will motor fire after sitting 20 yrs

[olbluef100]

i just got my hands on a solid original 68 ford f100 with the 300ci inline six the only thing is the truck has been sitting in a garage for 20yrs my question is will the motor fire and how can i do so without doing a lot

[fordman]

put soem oil in the spark plug holes and get a new battery. turn the keep and see what happens. you could try turning the crankshaft by hand first to make sure it isnt locked up from sitting. unless mice have ate the wirng it may start right up aas long as the gas hasnt gummed up the carb to bad. it depends on how clean the garage was it was sitting in to. that can help with the condition of the whole truck.

[m-mman]

Fordman is 100% correct, try it BEFORE you do anything else.
You will be able to tell if the moving parts are still moveable in just moments after installing a good battery.

Then one of just 2 things will happen;
1. Everything is moving as it should (pistons & valves) such that you have good compression and it fires as soon as you give it clean fuel and spark. You can do a compression test at this time to prove that things are in good shape.

2. "Something" small is stuck. (commonly a valve) In this case you get compression on only 5(?) cylinders with pressure leaking out of the stuck open valve.
During the cranking and fussing, the stuck valve might free up and run perfectly OR in the worst case you have to pull the head and free up the valve(s)

The only other choice is to disassemble everything before you even try and when you find out everything is fine, you have wasted both time & money.

THEN, once it has fired you will need to FINISH waking up Mr. Van Winkle;
In additon to changing the oil & fluids . . . .
Rebuild the carb - the gaskets have shrunk, the rubber is rotten and it WILL leak
New fuel pump - the rubber diaghpram and valves are about to break it will not pump fuel for long.
New belts & hoses - They have been exposed to 20+ years of ozone they are cracked and about to break. This includes all the fuel lines.
Remove and clean out (more likely REPLACE!) the gas tank - It is full of old rust & varnish
Flush the radiator AND heater core - it is clogged with rust
Perform a COMPLETE brake job! - Master cyl, 4 wheel cylinders & 3 hoses - they are rubber and they are rotten, cracked and leaking. Dont trust your life to an old brake system.

IF you do not repair and/or replace everything listed above (dont try to cut corners) the 20+ year old parts WILL BREAK and WILL leave you stranded!!

The listed parts are all things that will leave you stranded when they quit.

You can replace them at home or on the road. It will be your choice.