[mrstangABQ]

I could use some help. I've owned my 66 coupe for 11 years but it hasn't ran for 5 yrs. I now have time a little bit of $ to start working on it.

The day it stopped running.
It was running fine and then I heard a pretty loud knocking sound. I drove the car back to my garage and from that point on I couldn't get it started. That was five years ago.

I would like to try one more time because it sucks seeing it just sit there and I'm tired of renting trailers and recruiting neighbors to push it onto a trailer every time I need to take it somewhere.

Where do I start? Drain and replace with all new fluids, new spark plugs?

Please help.

Thanks in advance.

[TravisCadello]

it was knocking? first thing you should do in that case is pull the motor and rebuild it. why waste money to get a knocking motor running on new parts? you're timing chain probably broke or the bearings seized up.

[pyro1730]

welcome to the forums.


Draining the fluids is a good idea. I would pull the plugs first and see if they look clean/aren't gunked up. You might want to try putting high test gasoline and starting fluid in the tank and you might want to check all of the hoses to make sure that they don't need replacing. Hope that some of this helps.

[fobra559]

Welcome to AFM, be sure to check out the Classic section for some great advice

[mrstangABQ]

Are there any things that I can try just so I can drive it to the shop or at least onto the trailer? Could it be the oil pump? If I do try, what's the least I can do to give it one more attempt?

Rebuilding the engine and trans is in my 2-year plan. How hard is it to rebuild the 289? Any recommendations in the Albuquerque New Mexico area?

[stlwagon]

Welcome aboard... We'll find you some advice in here.

[nigel]

Pull the engine and take it to a machine shop. They charge about $40.00 to hot tank it, $5.00 a hole to hone it and $350.00 to rebuild the short block. $500 for the long block. I paid for the long block option. Make sure that you use clevite bearings. Don't forget to have your gas tank cleaned.

[andrewmp6]

I would do everything everyone said but replace the gas tank by the time you clean it or have it coated you could buy a new one.And replace any rubber fuel lines.

[mrstangABQ]

I was told not to coat the tank bacause the coating will chip off and clog the fuel lines.

Are new tanks coated or is that something they do to old tanks only?

[Print Dad]

Hello mrstangABQ,
Just starting to read more on your post.

The nock concerns me, it could be a rod bearing or a piston ring could have been stuck.

As for the tank...I replaced mine for the cost of recoating. i just threw it in.

The car should start even with a bad bearing:

You need to check out several things
1. - You need spark
2. - You need fuel.

Look into the top of the carb, open choke, move throttle and see if you see gas squirt.

As for spark see if you have sprak to the plugs. Then if you don't we back track.

As others have mentioned you could have trouble however a motor not running right will cause lots of weird noises.

You may have to do a bit more such as pulling the valve covers and turning the motor by hand to see if the rockers are all moving. I bet you may have a bent pushrod from sitting. This will also cause a clunk noise.

Try to check spark and fuel and post back..... Print Dad