North American Turbocoupe Organization



Removing from ~7 yr. storage - looking for advice
wheeldoctor Offline
Junior Member
#1
I have a beautiful dark blue 88 T-bird turbo. It has been in storage out of the elements for about 7 years. It's time to get it out for the warm weather months. I will be getting a tune up of course. Should I have all belts changed just have fresh ones? I have a battery that is 8 years old but it was hardly used; I am re-charging as I write. I never drove it hard or on extended trips, just for pleasure around the area. All struts, tie rods, brakes and exhaust system were update before I put it away. There are about 112,000 miles on it. When I bought in 1995 the were 82,000 miles on it. Any advice you have for bringing my baby back to life is greatly appreciated! - wheeldoctor (Jerry Swim)
Reply

BradM Offline
Member
#2
Everyone will have their own recipe but for me, it's all about fuel, oil, and coolant. Get rid of the fuel and run 1/4 tank of fresh gas with a can of seafoam for an hour or so, then top off with the rest of the fuel (93 octane). Change the oil and filter (if it's nasty looking, I change it before I ever turn it over). Check the coolant for proper ratio and flush if you suspect corrosion. I would visually check the belts for cracking/checking and change accordingly. If it was stored inside and on pavement, you should be good to go. The tires will be flat-spotted and inspect for cracking/checking. Make sure the clutch isn't stuck to the flywheel. Check the brakes for operation and make sure they don't stick.
1965 Mercury Comet Caliente; 1968 Mercury Monterey; 1969 F100 Ranger; 1982 Mustang; 1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe; 2017 Police Interceptor
Reply

Mikey97D Offline
Senior Member
#3
If it runs funny after changing the fuel and giving it a tune up, you may need to have the fuel injectors cleaned and rebuilt. Don't just buy new ones because they are often junk. A reputable vendor clean and rebuild will be as good as new or better.
1988 TC, 5 spd, Stinger 3" Exhaust, Schneider Roller Cam, -4° Cam Pulley, Cone Filter, Gilles Boost Control Valve set at 17 psi, Walbro 255 lph, CHE Rear Lower and Upper Control Arms, Braided Brake Lines, Hawk HPS 5.0 Front and HPS (F) Rear, CRES Inserts in front calipers, and '93 Cobra Wheels with General 235/50R17 Tires.   
Reply

wheeldoctor Offline
Junior Member
#4
Thanks for your responses - 

I have a new battery and changed out the terminals so I have a nice strong starting action. It just won't turn over. If I keep cranking on it, will that damage the starter or other components? I put it away with a full tank of premium and a bottle of seafoam. I have the car stored in a narrow 15' x 25' unit with concrete floor but I can't get at draining the gas out; sounds light I will be towing it to a service station -eh?
Reply

Jeff K Offline
Administrator
#5
Have you run a complete code check (KOEO and CM)? Obviously you cant also run KOER codes if the car wont start, but KOEO, and CM codes may point you in the right direction.
Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 24 psi, forced air IC, water injection, BPV, Ranger cam, subframes, etc., etc.
86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP N2O, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.
11 Crown Vic Interceptor
14 Toyota Camry (wifes car)
95 Taurus GL Vulcan winter beater
67 Honda 450 Super Sport - completely customized
Reply

wheeldoctor Offline
Junior Member
#6
(06-30-2022, 03:21 PM)Jeff K Wrote: Have you run a complete code check (KOEO and CM)? Obviously you cant also run KOER codes if the car wont start, but KOEO, and CM codes may point you in the right direction.

Hi Jeff -

No I haven't. I have it stored in a narrow storage unit ~15' x ~25'.  I can't even get at pumping out the old gas and that's probably the issue. Even though I put it away with a full tank of premium and 3/4 can of seafoam - good gas can go bad after such a long time. I guess I will have it towed to an area service station and let the experts figure it out; cross my fingers it's not too expensive.

Thanks -  

Happy 4th of July!

Jerry 
La Crosse, WI.
Reply





Users browsing this thread:
1 Guest(s)



Theme © iAndrew 2018 - Software MyBB