TR6 Running TR6 in the winter

[ptaylor]

Sometimes gets pretty cold here in Ottawa , Canada.....anywhere from 0 C to -30C. My TR6 is in an unheated but closed in garage over the winter.....I intend to start up the TR6 every couple of days over the winter. Is there anything wrong with doing that...
Obviously all the fluids are correct and the gas has been treated.

 

[Gliderman8]

I have my 6 stored in the same situation here in COLD PA. The only other thing I do to store it is to put it up on jack stands.

 

[Darrell_Walker]

If you do start up occasionally, make sure you run it long enough to get the oil fully up to operating temperature. That could be 20-30 minutes, or more. Otherwise you will just be building up combustion by-products in the crankcase, which may be worse than not running it at all over the winter.

 

[M_Pied_Lourd]

I think that if you start it once a month you would be fine. Totally agree with Darrell, bring it up to temperature. I live North of Toronto and have been doing that for the past 6 years with no issues.

Cheers
Tush

 

[TR3driver]

Just my opinion (I drive my TR year-round), but I think you'll find it a lot easier and better to properly prepare the car & engine for storage, then leave it stored. Every time you start the engine, especially in cold weather, it makes all kinds of gunk inside the engine. Most of that can be driven off by getting the oil good and hot (which is practically impossible without driving the car), but not all of it. Better to not generate the gunk in the first place.

Drain the fuel & carb bowls. Remove the spark plugs and coat the cylinder walls with oil. ("Fogging oil" is best, but motor oil will do if you spin the engine to get everything coated with it.) Put the plugs back loosely (and leave the wires off so you don't forget) Plug the intake and exhaust so no critters can get inside. Disconnect the battery (or better yet, remove it to store in a warm place) and connect it to a good battery minder.

I've probably forgotten a few steps, but you get the idea. The marine folks have got this down to a fine art. And with the car properly stored, it doesn't matter if you are unable to visit it each month for whatever reason. Many years ago, a friend of mine went off to boot camp without "winterizing" his freshly rebuilt MGA. A few months later, he asked me to go start it for him. When I got there, the engine was already locked up from the rings rusting to the cylinder walls!
When I bought my previous TR3A, it also had severe damage in one cylinder from the same sort of thing; even here in California. It hadn't locked up (beyond what the starter could break loose), but you could see the ring of rust pits where the (now broken) piston rings had rusted to the cylinder wall.

 

[Vila]

Not the same car, but I have owned my 1933 Chevrolet for 42 years and here is what I have always done to store this car, and my other collectable cars for a matter of fact, here in southern PA.

I fill the gas tank, then I drive them into the garage, turn the car off, remove the key and leave it sit until it is time to start them in the spring. In the spring I put the key in, start the engine and drive them.

With the mileage I put on the cars, I change the oil once every two years in the fall. I have never had an issue.

For the 1933 Chevrolet and Triumph TR4 there is nothing to drain the battery so the battery still has a charge after sitting for 3 months.

The only exception is my 1984 BMW 633 CSi that has an electric clock that would drain the battery, so I use a Battery Tender brand charger to keep the battery topped off, but the other option would be to just disconnect the battery ground for the winter.

Bob Beers
1933 Chevrolet
1962 Triumph TR4
1984 BMW 633 CSi

 

[pdplot]

I make sure to put in some drygas and fuel stabilizer. Never had any trouble after 18 years. A little hard starting maybe, but I get that even after about 10 days sitting.

 

[glemon]

Not the same car, but I have owned my 1933 Chevrolet for 42 years and here is what I have always done to store this car, and my other collectable cars for a matter of fact, here in southern PA.

I fill the gas tank, then I drive them into the garage, turn the car off, remove the key and leave it sit until it is time to start them in the spring. In the spring I put the key in, start the engine and drive them.

With the mileage I put on the cars, I change the oil once every two years in the fall. I have never had an issue.

For the 1933 Chevrolet and Triumph TR4 there is nothing to drain the battery so the battery still has a charge after sitting for 3 months.

The only exception is my 1984 BMW 633 CSi that has an electric clock that would drain the battery, so I use a Battery Tender brand charger to keep the battery topped off, but the other option would be to just disconnect the battery ground for the winter.

Bob Beers
1933 Chevrolet
1962 Triumph TR4
1984 BMW 633 CSi

That is pretty much how I do it, never had a problem with gas, even with a car sitting for half a year or so. There have been times I have let a car sit all winter, but usually if it warms up and I have a little time I will start the car and let it get up to operating temp, charge the battery, and get the car's juices flowing.

 

[tomshobby]

I drive my car into a dry unheated storage shed and disconnect the negative battery cable then close the door and go home. In the spring I reverse the process.

 

[RJS]

I store from first snow until April 1st.
-Change oil late in season
-Fuel Stabilizer
-Full tank of fresh fuel
-Pull Battery and trickle charge in garage
-“Bounce” Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets inside passenger and engine compartment (keeps mice out)
-Seal tail pipe
-Fogging oil in cylinders

Do not start during winter storage

Then prior to starting
-Fogging oil again a day or two before starting
-Remove plugs and spin engine by hand to be sure it's not frozen
-With plugs removed, spin engine with starter until oil pressure registers on gauge
-Insert plugs and connect everything to start
-Heavy shot of starting fluid into air cleaner
-Start engine

I like this best as I feel periodic cold starts during the winter cause the most wear on the engine,

Bob

 

[sammyb]

As long as you don't have pure water in the cooling system, there's really nothing really bad that will come of letting it sit. Like usual, Randall's advice is the textbook "right thing to do" (one should add fuel stabilizer like Sta-bil in a full tank of gas, as well), but a winter-long storage won't damage a vehicle. As someone mentioned, the worst problems are mice.

For a data point, about 10 years ago a buddy of mine used to use a '70 Oldsmobile as a daily driver. One day he just parked it -- letting it sit for two years outside (including periods of being buired under snow.) He decided to drive it again -- threw a jump box on it and it started right up and ran fine.

 

[glemon]

I like this best as I feel periodic cold starts during the winter cause the most wear on the engine,

Bob

Bob, interesting, while I have read that a lot of engine wear occurs at start up, my theory on starting it up is the longer its sits the more residual oil drains away from the bearings and cylinders and cam and tappets, so start her up every once and a while to keep the oil where it is supposed to be and prevent rust in the bores for example, who is right? don't know, not ambitious enough to tear the engine down from time to time in the winter to check. Great looking BRG 4A by the way, I had a 66 solid axle for my last years of college and drove it as a daily driver through my first years of work, loved that car. Regards, Greg