Turn Over my 340, Sleeping For 17 years

I had similar questions when pulling my 340 dart off the jack stands where it had sat for almost 25 years.

First thing I did was replace all fluids and hoses. Then the gas tank and fuel lines. Rebuilt the brake system with all new lines. Then pulled the plugs, squirted some MM in each cylinder and put the plugs back in and let it sit for a couple weeks, mainly because I got busy with work.

I pulled the distributor and gear and spun the oil pump to get fresh oil in the galleries. I rebuilt the carb threw some gas in it and fired it up.

I asked an engineer friend of mine who designs springs of all types for the oil industry whether or not the valve springs should be replaced and he said probably not unless the engine had considerable mileage on it. Since it only had 47k miles on it there shouldn't be a problem.

He said springs experience negligible affect on their structural integrity unless you hyper extend the spring past it's rebound point. In other words it's the compression followed by extension followed by compression etc, etc. that causes them to fatigue not sitting static.

It fired right up and after a tune up it runs fine and doesn't use or burn oil.