# '67-now what?



## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

I have a '67 GTO. It hasn't been run for approximately 5-6 years. I just installed a new heater core because I found out the old one had corroded and leaked onto the passengers side floor. I plan to try to figure out the cable connections to the core box tomorrow. Then what and in what order? 

Is it best to siphon out the old gas, dump in new then run the engine and siphon again? Should I just get the carb rebuilt and be done with it? Big question-what octane? Do you use a lead substitute of some kind?

What type of coolant is recommended? Standard ethyl glycol 50/50 mix? With the system being empty, should i top off the radiator, run it, then check again?

Oil and filter type? I thought I saw "somewhere" to use 10W-40. Will the folks at NAPA know what to use?

Needs a battery. WalMart special ok? Size?

I plan to make sure power steering fluid, brake fluid and transmission fluids are at the correct level. Is it best to drain and flush them somehow? What types to use?

Is there a website that has all this information that will save someone a whole lot of typing? LOL. 

Sorry to dump a load of questions on you all but I have so many! Thanks.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

5 years? Wow. Ok...how much gas is in the tank? If almost full, dump it and replace with new. If yu have 1/4 tank or so, just add fresh fuel. I have operated vehicles with fuel that has sat for 5 years without a problem. Your results may vary. Carb overhaul first? I wouldn't. See if it'll run first. HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER READY! Oil: Oils have changed in the past 5 years. They are no longer suitable for yur GTO due to government mandates. You will need to run a diesel spec oil like Shell Rotella 15 40 or Delo. If not, run a 10-30 or 10-40 or 15-40 and USE A ZDDP additive! The zinc and phosphorus in pre-2006 oil kept your cam from going flat and your wristpins from galling. You need to add it to the current oil. Cheapo battery is ok...especially if you let your car sit for long periods. You'll be buying a new battery every time you go to drive the car, if it sits for a long time between runs. Check the level and color of the ps and trans fluids. These fluids are high detergent and highly stable, and don't tend to go bad unless contaminated. If clean, make sure they're topped off and you'll be good to go. The latest craze of "flushing" automotive systems is a repair industry scam to generate income. It is not normally recommended. Check the differential oil before you drive the car...brake fluid too. After 5 years, the liklihood of brake failure is high. Brake fluid absorbs moisture, and wheel cylinders like to rust. I would pull the wheels and check the brakes. Good luck.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Oh yeah....standard green ethylene glycol mixed 50/50 with distilled water is fine. Don't use hard water in your system. Change the coolant every two years, regardless of mileage. Coolant turns corrosive over time and will eat up your heater core, rad, and other parts of the cooling system.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

geeteeohguy, thanks for the replies. Can I run unleaded gas then or should I use some kind of additive?


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

You can run unleaded gas with an octane booster. Your car's valve seats will suffer a bit if you run the car hard for long lengths of time (3000rpm plus on the freeway for 100's of miles, etc.), but I wouldn'tworry about it. If you use the car as a weekend driver you'll be fine. When you eventually go through it, you can have hardened valve seats and better valves installed for the unleaded fuel. You WILL need to run octane booster or race gas with the stock compression you have. Your car needs about 96-100 octane fuel to run without detonating on hot days....


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

How about this one. I ended up cutting the heater core hoses when I changed it. I was able to install the longer one with a new one without any problems. The one from the core to the head kinked when I tried to install it. I found a formed/molded one on-line at OGP for 21.99. GTO - Molded Heater Hose Anyone else have any background on these? Fair price?


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## Jeff's Classics (Feb 24, 2010)

geeteeohguy pretty much nailed it, but here's a link to a how-to I wrote some years ago about revitalizing a vehicle. In this case it was about my old Jeep Cherokee, but I've done the same for my '71 Javelin and my '74 Corvette.

International Full Size Jeep Association

There are usually a few issues that will pop up when trying to get old vehicles road worthy again, but once I worked through those I've gotten plenty of mileage out of the old beasts.
Have fun!
Jeff


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Last summer I started a boat my Dad put away 13 YEARS ago on the gas in the tank. It didn't run great, but it ran good enough to mix with the fresh fill and dilute the old. I also added a can of carb cleaner with the fill. Runs great now.


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## likethat (Oct 5, 2007)

A couple table spoons of baking soda every so often keeps the acid away in the radiator. I was taught that many moons ago. Mix the soda with some water, so its kind of a paste. Then put it in the battery and cables every now and a again, makes every thing look nice and new.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

likethat said:


> A couple table spoons of baking soda every so often keeps the acid away in the radiator. I was taught that many moons ago. Mix the soda with some water, so its kind of a paste. Then put it in the battery and cables every now and a again, makes every thing look nice and new.


??? in the battery?:shutme


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## likethat (Oct 5, 2007)

No no on the outside and on the cables  O and I are to close for my sausage fingers


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

I use the backing soda slurry to clean the case and cables too, but I don't leave it on. I rinse thouroughly, dry and then coat the posts and clamps with chassis grease.


