• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Storing for Winter

Share this page

P

prmac

Member
Offline
Thank you all for helping me get my 76B running.
Now it is almost time for the baby to hibernate for the winter.
I'll get the tires off and it covered with my Evolution cover.
However, through the years I have had conflicting recommendations whether the gas tank should be full, empty or doesn't much matter.
I would like to hear some opinions on this and any other storage insights. Unfortunately now I am renting so don't have access to a garage. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/canpatriot.GIF
 
Well, here's what I've always done, and have never had any problems.
Fill the fuel tank, and use fuel stabilizer, such as StaBil. run the engine long enough to get the stabilized fuel in the carbs.
Change the oil and make sure the antifreeze protection is sufficient. Make sure all of the hydraulic fluids are topped off, to minimize condensation. Condensation is the main reason for the full fuel tank, and the fresh oil change.
You can pull the plugs and spray fogging oil in the cylinders, or spray it in the carbs until the engine quits. Whatever the instructions on the can call for.
Make sure the battery is fully charged, or remove it and store it inside. There are low amperage "battery minder" chargers available for storage purposes,but I've never needed to use one.
A good coat of wax on the paint, and the chrome, won't hurt anything, and will make it easier to get ready in the spring, which will be about July where you are.
If you store "Top Up". give the top and all the vinyl in the interior a good shot of vinyl dressing, and you should be all set. Use the dressing on the interior regardless. If you are prone to having critters visit, maybe some mothballs around the car, under the bonnet, and in the interior will make them keep their distance.
Using these methods, my cars always fire right up the first time in the spring.
Jeff
 
OK i,ll chime in using similar logic on my cars .........it's always worked for me......AND i,m assuming indoor storage...I use a fuel stabilizer but leave the tank approximately 1/2 full.....Then in the spring you are filling up the tank the rest with fresh fuel.......The full tank method would leave you with staler fuel.......Might be all right ...might not.....Make sure your oil level is up and change the oil in the spring before start up.........Same again fresh oil.........I fog my cylinders also but have read it runs off the cylinder walls within days......i,ve also fogged them before starting but its a smoky start up and i,ve given up on that..........NOt saying i,m right or Bugeye's right.........Just giving you a different point of view........
Bill

Winning isn't everything but it sures beats losing
 
I always fill my tank up to the top and add fuel stabalizer. Here's my logic:

If the tank isn't full part of the tank will have air in it. When the air temperature falls below the dewpoint the moisture in the air will condense. Liquid water in your gas tank is a bad thing. That's why airplanes always fill their tanks for overnight storage.

If you leave the tank empty during storage, not only will water condense, but the small amounts of leftover gasoline will turn stale and become almost gooey. The gas stabalizer helps with that.
 
Back
Top