I found a 1949 Cadillac series 61, been sitting since 1966. I know the motor and trans has to be rebuilt it檚 my restoration project but I was wondering what I would have to do to try to start it! I would guess changing the tranny fluid, engine oil, coolant. And how would I go about freeing up the engine as it is locked.Car sitting 42 years freeup and starting?Remove each spark plug and add a couple of ounces of penetrating oil to each cylinder. Leave it sit for a couple of days. After a few days, try and rotate the engine manually. If it still won't turn, add a little more oil to the cylinders and try again.
With a little patience, you should be able to free the engine. But do not attempt to start yet.
Inspect and replace any bad fuel rubber fuel lines. With something that has been sitting 42 years, this will most likely be all of them. If you don't, you could easily burn your project, and garage, to the ground before you even start.
Rebuild the carburetor. It most likely won't work without a rebuild because of the dried fuel and accumulated dirt.
Remove the gas tank. Drain all of the fuel from the gas tank. Clean the tank. Purge the fuel lines. Replace the fuel filter.
Change all of the fluids. Oil, coolant, etc.
Replace the radiator hoses.
Replace the fan belt(s)
Replace the vacuum lines. Vacuum hose is cheap.
If I remember correctly, this car had an oil bath air filter. Service the air filter.
Replace the points distributor cap, rotor, condenser, plug wires, spark plugs. Check the coil and replace if needed also. Check the vacuum and mechanical advance on the distributor.
Crank the engine with no fuel for a bit to get some fresh oil circulating. Add gas. Now you can try starting it.
You could easily find other problems from a car sitting this long. The fuel pump may no longer work. The transmission may have problems. The differential may have problems. Bearings could be seized. Brakes may be frozen. Cylinder head or engine block could be cracked ice. Brake lines may be corroded. Tires will be rotted. Shocks will need to be replaced. These items will need to be checked and repaired before you attempt to drive this car.
This could be a very cool car with lots of potential.
Have fun.Car sitting 42 years freeup and starting?Cool, but think about all of these things too before you start
you restoration.
Sediment in the carbuerater.
Dried up gaskets and seals.
Rust in the radiator and engine.
Mice eating wiring over all these years.(possibly).
Dried up seals in the braking system.
Now, who's to say you can't put in a new battery , get a little
oil in the top of the engine and pistons, get some coolant in the radiator etc....but what you do before you start firing up a
40 year old car could make a drastic change on it's future..
Just some real quick food for thought..
Watch the electrical system when you first connect your battery...
( Always use safety goggles when experimenting)..Car sitting 42 years freeup and starting?pull out the spark plugs and fill the holes with automatic transmission fluid. let gravity take the trans oil down to the oil pan. Gravity takes time to work so give it a day or two. As you're waiting for that to happen, drain the oil out of the oil pan . change the oil filter. then fill it up with as much oil as you can put in. Use a lightweight oil like a 5w20. this will submerge the crank and bearings and probably fill up the bottom of the cylinders. let that soak. again give it time as in a few days.
after a few days when your ready to break it loose, use a breaker bar on the crankshaft pulley bolt and rotate the engine clockwise only. you should be able to get the crank to turn.
I'm going to guess the needle and seat in the carb will be hung. you'll probably have to take the top off of teh carb to fill the bowl.
obviously you'll have to put gas in it. drain the tank before you do that.
starting it at that point will be a function of putting the plugs back in and priming the engine. then charging a battery and checking the ignition systme
hope that helps
