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I wouldnt think 5 years was too bad, Not great , but not too bad ... As Steve as pointed out before Not all gas is created equal . i went with a guy to see a 911s that had been unstarted for 7 years .. the guy who i went with was a mechanic BTW . He turned the crank ,, saw it was free, then got in the car and fired it it up , coughed blue like no bodies business but after 5 minutes smoothed right out .. We drove it home after a top up of fresh gas .. if i had not been there i would not have believed it ...
he is still driving it tonight and it pulls like crazy.
Well if the smell of the fuel is any indication of the condition of it then I think I should clean everything from tank to carb. It smells like no gasoline I have ever come across, more like a varnish odor.
I was looking on pelican parts for rebuild kits for my carbs and there seems to be several different options for the 40IDA 3C. Any idea the differences and which I should buy?
I was going to advise that you crank it with the plugs removed. The compression can make it difficult.
The putrid fuel odor is ethanol. When you open up your carbs, it will have a nasty, stinky green sludge in the bowls and jets. I have several small engines from four-wheelers to leaf blowers and I rebuild one to two carbs per year due to ethanol. In the future, as you run-in the car, you may want to consider BG44k fuel additive or Star-Tron.
Ethanol is especially difficult on rubber fuel lines causing them to crack. Be sure to check the lines on the engine and coming out of the tank.
I was going to advise that you crank it with the plugs removed. The compression can make it difficult.
The putrid fuel odor is ethanol. When you open up your carbs, it will have a nasty, stinky green sludge in the bowls and jets. I have several small engines from four-wheelers to leaf blowers and I rebuild one to two carbs per year due to ethanol. In the future, as you run-in the car, you may want to consider BG44k fuel additive or Star-Tron.
Ethanol is especially difficult on rubber fuel lines causing them to crack. Be sure to check the lines on the engine and coming out of the tank.
Well tank is out and boy is it a mess inside. Dark brown black fluid in bottom and rust everywhere there wasn't gas.
Pretty nasty smell coming from it also, I think I am going to spring for a replacement tank from dansk.
I have been side tracked from the fuel system for the time being by the discovery of some pretty nasty corrosion on the car.
I started a new thread regarding this issue as I figure it should take priority over all else.
Well, I need to decide to what extent I repair the areas of concern when it comes to corrosion. Ultimately this car is going to be a fun weekend car for me and I am not interested in creating a concourse winning car. I would like to fix any corrosion that may be structural if there is any and then treat and patch any non structural issues to prevent further progression. Here are a couple of pictures of the car to give you guys an idea of its overall appearance.
It's a complete write off. No value in the thing whatsoever.
Just leave it in my driveway, and I'll get rid of it for you.
Don't forget the keys.
I was thinking the same thing
Seriously though, 5 years is nothing. Of course you didn't way HOW it was stored for 5 years. If they took the engine cover off, removed the spark plugs, and then let it sit, yeah...done deal. But a running, driving vehicle, parked in a driveway, and left for 5 years, should be fine. The gas would be close to worthless, but the engine shouldn't have tanked from that.
Here's the good new, dropping that engine is not only easy, it'll also give you a chance to inspect other stuff that you're REALLY going to want to check up on before taking it out on the road.
Well I think I have decided what I want to do with this car over the next 6-8 months as I am not in a position to get into a full blown restoration at this point.
To start with I will go through the car completely inside and out to get a good idea of where I have rust issues. I will then patch and treat areas to prevent progression of rust as best I can. Then I will go through the cars mechanicals and repair and replace whatever is needed to get the car into a good safe driving condition.
This will give me the opportunity to get to know the car next summer and enjoy what it has to offer. Once I know the mechanicals are in good working order I can comfortably decided to what extent the car should be restored.
Wanted to see how easily the Fuchs would polish up and was pleasantly surprised. 19 more spokes to go but already can't wait to see them when they are all refinished.
Pulled the valve covers to take a look at the condition and also verify the lash before closing it up with some new valve cover gaskets. Everything looks nice and clean. Was happy to see that everything still had a nice film of clean oil on it after sitting for so many years.
Also removed the interior bits from the back seat and package shelf area. Aside from an excess of adhesive there isn't any sign of corrosion here either.
wow that engine almost looks too clean, outstanding , bet those carbs don't need rebuilding ,
imagine a good treatment of POR for the rust and you will be good to go for now ,
You may be right about the carbs, but after seeing the sludge that came out of the gas tank I'm not going to chance it. Besides it will be good experience for me to learn the inner workings of the carb.
09-22-2015, 10:35 AM
I was thinking the same thing 