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## likethat (Oct 5, 2007)

Same here as the reaction makes salt and Dielectric grease to top it off.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

I got 2 cans for work, 1 is Napa terminal cleaner, spray on, wait a couple mins, hose off. Then, Napa terminal preservative, spray on paint like protectant. $10 for the pair, good stuff.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Thanks for the replies / help. I'm off to get the goods this weekend finally. Send anymore information as you see fit. Good stuff.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Read somewhere to give each cylinder a shot of ATF. Why ATF? How about a shot of motor oil and let it sit for a week or so before trying to start it?


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Crikker said:


> Read somewhere to give each cylinder a shot of ATF. Why ATF? How about a shot of motor oil and let it sit for a week or so before trying to start it?


ATF probably cleans better, and is a better rust penetrator.


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## Jeff's Classics (Feb 24, 2010)

jetstang said:


> ATF probably cleans better, and is a better rust penetrator.


:agree:agree

It's a little less viscous, should penetrate better and burn off easily when you fire it up. It will probably smoke like hell, though, for the first few minutes.
Jeff


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

ATF is a high detergent oil. In fact, if you find yourself with greasy hands and no cleaner, pull the trans stick and smear the fluid on the grease to break it down and wipe off........:cool


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## likethat (Oct 5, 2007)

Heard guys for years swear by swapping a quart of ATF ever so often in an oil change to keep the internals clean.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

How about this one. Tire pressure. The owners manual talks about 4 and 6 ply tires. 24 and up for the fronts and 32 and up for rears (something like that. I don't have it in front of me). Tires on mine aren't 4 or 6 ply. Max pressure says 35psi on the sidewall. they're BF Goodrich Radial T/A's, P215/70R14s. I serviced them to 30 psi fronts and 32 psi rears. Should I go to the max on the sidewall?


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Crikker said:


> How about this one. Tire pressure. The owners manual talks about 4 and 6 ply tires. 24 and up for the fronts and 32 and up for rears (something like that. I don't have it in front of me). Tires on mine aren't 4 or 6 ply. Max pressure says 35psi on the sidewall. they're BF Goodrich Radial T/A's, P215/70R14s. I serviced them to 30 psi fronts and 32 psi rears. Should I go to the max on the sidewall?


You have it backwards.....the front carries far more weight than the rears. Drop the rears to 30 and put 2 more pounds in the steers. The only time you would need max pressure is under full carrying capacity.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Doh! That makes sense when I see it written down. Thanks Too Many Projects. Those pressure won't be too low will they? I just serviced them to that as a WAG.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Brake fluid-manual calls for SAE70R3. Can't find. Is it made anymore? I found some sites that say to use DOT3. DOT4 is silicone based and will eat the seals. The questions keep coming. Thanks for bearing with me.


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Crikker said:


> Doh! That makes sense when I see it written down. Thanks Too Many Projects. Those pressure won't be too low will they? I just serviced them to that as a WAG.


No, 32/30 should be fine.



Crikker said:


> Brake fluid-manual calls for SAE70R3. Can't find. Is it made anymore? I found some sites that say to use DOT3. DOT4 is silicone based and will eat the seals. The questions keep coming. Thanks for bearing with me.


DOT 3 is the correct replacement, but I would completely flush the old out with the new. Bleed the rr first until you have clear, clean fluid and then do the lr. Next is rf and finally lf.


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## Glenn's Goat (Sep 7, 2010)

geeteeohguy said:


> 5 years? Wow. Ok...how much gas is in the tank? If almost full, dump it and replace with new. If yu have 1/4 tank or so, just add fresh fuel. I have operated vehicles with fuel that has sat for 5 years without a problem. Your results may vary. Carb overhaul first? I wouldn't. See if it'll run first. HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER READY! Oil: Oils have changed in the past 5 years. They are no longer suitable for yur GTO due to government mandates. You will need to run a diesel spec oil like Shell Rotella 15 40 or Delo. If not, run a 10-30 or 10-40 or 15-40 and USE A ZDDP additive! The zinc and phosphorus in pre-2006 oil kept your cam from going flat and your wristpins from galling. You need to add it to the current oil. Cheapo battery is ok...especially if you let your car sit for long periods. You'll be buying a new battery every time you go to drive the car, if it sits for a long time between runs. Check the level and color of the ps and trans fluids. These fluids are high detergent and highly stable, and don't tend to go bad unless contaminated. If clean, make sure they're topped off and you'll be good to go. The latest craze of "flushing" automotive systems is a repair industry scam to generate income. It is not normally recommended. Check the differential oil before you drive the car...brake fluid too. After 5 years, the liklihood of brake failure is high. Brake fluid absorbs moisture, and wheel cylinders like to rust. I would pull the wheels and check the brakes. Good luck.


Good info about the engine oil, do you think Royal Purple is of to use? does it require the additive??


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Bringing this one back to life.

Finally started the GTO last weekend! It started after only a few pulls. Amazing. It ran pretty good. Burnt out the tranny fluid in the cylinders. Ran at high idle for a bit and then it tapped the throttle and it idled down. Seemed to be pretty stable. 

