Questions and Answers

Chrysler Imperial LeBaron 440 V-8 Q. Okay, I am about to buy a 1975 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron with a 440 V-8 4-bbl engine. Unfortunately, it has been parked in the previous owner's garage for about 10 years and is being rolled down the hill to a friend's place where we will be working on it.

I'm fortunate that the body and interior are immaculate, the frame has very little rust, the springs are hardly even discolored by rust, so I know it's in sharp condition. Electronic systems run well when we put in a new battery.

So here's my question. My friend and I don't know all that much about cars. I've changed a lot of parts out, but never been inside an engine, and don't know much about the fuel system, we paid $200.00 for the car and it's going to be a learning experience for us.

What all should I do to get it running, and what should I expect to replace, and will I have to sell my soul if I have to pay someone else to do it? I'm sure it's very dependant on the condition of the car, but right now I'm looking for ANY advice anyone can give me.

Thanks,
Adam
Omaha, NE

A. You have a very nice car, worth very much more than the $200.00 you paid for it. I'll venture to say the engine alone is worth about $2,000.00.

Since it's been sitting for a long time, here's what I would do.

Remove the gas tank and flush it out with fresh gas. I would send it out to a radiator shop to be pressure tested and reconditioned. While it was out being serviced, I would replace all the rubber fuel lines and check the metal ones.

Fuel pumps for that is cheap and easy, so I would just replace it. I would fill the carburetor float bowl with gas and let it sit for a couple of days so the gaskets get wet and swell back up.

I would drain the transmission fluid, and replace the transmission filter and fill it with fresh ATF.

Same with the oil and filter. I would use a 10W30 for starters with a quart of ATF replacing one quart of oil.

Drain the coolant. Open the petcock of the radiator and the block drains. Mix a fresh batch of 50/50 anti-freeze and water. You'll need four to five gallons.

Take out the spark plugs and spray Liquid Wrench® or WD40® into the cylinders. Then put a socket and ratchet on the crankshaft and turn the engine about 10 times by hand.

New plugs, points, condenser, distributor cap, distributor rotor and ignition wires, don't connect the coil wire yet. Charge, or replace, the battery. Now crank the engine for about ten seconds and let it rest. Do it again and look into the valve cover.

You want to move some oil through the engine before you actually start it. When you see oil coming into the valve cover, you know you have oil moving. If there is an oil pressure gauge, you will see it on the gauge. If it has an idiot light, it'll go out as you crank.

Look into the carburetor and make sure the fuel bowl is full of fuel. Look down the throat of the carburetor and move the linkage to full throttle quickly. You should see a good shot of fuel through the jets into the engine.

Once you have fuel and moved some oil through the engine, you're okay to connect the coil wire and fire that baby up. It should start right up. At first it will blow a LOT of smoke from the lubricant you put in the cylinders, but that will fade away.

Let it idle for a few minutes, keeping an eye on the oil pressure and cooling system. If it continues to blow blue smoke, you may have to replace the valve seals. Or the rings may be frozen. Park it outside and, assuming all is well, let it idle for about an hour, racing it to about 2,000 rpm every once in a while.

As soon as the smoke stops, you're all set. Set the ignition timing and tweak the carburetor. Shut it off and you're ready to do the brakes. Pull all the wheels off and put on new wheel cylinders, brake shoes and hardware and have the drums resurfaced. I would also put in a new brake master cylinder as well. No sense rolling the dice on the old one.

They are pretty easy to work on so I don't think you'll have too many problems with it.

Once that is all done you should be in pretty good shape. Give it a nice coat of wax, get the engine a nice cleaning and off to the car shows!