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Been parked for over two years - need advice.

3K views 21 replies 8 participants last post by  pbowen 
#1 ·
I just took delivery of a 73 280SEL 4.5 that hasn't been started in over two years. The previous owner says it was running when he parked it. I'm looking for advice on what I should do before starting it up for the first time, i.e drain fuel, change oil, etc. Any specific areas I should focus on? I really want to be careful so that I don't cause damange to an otherwise beautiful car.
Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Change all the fluids--oil (and filter), coolant, brake, trans, windshield washer (not necessary really). Drain the gas tank and refill with a few gallons of fresh fuel. Drain the fuel system from the tank to the injectors. Charge the battery to full charge. Take out the spark plugs. Turn the engine over a few times to make sure it isn't seized. Some people say squirt a little Marvel Mystery Oil or some other top end lube into the cylinders. Put the plugs back in (replace them if they are discolored, sooted, or look other than good). Start the car. Put it in gear and drive SLOWLY around the block a few times until the engine and oil temperature are reading normal. Make sure the transmission shifts properly. Park the car. Let it sit for a couple of hours and look for leaks. If it leaks, fix the leaks. Gaskets and seals dry out with time.

If all this works well, drive your new car and enjoy it. My first MB was a W108 ('72 280 SEL 4.5). It was a great car.

That is my suggestion. There may be others who have other ideas.

Good luck.
 
#6 ·
I had a similar experience 2 years ago. It turned out that the fuel pump was stuck sa the fuel had evarporated out, leaving a sticky resin behind. Got a 2nd hand fuel pump and flushed all the lines and cleaned the filters (there is one attached to the fuel tank drain plug. New one is about $20).

Turn the key on - do you hear the fuel pump whirr for a few seconds? It should. If not, it may be stuck. If no sound, try getting some long cables and touching a +12V and earth to each terminal (making sure there are no fuel leaks around you before you do, in case you make a spark). See if the pump runs then.
 
#7 ·
first, sorry about the repeated posts. i was at a boring concert and posting from my phone...it wasn't showing my posts as going through.

second, at this point you're starting from scratch and it could be anything. hopefully it is a fuel pump and not a timing chain or worse.

the two starting points would be checking for spark and fuel. after that...:eek:
 
#9 ·
Try disconnecting the fuel line at the filter, attach a long enough piece of fuel line to get to a container of some kind and see if the pump is moving fuel. Just turning on the ignition runs the pump enough to see. The fuel lines are probably rotted anyway and in need of replacement. I got a fuel pump at the Pick and Pull once and it was stuck as mentioned before.
You might want to see if it will run on starting fluid to establish whether you have ignition or fuel problems. You might be chasing problems the PO was dealing with when they quit driving it.
 
#10 ·
Well, looks like I have a bigger problem. The hard starting issue may have something to do with a cross-threaded spark plug. I notiiced that the plug was at a strange angle when compared to the other plugs. When I pulled it out I noticed that it was repaired once before and the previous owner didn't do a very good job of it. What are my options? Pull the head and repair, repair in place, or find a replacement?
 
#11 ·
Hey kenny,
The pump is a like a buzzing sound - don't know what the whoosh could be?!
On the car I had the problem with, after checking that I had spark, I got some of that starter stuff in a can and sprayed it into the throat of the intake manifold (air cleaner was off, but you still need the little brown wired sensor in the end earthed on something) whislt another mate cranked it. The car would start (or try to start) briefly - that's how I knew that fuel was not getting to the engine.
Don't know what is the best course of action for your spark plug, but I doubt that would be the source of complete absence of signs of life. I would rather try to get the motor running as-is so you can check other things like oil pressure, compression, listen for knocks etc before worrying about fixing the spark plug.
Good luck, Drew
 