I screwed up last fall in that I shot the cylinders with the transmission fluid thinking I would be able to run it before winter. Nope. Bad things happened and it never got run and I've been stressing about it since. Now, not too bad.

The things I found:
-No brakes. I wanted to back it out of the garage. Pushed on brakes and nothing. No puddle on floor either. Popped off master cylinder cover and looks like the rear chamber is low. Should the fluid be at a set mark and what kind to use? I think it was DOT 3 from a few posts back.

-Checked power steering fluid. Low. What kind?

I'm stoked here after hearing it run and it's so close to getting on the road.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Brakes may just need bleeding, fill it up, pump the brakes and look for puddles. It will pump it out if leaking. May be a bad master cylinder also, just bypassing fluid internally.
You can run tranny fluid as power steering fluid, dextron.
Sounds like all is going good, good luck on getting her road ready!!


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Just read a post about gravity bleeding of the brakes. 
Can I open all four and let them bleed or just one at a time? If my master cylinder is bypassing like jetstang said, will it show when bleeding the brakes somehow?


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Crikker said:


> Just read a post about gravity bleeding of the brakes.
> Can I open all four and let them bleed or just one at a time? If my master cylinder is bypassing like jetstang said, will it show when bleeding the brakes somehow?


You can gravity bleed to get fluid to the wheel cylinders but they still need pressure bleeding to remove all the air. You can only do 1 wheel at a time. Leaks don't show up well with gravity either. The low fluid could be from the wheel cylinders leaking down. The master has residual valves to hold a few pounds of pressure on the cylinders to keep the rubber cups inflated. After a vehicle sits for an extended period of time, that pressure will bleed off and the fluid can leak past the cups. Bring the level up in the master and pump the brakes a few times to see if the pedal will come up. If it does, you may get lucky and not have any major leaks to deal with. If the pedal doesn't come up, look under for an obvious leak.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Tried to bleed the brakes today. Nothing from right rear. Went to the MC. Heard it cycling. It looks like there are two "bleed" holes on either side on the bottom. I had my wife cycle the brakes while I watched and had drops come out of both holes. I'm guessing something let loose internally. It didn't seem like the quantity dropped at all when I was trying to bleed them. Is that the MC bypassing internally?


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Sounds like the seals are shot in the master. A reman master for 4 wheel drums is under $20 many places. Be sure to bench bleed it before hooking up the lines.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Any quick leads on where I can get one Too Many Projects? Are they available at places like NAPA or are they a special order? I haven't looked at all since getting back home.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

any corner auto parts place will have or get them in a day.


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Instg8ter said:


> any corner auto parts place will have or get them in a day.


What he said. I got one at an Auto Zone and it was on the shelf. Don't know if you have them there, but O'Reilly's, Pep Boys and the like should have them too.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Yep, master should be easy to find. Bench bleed it, then install. Bleed farthest away first, then work your way forward, then start over in the rear. Catch the fluid and reuse it once it runs clean. If you get doen and the brakes are still bad, rebleed again and again and again.. Untill you get all the air out. When she starts whining about her leg being tired, you are half done, lol..


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

:rofl: about her leg...reminds me i need to bleed mine AGAIN......"honey can you come out here!!!!"


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

I heard that last weekend. She's a sport about it though so it's cool. I had to lay on the floor with the spiders so it wasn't too bad for her.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

And a year later, I'm revisiting the GTO. Here's an update.

Tried to bleed brakes after MC change. No way were the bleeders opening. Rusted shut. OK. Figured it's time for brake job. Got parts to tackle the fronts first. Got the left front tore down. Got new spring kit, cylinder, shoes. Went to put it back together. Wrong cylinder. Mount holes don't line up. Must be for the right side. Went back to store to get one. They can't find one. Soooo....

Where can I find all the parts I'd need to do brakes on this? Right now, as near as I can tell, I need a left front brake cylinder and the pins (posts? because I threw the old ones away thinking I'd get new ones with a new cylinder). My goal is to get the fronts done soon and then tackle the backs.


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## Instg8ter (Sep 28, 2010)

any local auto parts will have them or NAPA


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Instg8ter said:


> any local auto parts will have them or NAPA


:agree Those brakes are the same across the entire GM A body line for many years. Any competent parts store should have them on the shelf. The pins may be harder to find but those parts trees of "HELP" in the stores may have them.


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## Crikker (Oct 17, 2009)

Found the cylinder at NAPA (nice call). Had to go to Chicago Muscle for the pins though. Thought I could make a run at getting the fronts done this weekend but it'll have to wait.


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

Crikker said:


> Found the cylinder at NAPA (nice call). Had to go to Chicago Muscle for the pins though. Thought I could make a run at getting the fronts done this weekend but it'll have to wait.


You can still put all the new parts in and add the pins later. You can gravity bleed the cylinders too, while you're waiting. Once the pins arrive, it's ten minutes and you'll be ready to install the drums/bearings and pressure bleed...:cool


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