MG Car Repair: MGB hasnt been driven for 10 years, clutch fluid, engine temp

Question
I have a 1977 MGB that has been idled for about ten years now.  Nothing was done to prepare it for storage, so there is(was) fuel in the tank and carburetor and the only time it moved was about a year ago when it was pushed about 15 feet backward.  It does have a weber sidedraft carb that has only a few thousand miles on it.

I'm afraid of causing some harm to the vehicle or taking on a project that is beyond my capabilities.  I'm looking for a list of what I need to do before I even think about trying to start the car.

Answer
Hi Jeremy,
Any car that has been in storage for 10 years needs about the same things.

Drain all of the gas out of the tank and carb and blow out the fuel lines with compressed air and remove the fuel pump and test it. Then put in fresh gas.

Change the engine oil and filter and I always change out the trans oil and differential oils too. Even though the books will tell you that the transmission take gear oil you will be much better off using engine oil in the transmission.

If you are just purchasing the car you should change the brake fluid and clutch fluid also. Use DOT 4 fluid not DOT 3 as some books say.

Drain the cooling system and put in new coolant. If you have a pressure tester use it. If not just watch under the car when it is started and warmed up.

You will need to replace the battery too. You should also run a compression test and set the ignition timing and adjust the valve clearance.

Before you try to start the engine you should (after changing the oil and filter) remove the spark plugs and the small white wires off of the coil and then spin the engine until you see oil pressure on the gauge. You should see at least 25 to 35 PSI on the gauge with the starter only. Don't even think about starting the engine until after you have done this.

After you do all of this and start the engine you need to watch the oil pressure and engine temp. The oil pressure should be 25 to 35 at idle and 50 to 80 at a fast idle. (1500 RPM)

Be sure the clutch feels normal and before you start the engine point the car so if it lurches forward it will not hit anything because you may need to try to start the engine in gear with the clutch pedal down and in gear to try to break the clutch loose as many stick when stored that long.
Let me know how you make out,
Howard