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My 97' Talon has sat for 4 years...

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Prowl84

Probationary Member
1
0
Sep 28, 2018
Stafford, Virginia
Hey everyone, was looking for a little advice here. My 97' Talon (420a) has sat for 4 years now. I shelved it because I was using it as an every day driver, it kept coming up with issues I was sinking money into, and I needed something more reliable (latest issue was it kept cutting off while driving)

Anyways, I need to get it to start again. I will not be taking it on the road, just need it to crank, and to move down the driveway pretty much.

I checked under the hood, just a visual inspection was promising. Nothing seems to have nested in there, just needs a little cleaning out, visually even the hoses and belts I could see looked decent (not a lot of dry weather, not sure if humidity helps, but it's typically pretty humid around here)

So I'm looking for some advice. Do you think outside of doing an oil and filter change, cleaning the plugs (wires and plugs were almost brand new when I put them on, and they were NGK), cleaning the air filter (its a short ram cant remember brand) replacing the battery, and filling up the tires (I know I'll need new ones if I take it on the road, but again, this is just to get it to move up and down the driveway) is there any other obstacles I will probably encounter? I really don't want to sink a lot of money into this right now.

Other relevant info I can think of...
Timing belt was done a couple years prior to it sitting. Power steering belt was done within the year before sitting. Plugs/wires and distributor were done within months before sitting. I believe I left it low on gas, so I think I can put some new gas in, and maybe some octane boost to help out (should I be worried about the tank sitting?) also fuel filter had been done within 6 months of sitting.

The engine has lightly burned oil, not enough to notice between changes, but enough to blow some smoke from the exhaust. I typically used lucas oil stabilizer (that thick stuff to keep the seals well lubricated) about once every 3 or 4 oil changes. I also used fuel injection cleaner once every 5 or so tanks of gas back when it was running.

All opinions welcome.
 
After sitting for 4 years the gas for sure is bad. You need to drain it out (or open up the fuel line and jumper the fuel pump to run to remove it) before putting fresh gas in it. Hopefully the tank hasn't rusted inside or you'll be replacing it too (watch the fuel color when pumping it out).
 
I agree with luv2rallye, a fresh tank of gas wouldn't hurt. Also, judging by what you're saying, if the engine itself hasn't had any serious mechanical issues, an oil change should be plenty enough for it. You seem to have a pretty good plan on all the other maintenance items, so I think she'll do you fine and crank up right from the get go. Maybe let it idle for a few minutes, monitor temps, oil pressure, check for any obvious leaks once it warms up. If everything looks right, go for a light cruise, just so you can check any other systems, such as brakes, cruise control, accessories etc.

AND THEN GIVE HER HELL UNTIL SHE BLOWS!!! :hellyeah:
 
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