#13 ·
Use Time-sert kit. I damaged 2 spark plug holes and repaired them with Time-Sert. When you tap the hole make sure you grease the tap with high temp grease(thick). Apply enough grease to cover the tap cutting threads. The grease will catch most of the metal shavings(chips). Don't apply too much grease to where the excess grease and chips might fall into to the chamber. Very important that you only go in for a few turns(2) and reverse the tap back out so that you can clean off the grease and chips that accumulate. I used a paper towels and air compressor to clean off the grease and chips. The tap will guide itself thru the hole but try to stay as straight as possible. Reapply the grease and go in for another few turns. Repeat the 2 turn until you finally go thru and come out with no chips on the grease. Take your time. You will then finish tapping but remember that the tap will stay in the spark plug hole and the top of the cutting tap threads will be positioned just below the spark plug hole seat. It is important for the tap to go in far enough so that the seat cuter doesn't damage the top of the tap cutting flutes. The seat cutter comes with the kit and that seat cutter is what slides thru the top of the tap and makes contact with the seat of the spark plug hole. Remember to apply grease on the seat cutter before sliding it thru the tap. The seat cutter will only need a few turns and then you inspect the seat of the spark plug hole to see if it looks like a fresh cut. It will be shinny/smooth. The seat cutter is turned by the same extension. You don't have to sit there and turn the seat cutter forever. Remember to clean and re-grease the seat cutter. Just a few good turns applying good pressure and the seat will be fine. I purchased the extended(longer) Time Sert Kit and also had to use a ratchet extension. When finished turning remove the seat cutter and then remove the tap from the hole. Before you go further look thru the spark plug hole with a flashlight and check to see if there are any left over chips on the spark plug thread hole. If you see any chips just apply some of the same grease on a screw driver and dab the threads to remove such chips. If the shavings look really small then apply a slight amount of grease on a paper towel and spin it with your hand/finger if you can. If you have an air compressor you can insert the tip inside the hole and blow air. This action will force out some chips out of the hole. You will use the insert driver (also provided by the kit) and apply indicated lubricant to the drivers threads. I used a few drops of motor oil(5w-30). Spin the appropriate INSERT on the insert driver. The insert will spin on the driver 1/3 of the way. You will then place the insert driver with the insert in the spark plug hole and turn. Keep turning slowly and steady. The driver will get easier to turn as you go. The insert will be cold rolled (outside insert threads will grab onto the new tapped spark plug hole threads. You will be able to remove the insert driver but the insert will stay in place. Once you go thru the driver step and you have removed such driver you can then inspect that the insert(mine is copper plated) is seated properly. Don't install the spark plug just yet. Just in case some grease or chips fell into the chamber you can blow out the hole one more time but this time you will attempt to start your car without the spark plug. Leave all the other spark plugs in place. Just run the engine for no more that 5 seconds. This can clear any remaining residue. You can skip this last step if you are not comfortable with the idea. Properly gap and use the correct spark plug and start your engine. The new spark plug thread will be better than factory. Please don't use helicoil. Time-sert is good. Watch a few you tube videos on time sert kits to see how its used. Its not as detail as what I wrote but it will help visually. Good luck. I should of recorded the thread repair. A you tube upload would of been helpful. I will remember to upload if I tap another thread.

Purchased my kit at Pendergrass tool specialist 1-800-926-1847

++ TIME-SERT Threaded inserts for stripped threads, threaded inserts, thread repair stripped sparkplug's, Ford sparkplug blowouts, threaded inserts threaded, repair stripped threads, stripped threads, inserts threaded inserts, Ford spark plug repair,
 
#16 ·
Well.....the guy did park the car for 2 years for a reason and I am sure its because of what your experiencing. I would disconnect the fuel line at the end, put the line in a jug and turn on the ignition and you should get good solid pumping of fuel.........old fuel also looses its volitility........I had an old jag XJ6 that was sitting for 6 years.........I did as I mentioned, pumped out the tank, put about a gallo of fresh fuel in with some seafoam and when I got her running let it run to do some heavy cleaning of the fule injection.
 
#17 ·
kenny-amg
Is there an insert or a coil in the spark plug hole? How loose is the spark plug when in the spark plug hole? Maybe you can get away with just the regular m14x1.25 , Insert length 16.8mm.

Insert length does not change. Should be 16.8mm with #5141. I feel more comfortable using the extended kit. All the hardware is longer including the seat cutter. I contacted Time Sert via email and they were very friendly and helpful. Email them with your make and model and they will email you back the info so you can confirm.

Part# 5141 E is a lot more expensive.
How visible are the spark plug holes on the 4.5. If they are visible and accessible then #5141 should be ok. If the hole was previously repaired then Big Sert is appropriate.
Feel free to ask more questions...
 
#19 ·
Kenny..like most people say ya need good spark, gas and compression and it should at least "run". While you do have 1 buggered plug hole and you do need to fix it correctly, I would focus more on seeing if you can get it running so you can asses its overall condition before dumping lots of time and money into it. I would check all your plugs to make sure they are good, then try the ether spray in the throttle body.............if she trys to run for even 2 seconds then next step is fuel delivery and thats where the pump condition and old gas come in. Keep us informed where ya are.
 
#20 ·
Worked on it today, finally. Got the spark plug problem solved with help from time-sert (used the big sert kit) and the advice from the wise benzworld guys! Thanks for the help on getting that one solved. Installed a new alternator and tightned the water pump housing, (it was leaking when I tried starting it last time). Sprayed starting fluid in and cranked it over. It ran good as long as the starting fluid was present. No serious noise! It did sputter and try to run after but just couldn't keep going. Will start to trace down the problem with the fuel either tomorrow or next week. Hopefully it will be something easy... Ha!
 
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