Buying 240 with 327...hasn't run in 10 years, what prep?

[Guest TBroZ]

Looks like I will be buying a '71 240 with a Target Master 327 in it. Supposedly, the motor has only ~ 5K miles on it. But he says it hasn't been started in 10 years!!! So what kind of prep should I do before turning it over. I figure new gas, new oil. And he suggested a little Marvel's Mystery oil in each cylinder. Should I prime the oil pump?

 

TIA,

Terry

[denny411]

Welcome aboard,

The marvel oil is a good idea. You will also want to drain the fuel tank, change the oil, transmission and brake fluids.

 

Priming the oil pump isn`t absolutely necessary, (IMO) but you will want to disconnect the coil wire when you crank it for the fist time. This should prime the pump without having to pull the distributor.

 

Before you take it out on the road to run the hell out of it. You will want to be sure that the pads and shoes are in good condition.

Inspect the wheel cylinders and front calipers and brake lines for rust and any signs of leaking also.

 

If I forgot something, I`m sure someone will chime in.

[denny411]

One more thing, you will most likely have to rebuild the carb and replace the fuel pump.

 

Old varnished or evaporated gas has a way of really screwing these up after sitting for a while.

[Jeff]

I suspect you will need to go through the carb and probably have the tank cleaned & sealed. I would do it as a precaution just to be sure.

 

Edit: Denny I didn't see your second post before I repied.

[Guest TBroZ]

Thanks for the welcome...I'm pretty excited about the Z...and this board. I will be taking full advantage of it.

 

I've owned two 240's in the past...one in the mid '90s with 36K original miles.

 

So do we think that the carb in it's current condition will prevent the motor from starting?

 

There's currently no transmission in it, so it's not going anywhere until I decide which one to put in and buy it. This'll produce many topics on this message board from me, no doubt. As I learn about manual trans', I'm leaning toward a T10. I simply want a reliable 5 speed with OD that can handle 350 hp. T10, no?

 

Terry

[Mike C]

Marvel mystery oil is a great place to start. With all of the plugs out and after applying the MMO, I would rotate the motor over slowly by hand. Priming the oil pump is imperitive IMO. This motor will be DRY having sat for 10 years. If it is a performance engine it might be wise to take the extra time of removing the intake and lifters and applying assembly lube again (do not mix them up, wise to do 1 at a time). How much risk vs. how much work are you willing to undertake? A little more work now means less later. Clean and rebuild the carb. IME, the only way to do this right is soak it in Berryman B9 chem-dip.

 

Whatever you do, DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE ON BAD GAS! Believe it or not, chances are quite high that if you get it running on varnished gas, after shut down one or more valves may stick open. I always believed this was an old wives tale, but I can now document at least 4 instances this has happened. 1 car, 1 boat (V8), 1 go-cart and a twin cylinder RV generator.

[Trevor]

If it's a stick transmission, (I didn't notice if its auto or stick) make sure its in neutral, don't assume the clutch will disengage after 10 years. The Disk might be frozen to the flywheel.

[Phantom]

Also be careful of all hoses and the tires. Hoses are bound to be rotting out and cracking everywhere and there is a good chance of cord separation in the tires. I went through that with one that had been setting for 3 years.

[Heavy Z]

Since everyone is helping out with the recessitation techniques, I'll tackle the transmission part of your question. I thought a T10 was a 4 speed but I could be wrong, I do know that the T5 in my Z works great. With a world class T5 and 350 hp you should be fine, if you want to beef it up a bit the counter gear stabilizer from gear zone is a good upgrade. As long as you can refrain from dumping the clutch and speed shifting this transmission will do okay. Get a T10 if you want to abuse it, or a T56 if you want to be abusive in more gears

 

Heavy Z

[Heavy Z]

Oh yeah, use the search function in any message board to find more info on just about anything you could imagine doing to your Z.

[Guest DRK]

About ten years ago I bought a 240 that had been sitting for 5-8 years. I had constant trouble with the fuel filter filling up with rust from the tank. It would slow down fuel flow enough to cause the engine to stall. I took the tank off and tried cleaning it myself, but the problem remained. I Eventually had to get the tank professionally cleaned, so be prepared. I agree with everyone else's suggestions about priming and spinning over by hand with the plugs out.

 

Good luck!

 

Danny

[Guest Anonymous]

until you get the tranny in, lube it all up and turn it by hand.... also a lot of merit in Mike C's suggestion after 10 years to "prime the oil pump" by removing the distribitor and inserting an aftermarket oil pump primer tool. I had a "froze" motor I worked on for about 2 months by hand turnning the crank which stayed within a 1/64 th of an inch every time I tried it.Refused to go any further. Do not force it. One day I got it up to about 1 inch in each direction.... a few days later the rotating assembly was turning like a top. I had the cylinders full of oil..from A to Z. The engine was problem free after the "ice" broke.

[Guest TBroZ]

Thanks for the tips. I'll be priming. So how much MMO should I put in each cylinder? Like 1/2 teaspoon?

 

This isn't a built motor, though it does a Sig Erson cam in it. I'm not going to bother and pull the intake.

 

T

[Guest jdllaugh]

You might want to also replace the rubber portion of the brake lines. I resurrected an old S10 that had been sitting for awhile. The brake lines had swollen to the point that the brakes wouldn't release after you stomped on them. Fluid would flow to the calipers under pressure, but then wouldn't flow back to let them release. Strange problem that caused me more than a few headaches to figure out.

 

A radiator flush would also be a good thing...

[72zcar]

any pics of this 327z?

[Guest TBroZ]

I'll take pics today after work and post them tonight. One thing I don't like, is that the guy made his own motor mount adaptors...which have no backspacing. The motor could be 5" back...like most others I've seen. He did relocate the battery in the back, however. He's is probably the equivalent in weight distribution.

 

T

[Guest TBroZ]

We have pics. So I got it running. The motor, she ain't pretty, but it sounds and feels like a beast. The problem was with the distributor...had to it in the right position. So everything feels great except for a very sticky lifter. A friend suggested that I put in a non-detergent oil in it, with one quart of trans fluid (manual, or ATF?)...and run it for a few hundred miles. Need to get the trans in for that. If that doesn't work, he said to change the oil again and put in..."Rislin"...something like that, I forget. If that doesn't work...change the cam and lifters? Any other remedies?

http://www.rockbottomspas.com/327z_page.htm

 

Terry

[denny411]

i noticed you have fenderwell headers. could you get some more pics of how they re run and clear the master cyl?

[Guest TBroZ]

Yeah, the guy made the headers and exhaust himself. Funky, if you ask me. I don't have a pic yet, but the tires hits 'em if you turn too sharp. I don't what he was thinking (back in '92). I'll take more pics tomorrow.

 

I do like how he tucked the dual mufflers top over bottom immediately behind the left rear tire, and have them collected into one 3" tip.

 

T

[72zcar]

how much did u steel the z for? If you don't mind me asking...