I do not want to harm my slant 6 that has been stored for 7 years. what precautionary measures should be taken before and after restarting this truly amazing piece of engineering.

I would drain the oil and change filter and refill it, before you try to start it. Lots of water can build up in the oil over time, and it may have been gunky already.

I might also pull the plugs and shoot some silicone spray or WD40 down in the cylinders. Make sure to keep track of plug wire firing order.

Also best to dump some gas down the carb (maybe 2-3 oz) before cranking so it will fire easier and prime the fuel line from the tank, which could very well be dry. You might crank for 30 sec before doing this to bring the oil pressure up (after you've changed the oil), then dump the gas in and crank again.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Vanslant was the van(74 B200 right?)stored inside perchance? I went through a startup on my 80van sometime ago after it had sat outside and totally ignored for several years. I would be suspect of any gas left in the van after this many years and would think hard on getting it out,could create some problems with the carb being gummed up. Mine also had drawn moisture inside engine and several valves hung open when I first turned it over,took awhile and 4-5 new pushrods but runs fine now.I'd also be changing oil/filter,check condition of rad/heater hoses and replace antifreeze.Cap/rotor plugs maybe wires etc.,check an replace.Knowing how mine acted after sitting so long I'd probably pop the valve cover and turn engine over by hand to see it all the valves are moving proper and do a cold adjust on them while in there.There's probably other things to check cann't think of right now,I'm out the door plus need more coffee! Good luck.

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

7 years? I started up a /6 in a '65 Valiant that had been sitting for 20 years outside, sunken to the hubs in dirt. Started right up, but I bent a pushrod because one of the valves was stuck, though. If I were to do it again (and you know I will, I can't pass up an old Valiant) I'd pull the plugs as described above, and the valve cover too to make sure the valves are broken free, and turn the engine by hand to gently break it free. Then fire her right up, /6 style (with no further ado). Fresh gas is a must, the old stuff will be rank, to say the least!

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Never seen a Valiant I didn't like!

Pull the carburetor, clean it out, and do a quick rebuild. Drain & clean all other fuel lines & tank. Check condition of rubber lines, and diaphragms for leaks. You might as well do it now, as next week.

Repack wheel bearings, pull & inspect brakes & flexible lines, there will be stuck cylinders, flush out old brake fluid.

Check all hoses, flush radiator, and fill with fresh coolant.

Check wire harness for rodent damage.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

After doing all said advice above (drain oil, gas, turn engine by hand, etc), pull the plugs and turn the engine over with the starter until the oil light goes off or (if you have one) you see oil pressure build up on an oil pressure guage.

Also when you have the plugs out give a squirt of Marvel Mystery Oil down the hole.If the rings have gunked up it'll help free them and wont hurt as a prelube on the cyl for fireup.

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

The first slant six car I ever had was a 78 Volare waon that I bought for $200 from a high school friend of mine. It had been siting beside his parent's house here in Wa for over two years. I brought a fresh battery, oil for an oil change, an oil filter, and a few gallons of fresh Chevron Premium gas. Changed the oil and filter, gassed it up, popped in the battery, cranked and cranked and cranked, and eventually it fired right up! I drove it home that night covered in moss with one working brake and one working exterior running light.

Of course, I would never do that now. At the very least squirt some oil in each cylinder, dump some Marvel Mystery Oil over the rockers, and disconnect the wire from the coil to the distributor cap so you can crank it until the oil pressure light goes out. Then reconnect the coil wire and fire it up. All the above suggestions are VERY good ideas though.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I just pulled my old Dart from a 15 year hibernation. I put in a good battery and some fresh gas on top of the old crap at the bottom of the tank, we syphined off as much as we could. It started up after a bit of cranking and changing a leaky fuel line from the filter to the carb. After running a while the fuel pump tore its diaphram, I'm sure the dry cranking didn't help. After an oil change, brake line replacement, transmission fluid change and new plugs I ran it for a few weeks then changed the carb. The old one was very dirty. I haven't put a lot of miles on it but I'm sure it could also use a valve adjustment. At this point the car runs great, better than it should, so do all the above suggestions, but dont be surprised to have to fix a few things along the way also.

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Grandpa's 1974 Dart Custom 4 door 225 auto, Aluminum Radiator, 1920 Holley.

Not a wise idea. No silicone spray in the engine unless you're trying to foul/kill your spark plugs (and it wouldn't help anything, either). Oil only for this job. And WD-40 is useless as a lubricant (or much of anything else). A squirt or two of real oil in each spark plug hole, then crank the engine with all plugs removed to distribute the oil.
Good way to flood the rear cylinders and wash the oil right off the cylinder. Much better to use a spray can of carburetor cleaner to fill up the carburetor via the internal bowl vent (the angled tube sticking into the carb throat from the sidewall of the carb).

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

i always fill the carb bowl with gasoline via an old bottle of lucasoil or gear-oil through the bowl vent.

i also crank the engine with plugs removed to prime the oil pump because the cranking speed is much higher and current draw of the starter much lower. with the plugs removed there will also not be any air/fuel drawn into the intake during cranking, which would just wet down the plugs and cylinder walls if they were left in.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Same idea as mine, except I use carb cleaner to soften up the gum and varnish that can be counted on to stick the inlet valve and other movable parts inside the carb

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks so much for the many fine contributions on reawakening 'ol rip vanslant !!!

Pumping oil thru the engine prior to starting can be done using an old oil pump emersed in oil in a large coffee can. A shaped rod is attached to a variable speed drill which drives the pump. My attachment point for the steel tubing from the pump to the slant 6 is at the oil pressure sending unit. I put a gauge at the same point to insure I don't go over 60 psi by varying drill speed to suit the oil viscosity & engine oil passage resistance.

Once the unit is made up it can be used after a long winter or setting period or after a rebuild. My oil pump is from a flathead 6. The pump outlet port is drilled to accept the tubing which has several unions to fit the various pre-bent tubing to the pump up and over the fender down to the oil sending unit area. The drive rod is held in alignment with the oil pump shaft using a 1/2 inch copper pipe sleeve.

The attachment and pumping can be done in less than 15 minutes after you have made the pumping unit up for the first time. My same pump unit does a 33 plymouth, 34 plymouth, 35 dodge, & 65 dart using various pre-bent tubing for each application.

Using the pump to fill the engine with oil after you have drained the pan and changed the filter or after a rebuild is one way to insure a nice start without messing up bearing, etc. On a slant 6 you have a good oil prime if you see oil dripping from the rocker arm shaft area.

The above method may be preferred to cranking until pressure builds but does take an extra 15 minutes over the cranking method.

If anyone wants pictures of a pumping unit and pre-bent tubing send me a PM and email address.

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1965 Dart 110k, 225, Carter BBD Super Six, 2 1/4 single exh., sbp manual scarebird front disc, 7 1/4 rear 2.94 sure grip, 14 x 4.5 OEM wheels, 833 OD with hyd. throwout bearing, HEI, electric fan, ram air/heated air, Accusump. http://plymouthcarclub.com/

It was supposed to have been a delivery van for a hospital in Texas, then was delivered to its current owner about 10 years ago. The guy told me he only drove it about 6 mo. He has promised to hold it for me, but plan to go look at in w/in the next week. Am trying to keep up with repairin' my daily driver, it's a bomb ('89 Baretta) Anyway the sl6 has a documented 20 something thousand on it, so I hope its there when I get a round toit. I,ll try to get some pics to post if it is.