Gettin' Started on the '77 (aka, Startin' the '77)
 

Just brought my '77 Chevy Silverado 4x4 home (it was in storage for 5 years...sigh) and was unable to drain fluids before it got stored. I've already been told by MANY people that was a *bad thing*....but none of 'em seem to have the info I need to correct this unavoidable error. It had a relatively new 350 (10,000 miles), new tranny w/cooler and new HD radiator prior to storage. I refuse to start it up 'til I find out what ALL the correct "do's and don'ts" are...Can y'all help??

Here is what i would do...

-Change the oil and filter
-flush the cooling system
-remove distributor, prelube engine, reinstall distributor
-remove plugs and check condition
-put a socket on crank and turn engine slowly
-reinstall plugs
-check trans fluid for level and cleanliness


This SHOULD be all you need to do. Start the engine and monitor everything VERY close (leaks, temps, etc)

Good luck and welcome!!

-Jeff

Also if possible clean out the fuel tanks, and filter. You will need to have a couple extra filters for the first few weeks while the nasty stuff goes through and cleans itself out of the fuel lines and tanks.

I agree about the gasoline, it's gonna be nasty. And if there was any in the carb, you might wanna have that one rebuilt as well.

I say.. get some fresh gas in it, change the oil and filter, prelube it thru the distributor hole, then fire the beast up!! Even if you only let it run a few seconds or few minutes.. it will get stuff movin', etc etc.. THEN drain cooling/tranny/etc... THEN change fuel filters, and what not. But check the levels of stuff first (trans, water, etc)

thats just my $0.02.......... Got any pics of this thing? Ive got a few 77 4x4's in my collection.

is it a half ton, 3/4ton? what engine/trans/etc/etc?

mike

Geez, y'all are awesome! You've given me more info to work with in two days than I've been able to *pry* out of well meanin' friends in the past YEAR!!! I tried t' post a pic of *the new man in my life*(aka, Da Truck--cuz that's where all my attention is goin' now...lol) but ran into difficulties with it......they said pic size was too large and needed to be less than 640 x 0 ... 0? what's up with that? Anyway, to answer the "?", it's a 350, auto., 3/4 ton, 12" Superlift and what "used to be" 40" Mud Country tires (the weather has taken its toll there, too). But, bein' the persistant person that I am....I'll "bring it back to life" if I hafta do it from my flippin' rockin' chair!!!!!!!

Theres also a aditive you can buy to add it to old gas that will help. Sorry I dont remember the name right off hand but any auto store should have it.


Jason

I agree with Mike Reeh on this one about the fluid changes. In addition ,break the fuel fitting loose at the carburetor and put a rubber hose on it to redirect the fuel into a container(or down at the pump). crank it over until something comes out. hopefully it will be clean. if it is brown and smells like turpentine it's BAD fuel' and will probably be varnished up inside of everything where it was laying. I have seen fuel go bad in a few months and I have fired up old trucks that were sittting for 6-7 years. Pump/siphon as much as you can out of the tank and add 5 gallons of fresh and crank it till it comes out at the disconnected fitting.
They stink BAD and run terrible if the fuel has gone bad . but I have sucked the tank down and run 5 gallons of fresh through it and it cleans everything back up again with a can of fuel additive. With the beast that you are talking about it is only going to take 25 miles to run 5 gallons of fuel through it :-), DAVE