de-hibernating the car

[Tim Rogers]

IIRC, there's no gas tank plug; you could probably siphon most of the old
gas out by removing the fill pipe - just held in with a couple of band
clamps.  If not, add some octane booster and add Techron to what you have
or the new fuel as the injectors tend to gum up if they've been sitting for
a while.  I would cycle the key to on for 10 seconds and then off 20 or so
times to get your new fuel and cleaner primed up to the injectors.

If the car hasn't been started in 3+ years, you might also want to pull the
spark plugs and add a few tablespoons of ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil
(remember that you have dished pistons so if you do it with the back of the
car jacked up so that the oil doesn't just puddle in the piston....) and
let that work in between the rings & cylinder walls.  Then manually rotate
the engine to make sure that everything is not stuck.  Of course, when you
start the car there will be a good bit of smoke as the oil burns off.

Regarding the tranny oil, I would drive it for 30 minutes on the highway to
get the oil up to temp and evaporate any accumulated water from the fluid
ASAP.  The oil itself should be fine.

Tim

On Fri, Nov 11, 2011 at 11:53 AM, David Pertuz <d.pertuz at gmail.com> wrote:

> My SE-R has been sitting in the garage for three-and-a-bit years, waiting
> for me to replace the rod bearings and do a bunch of other relatively minor
> things. I'm finally getting started on this, as I miss driving it (it's
> fun!) and I'd like to use it as a winter beater to spare my nice car most
> of the nastiness. Some questions:
>
> Is there a gas tank drain plug? Sorry, I haven't dug up my FSM yet. I
> don't know how much gas is in there, but let's say half a tank. If I can
> just use it and fill the rest of the tank with fresh gas, I'd rather do
> that. What's y'all's experience been with 3yo gas?
>
> I've done rod bearings before, when I put a fresh motor in my G20, but
> that was ca. 2003. I remember it being relatively straightforward, though I
> will be doing it with the engine in the car this time as I don't have a
> hoist and engine stand. I'm sure I'll be cursing that. Anything easy to
> forget that I might be forgetting? I do remember that hidden little bolt at
> the front of the upper oil pan. Bearings should be in-and-out since they're
> rod bearings and I don't have to adjust the crank end play or anything.
>
> Is there a time expiration date on trans fluid? The car has Redline
> MT90/MTL (I don't remember whichever is correct, but that's the one it's
> got) that has been in there for years and years and I don't remember how
> many miles (50k?) and it shifted like butter right up to when I stopped
> driving the car. I have more on hand, but if there's no pressing reason to
> change it I won't. I also wonder about this in connection to the ATF in my
> Accord. It's a 2004 but only had 16k when I got it in the spring, and still
> only has 24k on it now. Honda doesn't tell you to change it til at least
> 30k, but nothing is said about time. I can't think of any reason why either
> fluid would need replacing solely on the basis of time.
>
> Any other long-time-sitting revival things that I'm not thinking of?
>
> Thanks, Greg, for getting me those bearings and for the
> duh-why-didn't-I-think-of-that cheap and easy exhaust suggestion.
>
> thanks,
> David
> Chicago
>
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