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Preparing for slumber

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Silverghost

Yoda
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What is the best way to prepare a car for limited use / long periods of slumber? Add stabil to a full tank of gas? Drain tank, fuel system, etc? Marvel Mystery Oil in the cylinders? Additives in the cooling system or brakes and hydraulic system? Put the car up on jacks? Appreciate any and all recommendations. I have two days to get the prep done.
 
Peter - could you be more specific on "limited use"?

Do you mean driving it only once a week, or once a month, or once every six months, or every two years, or ...?

I've seen classics drained of all liquids, oil in the cylinders, up on blocks, and in temp/humidity controlled "balloons" - and that's just for a few months!

Tom
 
You can add stabilizer to the gas and it will last quite a while, especially the Marine version, but that's not the biggest problem with long time storage on flat tappet engines, (engine not being run for extended periods), it's initial cam lobe lubrication on start up and that's where a cam can get damaged enough to shorten it's life span. You can prelube all the bearings if you wish, but not the cam lobes as their lubed by the splash system on these engines. Even though some might disagree, but I've done this for years, if I know an engine will not be run for 6 months or more, I drain the oil, refill with new oil and a double batch of STP run it for a few minutes. It gives the oil a sticky quality, Down side, should be drained <span style="color: #FF0000">AFTER</span> warm up from storage, especially in cold weather. Misting the cylinders isn't needed in my opinion, unless it's going to be stored indefinitely. That's just how I've done it over the years. Never wiped a cam lobe yet. Regardless what some will say, STP is a very good product. We never ran a race engine without it. PJ
 
Battery minder - $10 or so from Harbour Freight.
 
My brother's family is keeping his TR3 and it will see very limited use. I want to do all I can to keep it as healthy as possible. I can add the STP to the oil. The car will most likely only get driven to a few car shows a year but not much more than that for the foreseeable future. I am thinking to get it up on jack stands when not in use as well. Anything I am going to do I'll have to do tomorrow .
 
If you have Ethanol in your fuel, and I'm sure you do, It'd be best to drain it out of the tank and carbs before a long sleep. At very least the carb bowls. Sta-bil, and Startron help, but wont completely stop damage from older fuel. Another option would be a tank of non-ethanol fuel from a local marina, racetrack, or small engine/ outdoor power equipment store.
 
Banjo said:
If you have Ethanol in your fuel, and I'm sure you do, It'd be best to drain it out of the tank and carbs before a long sleep. At very least the carb bowls. Sta-bil, and Startron help, but wont completely stop damage from older fuel. Another option would be a tank of non-ethanol fuel from a local marina, racetrack, or small engine/ outdoor power equipment store.
Click to expand...

+1 ethanol is also hygroscopic. Around here Shell premium is a non ethanol alternative.
 
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