inside the honeycomb of the grille. The second is somewhere behind the passenger tail lamp. Of course, there's the plethora of black widow spiders as well.

Once it's rolled into the garage, the VERY first thing that will happen will be a Raid bug fogger to kill all those multi-legged critters. Fuck them shits.

KevinVarnes said:
Locked up brakes are probably the biggest pain. Other than that, if it has been sitting on concrete it is probably fine
Click to expand...

Yeah, she will be needing new pads and rotors. The current rotors have loads (relative to CA) rust on them. They haven't moved in forever.

KevinVarnes said:
You could prime the oil system to make sure you have oil all throughout the engine before actually starting it. Honestly, if it were mine I might crank it over with fuel and/or spark disabled to build oil pressure and then let it rip.
Click to expand...

This is a great idea!

KevinVarnes said:
I'd throw some ATF in it and drive it in. You're going to have to start it at some point. The $25 (?) in trans fluid is worth it to me. I hate trying to push cars around.
Click to expand...

If it was leaking from the front pump seal while sitting until it leaked no more, how much ATF would I need to put in? Would 4 quarts do it? Or less?

theterminator93 said:
If you didn't add fuel stabilizer when you parked it, I would consider draining the tank as much as you can and refilling it with fresh fuel. Replace the fuel filter, then add fuel system cleaner and prime the ignition several times to flush out the fuel rail before you try starting it and pushing slime through the injectors. What's in there now is very likely highly oxidized and on its way to gel.

You may want to pop the plug on the oil pan briefly to make sure there's no water/condensation pooled at the bottom as well.

If the transmission is horribly low on ATF, it won't engage any gears. It won't hurt anything to run the engine and cycle through the gears to see if it engages; that's a part of the fluid fill procedure, after all. :)
Click to expand...

No, no fuel stabilizer. It wasn't something I was thinking of. I do know that the fuel evaporates. So it might not be a gel, but whatever residue fuel leaves behind after it's dried out.

The oil pan, I guess I don't need to drain the oil, just watch it dribble out any water from the pan, right?

White Lincoln said:
A diaper... yeah, that will collect a lot before leaking itself. I bet the bolts are lose on the pan and the seal is leaking.
Click to expand...

The day I parked it, it was leaking like a sieve. I'd say I lost about a quart of ATF in the 20min it sat at the BigBoy Burgers while waiting for my ride after I shut it down. It was smoking like a chimney too! I thought she was going to catch in fire that day. Man, I'll never forget that day.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
The only thing holding me back from getting the T-Bird in the garage is my old dining room table as we got a new set recently and we can't seem to get rid of the old one.
Click to expand...

Finally convinced my wife to get rid of the table! She listed it up on Marketplace and she agreed that if it's not gone in 2 weeks, it goes to the curb with a big ol' "FREE / GRATIS" sign on it. As soon as it's out of the garage, the T-Bird will go into the garage! 😁

PXL_20250202_021439028.PORTRAIT.jpg

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PXL_20250202_021610571.jpg
 
Most of you who've posted here already know that I spent part of last weekend washing and cleaning my T-Bird to prep it for moving.

This weekend, she'll be getting moved into the garage. I'll be buying a couple gallons worth of fuel to cycle out old fuel and gunk out of the system and then fresh fuel to make it clean. I'll be adding - I'm thinking - at least 4qts of ATF to the transmission to give it enough to move under its own power.

Besides two wasps nests and a plethora of spider webs, I didn't find any obvious signs of other critters around anywhere. I took a peek at the intake box to see if anything ate through the air filter and that was a negative. All the dust, spider webs, and everything stopped at the filter. So everything is all good to go there.

The engine oil is my last concern here before I fire it up, because fuck pushing a 3,700lbs car, lol. Some of you guys are saying "YOLO" some of you guys are saying to change the oil. If I could help it, I'd rather not change the oil as I don't want to spend the money on 6qts of oil to move the car 10ft and park it again for a few more weeks. I think I'll just take a look at the dipstick and maybe drain a little bit of oil to see the condition of the oil at that point and make a decision at that time.

That said, if oil is determined to be good enough to move the car 10ft, then I'm going to crank the engine, what's the best way to get oil flowing through the block again without actually starting the car? Do I really need to go through the hassle of unplugging all 8 wires from their respective spark plugs and crank the engine for a few seconds? Or can I just get away with unplugging the coil packs' respective control & power wires (circled red) and then crank the engine for a few seconds?

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And here, because I can and want to, I'm dumping a bunch of other pics I took on Monday, some of which I already posted elsewhere on the forum :).



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As long as there's oil in it it's fine. You don't need to pull plugs or coil packs or injectors or anything, hold the accelerator pedal down all the way when you turn the key, this puts the PCM into clear flood mode and the injectors won't inject fuel, but you can spin it enough to build oil pressure after about 5-10 seconds.
 
I was wondering if there was a fuse to shut down the fuel pump. Sounds like Matt's answer fixes that.

And as long as there is oil in there, it'll be fine for a short drive into the garage. Only exception to that is if there was a coolant leak, or the oil looks like sludge.
 
Zep5.0 said:
I was wondering if there was a fuse to shut down the fuel pump. Sounds like Matt's answer fixes that.
Click to expand...

If you wanted to turn off the fuel pump, you could simply pop the inertia switch in the trunk. All you need is a paper clip. Fold out one straight piece, and fold the end (approx. a quarter inch) at a 90° angle. Insert that end into the slot in the inertia switch and turn. Voilà.
 
White Lincoln said:
Watch Vice Grib Garage and SimonFordMan on YouTube on how they get a car running after sitting for 15 year under years of eastern climits.

It's a basic recipe:
1. Pull the plugs, spray some lubricant down the hole.
2. See if you can get the crank case to turn by hand or wrench.
If it turns,
Put the plugs back in and see if it will start. Go from there on replacing stuff if it rotted or broke over time.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Wasp and Hornet delete.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
If you wanted to turn off the fuel pump, you could simply pop the inertia switch in the trunk. All you need is a paper clip. Fold out one straight piece, and fold the end (approx. a quarter inch) at a 90° angle. Insert that end into the slot in the inertia switch and turn. Voilà.
Click to expand...

Or smack it with a hammer. 😉
 
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