congrats on your purchase. Here are a few suggestions:
--run engine until warm, change oil and filter. (actually, after you warm up
the oil, you might also want to remove valve cover and look for sludge,
blocked oil passages, etc. clean it out with spray-on carb cleaner and a
toothbrush, then immediately change the oil (since the runoff will run into
the oil pan.)
--assume there's an ooky mess in the carburetor fuel bowls from old gasoline
that can lead to sticking floats and resulting fuel leaks, frequently into
the engine oil (not good). Plan on pulling the bowls and cleaning them (plus
new gaskets for the bowls and new o-rings for the plugs, assuming yours has
them.) also check fuel lines for tightness, and plan on replacing them soon,
since they're likely to be cracked and brittle.
--change the fuel filter, since there's probably a lot of crap at the bottom
of the fuel tank, which will get stirred up by regular driving. You might
carry a spare filter with you for a while in case the new one gets clogged.
--even if the brakes and clutch are OK at the beginning, it's quite possible
they'll fail quickly with any use because the rubber seals have hardened.
I'd flush and bleed both systems right away, but expect them to leak and/or
fail, so pay close attention to fluid levels and leaks for the first couple
of months.
(a personal note: I discovered my 1972 TR6, purchased earlier this year, had
no rear brakes whatsoever. I'd suggest putting the car on jack stands,
having an assistant work the brake pedal, and check each wheel to make sure
the brakes are actually being applied. Adjust the rear brakes while you're
at it.)
(another personal note: any time I see a bolt or nut that I might even THINK
about loosening (brake and clutch bleeder valves, adjusting bolts,
carburetor screws, etc.), I spray them with super penetrant -- preferably
days or even weeks before I actually put a wrench to them -- with the
process repeated as often as possible. This has reduced my stripped/breakage
rate from frequent to occasional.)
--battery is likely to give out if the DPO wasn't religious about keeping it
fairly fully charged. also, I would remove battery cables, clean terminals,
etc. also do the same where ground cable attaches to engine and hot cable
attaches to starter.
--check the air pressure on the tires, including the spare! make sure you
have a jack and lug wrench.
--reverse flush the radiator and heating system, using one of those prestone
kits and a flushing chemical, and replace water/antifreeze mix. Inspect
belts and replace if they don't look excellent (carry the old ones in your
trunk as spares). If water hoses are cracking or brittle, plan on replacing
soon. (also make sure your water temp gauge is working, so if you blow a
hose you'll know sooner rather than later.)
have fun!
-----Original Message-----
From: David L. Morgan [mailto:dlmorgan@netzero.net]
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 10:52 AM
To: 6pack@autox.team.net
Subject: stored TR
I just purchased a 73 TR6. The car started and sounded good. The guy has
had
it in the garage for 4-5 years and was not driven. He said he started it
every week and ran it for about 15 minutes. Anything special I should do
before taking it for daily driving?
David
|