Reviving a Sleeping 12 Valve

[garford12]

My 96 5 speed Has been in storage since 2008. What do I need to consider other than replacing tires, belts hoses, filters and fluids? Do I need to drop the fuel tank and have it cleaned? Should all brake lines be replaced? Any other suggestions appreciated. The truck has 185K miles, mostly towing antique cars to shows and tours. Thanks, Bob Smits

 

[Simplysmn]

How much fuel does it have in it ?I would dump some 2 stroke oil in it and call it good on fuel tank . But this also depend's on where you live ?

 

[garford12]

It has about a half tank. Isn't diesel prone to develop fungal growth when it sits for a long time. I have had to clean slime out of the fuel tank on an old Mercedes in the past.

 

[JR]

10-11 year old diesel fuel can be pretty sketchy. It may be ok and it may not. If you are thinking of running it I would at least pull a sample and have a look. The fuel in the filter bowl may give you a fair shake on the condition.
Also I would disable the IP and crank it over for several seconds to prime the engine with oil. No doubt after all those years alot of the oil film in the bearings has drained back to the pan.

 

[Joe Mc]

½ tank of old fuel isn't worth the risk, drain it, remove/clean it, flush fuel lines, new fuel filter, oil & filter and the like. Happy revival!

 

[Cummins12V98]

Personally I would slide the bed back and pump out the tank then wipe it down to get it 100% clean. Drain and change fuel filter and pre fill with fuel. I have slid the bed back it's not a biggie.

 

[garford12]

Thank you for the replies. If my memory is correct there is a protocol check list for "12 valve won't start" I thought I would review it before trying to fire it up.

 

[DavidC]

A break fluid flush would be a good idea after running

 

[Chief USA]

In addition to that brake flush, plan on going through the ENTIRE brake system. I have a 2002 that has just turned over 88,000 original miles. As you can suspect, it sets for long periods of time. I recently had to replace all of the brake lines, rotor, calipers, and pads even though the OEM original brake pads still had about 85% of the pad remaining. The calipers had seized up due to multiple repeated cycles of water vapor in the air condensing on the OEM original brake assemblies and rusting them to the point that they did not work properly. The owner will have to "fess up" and take responsibility for the 17 year old OEM original brake fluid still in the system that smelled like ammonia when I flushed the system BEFORE I replaces anything. At minimum, you want to disassemble, clean, and lubricate as well as ensure the calipers are moving on the slide pins and the pistons are free in their bores.

If you care about this truck and want it to come back to life with the best outcome, replace ALL the fluids and replace with the best quality fluids you can afford/find. That would cover front and rear differential, transfer case (if so equipped), transmission, engine oil, power steering fluid, engine coolant (I really like the Shell Extended Life Engine Coolant, I have had it in my truck's engine for about 15 years and each year I just drain off a gallon and replace with new to keep the additive package up, it is rated for 7 years or 600,000 miles but I don't let it go that far), and of course brake fluid (it took about a gallon to get all four caliper to purge nice clean fluid, I got the Walmart SuperTech Dot 3 brake fluid in the gallon container and a power bleeder) (note, unless you use a special tool to hold open a check valve for the front brakes, you will not be able to power bleed the front brakes and will need a helper or quick bleeders for the calipers).

I would strongly recommend replacing the serpentine drive belt. Drain ALL of the fuel from the tank and if possible use some regulated down to maybe not more than 35 psi shop air and blow back through the fuel lines from the injection pump back or as much of the fuel line as you can.

While you have the brakes apart checking them out, replace the tires, after 11 years, the tires that are on that truck now are NOT safe to be on the road with.

Be sure to check the air cleaner box for mouse nests and replace the air filter. Grease all the zirks. I would check the starter to ensure proper function. After 11 years the striker/contact plate may be corroded and not work properly. This happens on my starter after setting for months but will usually work after several attempts to engage the starter. Once I have started it a few times, it works fine provided I use the truck at least once a month, so I make it a point to use it once a week if I can.

Before you get started with this, it might be a good idea to get a can of your favorite thread penetrant and lube all of the nuts and bolts that you may have to loose/remove to give it a chance to soak in good. You may want to use shop air full strength to clean out the rear axle u-bolt clamp plates of mud/dirt and inspect the bolts/threads for rust and corrosion. I was shocked at how much the bolts had erroded from rusting and the amount of dirt that had accumulated. I cleaned them out good and sprayed them with anti-rust/corrosion spray protectant.

Best of luck with it and nice to see a 12 valve that has been in suspended animation for that long brought back to life.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Before I crank the liner up after a long rest I bump the starter a few times to get oil back to the front and rear crank bearings, also the rod bearings. I know of and heard trucks that have rebuilt engines spin the main bearings or throw a rod. This goes for vehicles that sit a long time.

 

[AEdelheit]

If it was my truck I would pull the injectors since its so easy to do on a 12V and crank the engine with no compression until there is proper oil pressure or plumb in an electric oil pump to the block and pressurize the system that way. There is likely no oil film left so there will be a lot of metal on metal rotation, turning the engine over with no compression takes a lot of load off the main and crank bearings.