gummed up fuel system

[69OpelKadett]

well after buying my Kadett i learned that the guy has left gas int he motor now for 28 years !!!!! ahh any suggestions ???

[4g63rallye]

Sounds like time to rebuild the carb to me!

[greensmurf20]

if it still has the solex, dont even bother with a rebuild and upgrade straight to the weber, you'll be happy, you and your opel will both thank you. i'd pull the gas tank and get it cleaned, probably another fuel pump would be a good idea. if the fuel lines seem to be in good shape, you'd probably be fine just carefully blowing air through them and flushing them out with some fresh fuel, new fuel filters are a must.

[69OpelKadett]

my feul system seems to be ok it's really bad gas ... im trying to do this as cheap as possible ... pay days a few weeks away but i am going to try using a electic feul pump to get the tank and lines clea ... i don't wanna try using a air compressor don't wanna mess anything up .... i wouldn't try to redo the carb myself .. that takes patiants ... whitch i have none sorry for the spelling .

[belltaine]

I had gas sitting in my lines for 12 years but once I drained it (thoroughly) my car started right up. Just run some good gas through your lines for a few minutes and your Kadett will start....It must. After all. It's a Kadett.

[garrymc]

Hi,
I would change the oil and filter right away too. Good luck.

Garry

[greensmurf20]

fluid changes, new filters and a flush of the fuel lines and blowing the air filter out would be a minimum. do you have a solex or weber carb?

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by greensmurf20 if it still has the solex, dont even bother with a rebuild and upgrade straight to the weber, you'll be happy, you and your opel will both thank you. i'd pull the gas tank and get it cleaned, probably another fuel pump would be a good idea. if the fuel lines seem to be in good shape, you'd probably be fine just carefully blowing air through them and flushing them out with some fresh fuel, new fuel filters are a must.

That would be a NO-NO! With this low a mileage car, keep it stock. There are VERY FEW completely stock Opels of any model left. Of course, you have to be into that sort of thing to fully appreciate the value of "everything original", but '69 is 35 years old and "original" is its own kind of cool.

This is a fine car just the way it is, trust me!

[jlthunder]

I'd drain the cooling system. Have the radiator and heater core checked and pressure tested. Replace the water pump and thermostat. They are cheap and readily available from Opel GT Source(OGTS). Remember, these engines don't like it hot and a waterpump which is 28 years old(or older) probably has a shot bearing or seal. Just my 0.02

[greensmurf20]

i drove my 71 GT, made in 70, so its really 34 years old, 69 thousand miles. a real virgin GT, probably was one of the few left in the US, and the solex somehow someway caused me to walk home or call for help at minimum once a week. yes, the carb was even rebuilt, and after screwing with solex carbs for the last 2 years, i vowed to never touch one again after getthing the weber. i only lost 2.5 MPG in town (28 down to 25.5) and i went from 36MPG on the highway to 30ish on the highway. i dont do much highway driving. i'm 16, heavy foot, drive alot, and for reliability, i didnt mind the loss in gas mileage as it wasnt too horrable as was worth not walking anymore, altho i probably drive my GT ALOT more than most people. 6 months it seen 12,000 miles, some of those miles were 800 and 900 miles in 24 hour periods. luck of the draw, and the solex carbs must notta liked me but the weber is serving well

my all origional 71 GT with all origional equipment is now white with the blue stripe, weber, pertronix, header, .435 lift and 290 Adv. duration with electric fan. alot more power, easy to drive still and total loss of 3MPG from stock.

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by jlthunder I'd drain the cooling system. Have the radiator and heater core checked and pressure tested. Replace the water pump and thermostat. They are cheap and readily available from Opel GT Source(OGTS). Remember, these engines don't like it hot and a waterpump which is 28 years old(or older) probably has a shot bearing or seal. Just my 0.02

Out of curiosity, does your engine have a cast iron water pump? The one on my Kadett's 1.9 is the first one I've ever seen . . . and I've been futsing with one kind of Opel or another since '76. Yes, it's the original, but I DO have complete documentation on this car from Day One! . . . all maintenance records, registrations, plates and annual stickers.

