simplyxtrippin

My fiance has acquired a '73 green grande 351 (not sure if its cleveland) from her aunt a couple of years ago. It's still in her aunts house. Its been sitting on their driveway for about a decade or so. Before it was dumped there, her aunt said that she's had electrical problem(s) with the car. She had replaced the battery and alternator multiple times.

I'm gonna try to see if i can get it to work. I'm not that mechanically inclined but i know a little bit. I try to fix thing on my own on the cars that i've had (saturns and toyota). I just started my college 'career' as an electrical engineer this past fall, so i know a little bit about the electrical system. I've also wired multiple things in my car such as lights and stereo system. I know a 'little' bit.

Can you guys give me some hints on how i could tackle this? I've never revived a car before. I'm very excited. I konw my heart will pound when/if i hear the engine for the first time.

Can you guys/gals try to help me diagnose the charging system.
This is what i plan to do:
-Check short on wire from batt. to alt
-check for good ground
/neg of batt to chassis
/chassiss to engine/trans

Other than that, i'm pretty much clueless. Any tips on how I can revive this car, will be very much appreciated.

Once/if i get the car to start, I'll start changing all the vital liquids.

Gun Jam

If its been sitting in the driveway for 10 years you got much bigger fish to fry now than the original electrical problem.

Like: Engine wakeup (a whole operation all in its own)
Fuel issues in the carb, tank
brakes
trans seals
Tires
Cooling systems
countless much smaller issues that no one knows of yet

Once that is taken care of then we can find out why it wont charge the batter or whatever

Good luck

Gun

simplyxtrippin

Thanks for you reply. about trying to start the engine, i found this article. Does this procedure seem fine? Is there anything that I shouldn't or should do otherwise?
http://www.kaiserbill.com/Web-PDF/Start-Up.pdf

the '73 had fuel issues? might be a bad pump? line gets clogged?

rmodel65

to verify if its a windsor family or a cleve count the valve cover bolts a cleve will sport 8 per cover the windsor only has 6

Gun Jam

Yeah follow his method for starting the engine those sound like pretty good suggestions to me.

-Gun

simplyxtrippin

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll start by changing the oil, checking the wires and using marvel mystery oil in the cylinders through the spark plugs when I get to the car.

Where is fuel pump on the car? How would I be able to use a regular fuel canister for the engine so that it doesn't suck up the old fuel in, if it still has some more. I just learned that this car has been parked since the early 90's. So it's alot longer than I thought. Maybe all of the gas is already gone if it only had a little to begin with.

Do the spark plugs and wires have to be changed b4 first start up? Or is this too relative to the cars conditions?

Gun Jam

The fuel pump should be on the drivers side near the front of the car just above the oil pan.
Find the line that runs to the fuel tank and remove it from the fuel pump connect a new line about 3' long and run it into a gas can.

kalli

i think what the man is on about in his article is to leave off the fuel pump.
Disconnect the hose from fuel pump to carb on carb side. block it coming from fuel pump.
Then get a small canister with good petrols, attach a hose and run that directly to the carb.
The canister has to stand elevated (higher than the carb).
This way the only bad petrol is the stuff in the carb.
Do not attempt to run the engine with any of the rotten fuel inside tank and lines. we've heard our good share of stories that this just doesn't work.

simplyxtrippin

Thanks gun jam.

Kalli, when i talked about the old gas, i wasn't referring to the article i posted. sorry about that. But his idea is also interesting. Would the pressure (weight) of the fuel be enough for the car to start? I can probably just use a hose and a funnel huh?