What to check after 1 year sitting idle.

[Spool]

Hey guys.
73 C20 here.

I've been away for a year, in which my truck has sat idle.
Had I known I'd be away that long, I would have at least put a fuel stabilizer in the tank and covered the truck-
Yet, I didn't expect COVID and here I am.

I'll be heading out in the yard this afternoon to check oil, fluids, battery and such.

Was curious if anyone had any advice in this situation?

[Mike81K10]

The ethanal fuel at the pumps today will rust out the fuel systems in the 73-87 c/k10s. I learned the hard way. Then the brake system may have to get water bled out of it.

[Spool]

Thanks, Mike.
I really hope I didn't rust anything out.

So far, I cleaned all the cobwebs off and poked around a bit while cleaning.

-Coolant seems to very low and I'm certain I don't have any leaks. Must be settled through-out the engine. So, I'll double-check its levels once I get her running for a minute or two.

-Oil is low too. But I'm not sure if the oil is sitting in the pan and I'll get a better reading once I get the engine on for a minute or two. I'll double-check this also once I get it running.

-Transmission fluid seems fine.

-Poured an ounce of Lucus Fuel Stabilizer into the tank. (Which I wish I had done last year, but doesn't hurt now.)

-Battery reads 11.6, and the starter clicks rapidly when I try to start the truck. So, I have the batt on a charger at the moment.

-Carb is bone dry, and dirty. Rather than me knocking any dirt into the barrels when cleaning, I'm gonna see if I can get it running first.

-A friend suggested taking a small cap of gasoline, (half a tablespoon) and pour a bit into each barrel to try and get her to fire. Good idea?

Thanks for any tips, guys.

[JohnnyPopper]

the vent in the front of the carb (3/8 tube) is where you can put a few ounces of petrol. Let's the carb do it's job without flooding.

Like to see what happens, did that to a '80 C10 I bought in 2018. She started right up...

[Spool]

Hey, thanks Johnny.

I found this video just now as an example of what you were describing.
He uses about a cup worth of gasoline at the 4:45 mark in this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwycnG8sn6g and she fires up right away like you said.

Do you think this video is a good example to follow?

[JohnnyPopper]

Yes, that's perfect. If you have a Qjet, the vent/tube will be in the middle, just forward of the choke plate.

[Spool]

Thanks, Johnny.

My carb was different than the video, and I didn't want to hassle with the 3/8th fuel line into the carb.
I gave a quick shot of carb cleaner into each barrel and just a touch of fuel into each one as well, and it fired right up.

Let it run for about a minute, checked the oil, and added a quart.
Repeated this, and added a 2nd quart- so, now the oil is full again.

Battery is fully charged now as well.

I then ran the truck up to 205F to see if my coolant levels would fill the core after the thermostat opened.
Temp jumped to 210F after I turned the engine off. So, I'll let her cool down and add coolant in a bit.

That should be everything to get her going.

Now, on to the next problem.
Last year, before I left, I had trouble with my first gear engaging on a cold start.
I'd have to drive the truck for 15 minutes before it was normal again.
No tach on the truck, but it felt like I had to get her to 3000rpm just to move.
I started a thread for that one here:
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=37969.msg317323#msg317323

Seems like you already commented there!

[JohnnyPopper]

Sound like you need to service the transmission. Filter and oil. Keep these babies clean and they run and run...

[Spool]

Yup.
I know a shop around the corner that does good work. Just called now.
I'm gonna spin it around the block to see how it feels after a years time, but safe to say it needs the service anyways.

Johnny, any idea how much a service like that costs? Under a $1,000?

[bigben5054]

Transmission fluid and filter?  I would say yes, well under $1000.  Maybe $200-ish?

[Spool]

Thanks BigBen.

You're right - that's about what he charged for the transmission service.

[78 Chevyrado]

main thing to check is what the mice ate up.  they love the insulation on wires.