Kinda fancy subject title, eh? :Brow: Anyway, I'm looking to get my fuel system cleaned out and in order on a car that's been sitting for years. It's a 1971 with a 455 non-stage motor. The following is a list of either questions or steps that I'm thinking are necessary. I'm looking for guidance here. I want to make it's right and leave as many of the original parts in place as possible. Anyway, here goes: -I'm planning on taking off the carburetor and calling John Osborne. I have his phone number bookmarked from another post. Anything specific I should ask him to do to the carb to maximize performance? I'm thinking of upgrading to stage one heads with some intake/head porting, but probably a year or two off. -I plan on dropping the gas tank and either trying to clean it out myself, or have it 'hot tanked', as was suggested in another thread. -I was planning on buying a new tank mat from Year One. Is this necessary? Is there a better source? -The car was only on the road for ten years. It was stored inside the rest of the time. Do you think the tank straps will be reuseable? If not, where can I get correct straps? -I was thinking of using compressed air at a fairly low pressure to blow back through the fuel lines. Does this make sense? Can I do this through the carburetor fitting? (i.e.- through the fuel pump) Or doI need to dosconnect lines at the pump? -What sizes/lengths of fuel hose would I need to replace the rubber pieces? What's the best source? -I was planning to leave the charcoal canister alone and see if any issues arose. -I was planning to leave the fuel sender alone and see if it works after reassembly. -The car has 70kmi, but has been sitting a long time. I was planning on leaving the fuel pump alone. -Change the fuel filter, of course. That's about all I can think of at the moment. I'm hoping those of you who know these cars inside out can comment on what I've said above and answer some or all of my questions. I really only want to do this once and do it right. I also don't want to do things that aren't necessary. I appreciate, in advance, any wisdom you can provide. Thanks!
Ken, I'm sure there are other thoughts on this, but I'll start. If your going through all the trouble of dropping the tank, cleaning all the lines, and rebuilding your carburetor I think replacing your fuel pump is a must. What do you think? Jerry
Yeah, that sounds right Ya know Jerry? When you put it that way, I have to agree. I'd hate to go through all that work (assuming it's determined necessary) and find out the fuel pump is fubar'd. ou: Thanks
things to do i am speaking from experience or restoring a 72 gs 350 that had been licenced for only 6 monthes in 10 years . - i would imagine that the braking system - wheel cylinders, calipers, master cylinders would be full of crud/rust/moisture from sitting . u would be wise to rebuild the calipers, master cylinder, & buy new heavy duty rear wheel cylinders. the brake lines can probably be cleaned by pumping brake fluild thru each line . - replace the gas line hoses that u can buy at most autoparts stores by size & length. this not vacuum hose . - replace all the vacuum & radiator & heater hoses - have the gas tank cleaned . i would bet that the sock on the gas tank sending unit would be garbaged also - remove & flush & backflush the rad , remove the water pump & flush & back flush the block . - check the power steering fluid , u may eant to replace the fluid . same for the rear end . u will want to add some posi conditioner if u have a posi . - u will want to remove the seats, front doors & rear side panels to check for dead mice & mouse **** . chances are the mice ate the cotton padding from the rear seat bottom . - check the exhausts for any dead animals that may have crawled in & died . - there is a product on the market called "unseize" that is used before u attempt to start an engine that has sat dormant for several years . i believe that u pour a very little bit into each cylinder, & let it sit awhile, then turn the engine over by hand with a johnson bar + socket on the crank bolt . some of u guys may be familiar with this product . - check inside the voltage regulator to be sure there is no rust . - u may have to regound the connections , but that's a whole 'nother story . u will probably , once u get the car running, that u will have a lot of fluid leaks because the gaskets & seals have dried out . there's a start .
The tank straps in my 71 just need a good clean-up and I have 125K+. The bolts the straps hang from, however, were rusted solid. I had to cut them with a hacksaw. Try to remove as much fuel from the tank as possible before you begin. my .02
Ken: I have replaced a couple of tanks including one on a 70 GSX. Get a new tank with the neck already installed . Someone on the Board paid about 175 from Advance or Auto Zone which will save the oversize shipping. The original anti chafe mats are no longer made. I have posted in the past how I applied the current material which come in a role. Search under" tank and lore" The old one will likely be a mess. It looks like it iis covered in plastic if it is like a 70. You tank sheet will be there too so be careful. New straps are sold by YO or OPG or both plus you can get the new hardware. Also you can get the new linesand clamps. Done that too.
Thanks! Thanks for the response guys. I appreciate the value of your experiences. Like I said, I want to do this right and only once, if possible. I'll probably try to clean the tank first before getting a new one. It's probably in pretty good shape, but who knows. Before I start this I'll search for your thread, Jim, on the tank mat. In the meanwhile I'll spray WD40 or Kroil on the strap bolts ahead of time and see if they are salvageable. Gerry, I appreciate the other tips based on your experience. I did pull the back seat already and cleaned the mouse crap out. I'll get around to pulling some other interior parts off per your recommendation. I'll also see if I can find "unseize". I was just going to use WD40 or Kroil, followed by some Marvel Mystery oil. Thanks again for the pointers! :beer
I dropped the tank tonight. The good news is there was no problem with the straps or anything getting it out. I sprayed the strap bolts with WD 40 and they came right out. The bad news is that forget about any documentation on top of the tank, there wasn't even a mat of any sort. Nor was there even a trace of one! I don't believe one was ever installed. Bummer, no paper. :ball: Tank looks to be in fine shape, so I'll clean it out/up. Fuel lines were rotted, as expected. Jim, I found your post about the mat and cutting it to fit properly. I'm heading to the zoo tomorrow to get some Gorrilla snot, per your recommendation, to hold the material in place. :TU: Thanks again for the help!
Yes Jerry, I was hoping for a build sheet there. I took the one from under the back seat long ago. I think it's somewhere at my parents house, but who knows? I was hoping to find the sheet that goes on top of the gas tank, but no luck.
gsx hi ken, goodluck getting your gsx on the road again. one thing i notice when cars sit for a very long time is they usually get very rusty on the inside of the brake drums. if this is not taken care of your rear wheels could lock as they heat up when your driving.i would get the drums turned on a brake lathe to remove the layer of rust. you should also check the condition of the emergency brake cables. if they are frozen you might want to either replace or disconnect them from the brake shoes. if you get a brake pulsation when you start driving you may also have to check the front rotors for rust. also make sure you clean and re-pack your front wheel bearings. good luck john l. 1970 qq gsx stage 1
Fuel tank unit. Which one?? Hey John- I definitely plan to go thru the braking system very carefully. I plan to replace calipers and wheel cylinders as well as rotors (I know they're undersize and the originals). I will definitely check out the drums too. Another question: As long as I have the gas tank out, I plan on replacing the gauge sending unit. I've been given two AC Delco numbers from the parts store. One is 6428837 and the other is 6428838. I believe the 37 number is with a fuel return line and the other is without. Anyone know off the top of their head which would be correct? Or is it possible both were used on the GS model? I'm hoping to get it on order this afternoon. Thanks for the help!
With the return line would be correct. To my knowledge, only non-air 350s used the no return line set up.
Just to Verify Thanks for the reply Nicholas. I attached a picture to verify. I'm assuming the two lines means feed and return??
fuel system ken , i believe.. nicholas is right , 2 lines. the bigger one is the feed line. once i get into my shed ill let you know about the rims. it sounds like you have some work to do for a while before you need to worry about rims and tires. keep me posted on how its going. good luck. john lenzini
