Starting up 65 230SL after 7 years

[n/a]

I am open to all suggestions,  Here is my situation I have had my 65 230 sitting inside a garage in Arizona while I lived in California.  I had someone that would start the car once a month but about 5 years ago he stopped helping me do to health reasons.  The car is in good shape, good paint and was a daily driver for me while I had it in California.  I replaced the rear end and had fuel injectors repaired.
The engine ran strong and tranny shifted great.  I want to start driving this car again.  I think the fuel pump is broken.  Where should I go from here, whats my next step?

[ja17]

Hello CV,
Drain the old stale fuel, check the tank for corrosion, get the electirc fuel pump running (check the fuse or the pump may be stuck), change the  fuel filter, and add fresh high octane fuel. Starting could take some cranking to reprime all the injector lines. Place gas pedal all the way to the floor for the priming process. Make sure you are getting spark to the ignition (points like to tarnish when not used. Confirm that the injection "warm up device" is working on the  injection when the engine is running.

Happy motoring!

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[n/a]

Thank you, I have made a list from your posting and I will be starting on it very soon. Thanks.

[gugel]

quote:Originally posted by ja17

...get the electirc fuel pump running (check the fuse or the pump may be stuck)

Joe,

A word of caution might be in order here.  Is it possible to burn out the motor in the electric fuel pump by trying to get it to run when it's clogged with the varnish from old gas?

I've always assumed that's what happened to mine when I tried to start the car after ten years of idleness.  I had cleaned the tank, all lines, etc., but not the pump.  Of course, it's possible the pump was shot anyway before I made the attempt.

Chris Earnest

[ja17]

Hello Chris,
It is ok to turn the ignition on for a few minutes to check the pump. Having power to a "stuck" pump for a long period of time may damage the pump motor.

Have a 12volt test light on hand to check to see if power is going to the pump with the ignition on first. If you have power to the pump and it is not running you can bump the pump with a rubber or wood mallet to see if it breaks loose and runs. These pumps are low torque and high rpm so they can stick from just a little varnish. I have bumped them loose in the past after which they have worked just fine. Of coarse if you have a lot of rust or sediment in the tank you will need to take care of this first. And if so the intake screen in the fuel pump inlet and the gas tank screen should be checked and cleaned also.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio