Restarting 1951 Chevy Truck

[mcallan22]

I've come across a beautiful 1951 Chevy Truck that was fully restored four years ago. Unfortunately it has been sitting, neglected for two years. I anticipate I'll need to replace the battery, but should I check, drain and replace all fluids? Not being much of a mechanic, is this a daunting task? Or are there good resources to recommend for trying to start a vintage truck that been sitting for some time?

Thank you!

[MagicRat]

Fortunately, CA climate is fairly kind to vehicles, unless they are parked on the beach.
It's all the better if this was parked in a well-ventilated garage.

To get it on the road, do the following:
Pull out all the spark plugs. Number the plug wires so you can put them back in the same order. Give each cylinder a long squirt through the 6 spark plug holes with a spray can of WD-40 and let it soak for an hour or so. Then use a big socket and wrench on the front of the engine and spin the engine over a few times by hand.

If the engine spins freely, then drain the fuel tank into a container. Chances are this gas may not be any good. You may need to dispose of it at a hazardous waste facility, or give it to a friend who can use it in something that is not too precious, such as a lawnmower etc.

Older vehicles often have drain plugs at the bottom of the gas tank which makes this job easy. If not, use a siphom hose inserted through the gas tank filler. If the old gas looks foggy/rusty, the fuel tank will have to be removed to be professionally cleaned-out. Then put in a couple of gallons of fresh gas.

Then drain and change the engine oil (and filter if it has one). install a new battery and crank the engine over for a few seconds with the starter motor, still with the spark plugs out. This will allow the engine to easily build oil pressure and help prime the fuel pump. Then reinstall the plugs and wires.

Chances are the engine coolant is 4 years old, so it's a good time to drain the system, flush with clean water and fill with 50/50 coolant/water mix.

Check the oil level on the transmission and differential housing and top up as necessary. Check the brake master cylinder as well. If the fluid is low, there likely is a brake problem somewhere.

Thoroughly inspect the truck for safety. If you are not familiar with this then have a mechanic do this. You want to check the brakes, parking brake, tires, suspension, steering lights, wipers etc for wear and safe operation. Check the engine air filter and clean as required (it may be an oil-bath type, which may need cleaning, there is no element to replace.)

Once this all checks out, you can start the engine. Start it in neutral with the clutch pedal up. Once the engine is running nicely, push down the clutch and try to engage a gear. Do the gears grind? If yes, then the clutch disk is stuck to the flywheel or pressure plate, which is a bit tricky to unstick.

There are other issues here. There may have been a mechanical reason why the truck was no longer driven. If this is the case, you might find the engine doesn't run or you may have a nasty surprise somewhere and an item not mentioned here needs repair.

Good luck and be careful.