Checklist before starting sitting duck!

Hello everybody!

As i am most likely the freshest 1954 Chieftain 2 door sedan owner i would like the input of the Master Minds of the forum of the must to do checklist to be followed before cranking up a car which has been sitting in a garage for a past 5 year! Worse thing would be for me as this is my first restoration project, to do something out of my inexperience which may do some major damage to the vital organs of the car! I started already cleaning and rebuilding the carburetor!

Thank you in advance!

Don't rush into this as any damage caused will only set you back time and $$$$

At the very LEAST I would do the following:

1. Drain oil pan

2. Drop the oil pan and clean it out

3. Clean oil pump sump pickup screen

4. Remove old oil filter elememt (if equipped) and clean out inside of housing - put new filter element in

5. Replace oil pan with new gasket

6. Remove spark plugs and pour WD-40/Marvel Mystery oil/oil down each cylinder and wait a day or 2 and then try to rotate the engine BY HAND ONLY

7. Remove valve covers and clean around lifters, etc - replace covers with new gaskets

8. Remove fuel tank and fuel pump. Have tank cleaned and sealed. Clean/test fuel pump

9. Blow out entire fuel line while tank and fuel pump are out of car.

10. Have a ton of patience........

Joe

Hi Joe!

Valuable information indeed! I would have missed quite few of the points on the list you posted! And yes, patience is the very important ingredient in this matter!

Thank you!

Mart.