Bringing It Back To Life

PRO TIP: To help with removal/repair processes and for helpful tips, purchase the Complete Manual Set w/ Full Color Wiring Diagram (Part # K4001010T) - they will help walk you through all the work you’ll be doing.

• Purchase a new battery from a local parts store (we use Interstate MT-78's here in the shop - don't purchase any kind of gel battery, the car's electrical system will kill it). If your car has an old battery in it currently, take it with you as a core so you’ll avoid a core charge.

• Always start with the fuel system when bringing a car back to life. Take out the spare tire and unscrew the fuel tank access panel in the trunk of the car, then pull out the fuel pump and take a look around inside the gas tank. It needs to be so clean you can eat off of it. If there is any residue, dump in some Seafoam or Kreen and let it sit for a day, and then wipe it out. The tank is plastic so it will wipe clean fairly easily, there's no need to drop the tank.

• Drop in a fuel pump/sender module (Part # 107000), which also comes with a new external fuel filter, and install the module and filter, making sure to blow out the fuel hardlines on the car to get as much residual debris out that may still be lurking.

• Install a new fuel accumulator kit (Part # K100519) as this is also a place for any remaining bad fuel to linger, and the diaphragms inside them dry out over time and don't hold pressure anymore. The kit also includes new rubber lines so you won't have to worry about dealing with the old, probably dry-rotted ones.

• Install the new braided stainless fuel lines (black - set of 9) (Part # K102318A) at the engine, and either clean up your hollow bolts for reinstallation, or purchase new ones - the fuel line set will come with new copper washers, so you won't have to worry about having to reuse the old ones. While you are installing the lines, inspect the ports on the warm-up/control pressure regulator (Part # 102353B) for debris and corrosion. If either are found, it can sometimes be flushed out with carb cleaner and compressed air, but a rebuild is typically required. Also lift the fuel distributor (Part # 102807B) and check that the plunger in the center moves freely. Sometimes this can be freed up with a little persistence but generally this indicates a level of contamination that warrants a rebuild.

• While you are installing the lines, check the fuel injectors and pop them into an ultrasonic cleaner if you have access to one. This will get fluid moving through them again and loosen up any varnished fuel that may remain. You can reinstall them with new seals (Part # 102631 - quantity of 6) and clips (Part #102346 - quantity of 6) if you want. If you end up needing any fuel injectors (Part # 102742), you can find them on our website.

• Remove the blue "Fan Fail" module in the relay/fuse compartment and hardwire in a fused wire link (Part #111102) in its place. The original blue modules are a 100% failure item and you WILL end up with your cooling fans not running, so best to take care of this before you let the engine start to run.

• Drain the old engine oil and install a new oil filter (Part # 102114B) and 7 quarts of conventional 20W-50 oil, then crank it up and see what happens! It may take a little while of cranking to build up fuel pressure at the engine when you're starting from scratch, but it should eventually fire. Then it can be determined if it needs a warm-up/control pressure regulator (Part # 102353) or fuel distributor (Part # 102807B) rebuild based on how it runs. Those would have to be sent in to us for rebuilding, as there are no longer any new units available. They are also something that is NOT rebuildable by yourself and should not be taken apart - doing so can make it more difficult for us to rebuild, which ends up incurring extra charges.

• Once the engine gets settled in, you can move on to the brake system before road testing it - it would need a master cylinder (Part # 105543 - the reservoir gets transferred over), complete car caliper rebuild kits (Part # K119000 - will do the whole car, the pistons are normally reusable) or our new complete front and rear brake aftermarket caliper set (Part # K111046A), and front & rear brake hose kit (Part # K100459 - will do all 4 corners). You can probably machine the rotors if they're over .460 inches - that's the minimum thickness. Flush and bleed with DOT 4 fluid.

• If the car is a manual transmission, you'll want a master clutch cylinder (Part # 100462) and slave clutch cylinder (Part # 100843), although you could probably hold off on the slave until you have the intake manifold off later on when you're doing a hose kit. It's a lot easier to install that way. And also install a new braided stainless clutch line (Part # 108637) in-between them, the original nylon clutch lines are another 100% failure item. Then flush and bleed with DOT 4 fluid.

• A new set of tires can be purchased in the correct factory specs. 195/60-14 in the front and 235/60-15 in the rear. The Hankook brand has them in a matched set. You may have to call a tire store to order them as they are typically not kept in stock. Learn more about tire choices and recommendations by reading the full knowledge base article here.

All of this should let you start the car up fairly reliably and get it up and moving! Then you can assess the cooling system and radiator, and look over the engine for tune-up items (spark plugs, cap/rotor/plug wires, etc) if the fuel system is good but the engine still has a miss or is sluggish.