[greensmurf20]

is that the gold one otto? seen pics, real nice car

[69OpelKadett]

im trying to keep the car original ...as i can .... i am not gonna dive it to much for a few more years ....and it's not going to be a road car no long trips ... i have a 1980 monte carlo or my sunfire for thoes ... .but never want to take my onte on the road for long ... it's like 7 mpg

[greensmurf20]

if you gotta mighty monte you dont need the opel for a toy. i love the 1st and 2nd generation monte carlos the most, i think they all have great body styles, and i'd like to shoot my cousin and uncle for cutting up so many for circle track racing. a kadett would probably be the type of opel to keep origional, and a GT would be a better one to hotrod as half of them have already been altered from orgional condition.

[69OpelKadett]

this is my monte it's a sleeper http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/613344
but it's my first love ... not my first monte but the first i loved the lines ....
and i love the look of primmer .... she's a demon ... thats my baby who's int he garage sitting since it cost me 400.00 A month to drive it 300.00 insurtance 100.00 gas

[jlthunder]

Very Nice Monte Carlo. I had a '79 for my "drivers Ed" car. Have fun with it!!

[69OpelKadett]

i've had so much fun with it .. but it's time it becomes non street pretty much .... it's @ the point where after i add my headers it's gonna be a cop racer .... and i only have 1 ticket left till i lose my dl for a year .... it's my baby always will be i even named my dog after that car

[greensmurf20]

Very nice monte, cragars are among my favorite style rim, i'm very picky, theres just a few select rims i like. Crager SS, Keystone classics, 5 slotted aluminum mags (got some for my opel finally), and the old torquethrust wheels. chevy freak right here along with the rest of my family. i've had a 82 monte carlo but not for very long, frame was rotten like alot of them are. 350 4 bolt main, 350TH trans with cragars, T Tops which i thougth was odd in a monte carlo, bondo bucket unfortunately. guy drove it for 3 years and ended up scrapping it out when the rear frame broke completely. nice monte, if you need any chevy parts we may have some, we got a room full of small blocks in the back room with some miscelanious parts. 265, 283 2 327's, 4 350's, the 327's and 2 of the 350's are 4 bolt main blocks, one of the other 350s is a fuel injected 350 with roller lifter/rocker setup. better stop chevy talk, keiths gonna kill me!!! :o

would love to chat off forum about your monte.

[69OpelKadett]

we can chat off forum if ya have yahoo messenger .... add me
username = Mentalheadcase

[greensmurf20]

i'll probaby shoot you an IM later tonight, i'm roadhead71 or somethign of the sort, not really sure to be honest, hope i remember my password.

[69OpelKadett]

now would be a good time for me to have a person who knows what they are doing to call and gimme tech support ... i changed the oil on the kadett ....
cleaned the plugs and changed the gas filter ..... and she still won't start ...... just don't know what else there could be unless my carb is shot or something looks like it functions ....any advice ...anyone ???

[69OpelKadett]

i also changed the gas and got all the bad feul out and added 2 gallons new .... starting to get lost ....

[opelbits]

Make sure the distributor/rotor/points are good. Corrosion can set in in many places over 28 years. Or maybe there is a reason why it sat for 28 years.

A couple of things I'd do:

install a cleanable glass filter (Autozone- $5.99 or so) between the tank and pump. Any crud or flakes will be visible in it. If you get that kind of stuff into the pump, it will grind it up or tear the diaphragm. If you are getting crud, then the outlet at the tank may be clogging, preventing you from getting any of the good gas.

disconnect the fuel line from the carb and stick it in a bottle or bucket. Disconnect the coil to distributor wire and crank the engine. If there is fuel coming out of the fuel line, then you are okay at least up to that point.

spray a little ether or carb and choke cleaner down the carb throat. I prefer ether (starting fluid) over pouring gas into the carb. If the car starts or sputters, then it's probably time for a new carb.

[69OpelKadett]

i am getitng feul threw the lines ... i changed the filter ... and not im thinking it's the carb is there a way to stest if a carb is good or bad ??? here are some pic's by the way thanks all for the help so far .

[69OpelKadett]

around whats a new or used carb cost for this type of car ....

havn't had it but a couple days ....

1969 opel kadett 1969 1.9