Getting ready for winter storage; what to do?

I'll start off with my $0.02 worth:
1. full gas tank with gas stablizer.
2. fresh oil and oil filter
3. battery trickle charger
Ive heard that it is a good idea to loosen off the rockers, if the car is going to be stored for 3 or 4 months. Any comments on this?
Ron

I have always been told to disconnect your battery for long storage. If there are any electrical gremlins it will be protected from being drained. I like to remove the battery and use a trickle charger outside of the car if I know I won't be driving it for several months.

Ron, If you are storing a car in a heated garage there is little work to lay up the car for winter months. What we would do for non heated garages is - put a stablizer in the tank which you want very much full to reduce an air space. You will reduce the condensation which will corroded your tank internal. Lay the engine up with fresh oil .Next run the engine and pinch the fuel line (if it is rubber line) to allow the carbs to run the fuel out of them.This keeps them from gumming up from old fuel. Now pull the coil wire and spray a cylinder fogging agent down the carbs when someone is cranking the engine. Keep the fuel pinched while fogging. Pull the battery and place in somewhere it won't freze. Put a trickle charger on it to maintain a charge. Jack the car up to get the weight off the tires. Waxing the paint is a ggod practice. You can fog any chrome with the fogging agent to prevent corrosion.
Hope this helps,
Joe S.

Joe, what is cylinder fogging agent ? Can I get this at my local auto store?
When I had an electric fuel pump put in I also had them install a shut off switch under the dash. It's easy to drain the carbs...just keep the car running and shut off the fuel pump. After a minute or so the carbs run out of fuel.
Ron

Ron:

You can use an alcohol based fogging agent. I think it's made by Molson's, or something like that. Really fogs things up.

Bob

I think there is more than one school of thought on running carbs dry prior to storage. If the fuel is treated properly (stabilized) it shouldn't gum anything up and running dry may cause seals, gaskets or whatever to dry out and leak when the car is brought out of storage. In deference to this, I usually ran my carbs dry so I guess that's what my personal preference has been.

As far as "fogging agents" go, I used to do this to my Harleys prior to winter layup. I would spray the fogging oil down the carb throat while running the carb dry, fuel petcock closed. This would allow the engine to run long enough to get pretty smokey and stinky before it quit. The theory is that this oil mist protects the cylinder walls during storage.
My fogging oil, a spray can, was purchased from the Harley dealer, so of course it is probably available elsewhere cheaper.

In East Tennessee, there is no such thing as Winter layup. There were only a few days when I couldn't drive last year, salt ya know. I might have to bundle up due to the lack of heat, but it's still a kick!
John H.

Foggy agent is usually a silicone based lube which will stick to the metal. Marine stores and auto stores carry it. Alcohol base is oK to remove water though it short term. Running carbs dry is not old school . The alcohol additives in most fuels tend to effect rubber diaphrams and seals if allowed to set for long periods. Deposits will still adhere to the internal of the carb even with fuel stabilizor.No fuel no deposits how easy is that. I have had a alot of experience laying up marine engines in my earlier days.
Joe

For any length of time other than a few weeks:

Change oil and filter. Top up brake fluid if necessary.

True "fogging oils" are not alcohol or silicone based. Check with a shop that sells diesel stuff (marine supplies?). Remove plugs; with each cylinder at BDC fog it then replace the plug, and rotate to the next cylinder. When finished, plug carb inlets.

Stabilizer in the fuel and a full fuel tank. Stuff a rag in the exhaust pipe. Remove rocker arms or back adjusters off all the way.

Raise the car off of the ground and elevate on 4 stands to keep the tires from developing a "flat spot"

cover with a good quality car cover that breathes.

How 'bout this method:

Sell this years model and then about Feb. 1st order a new one! You do two things here, don't have to worry about doing the winter gyrations and you are doing a patriotic duty by keeping the economy humming!

Bruce

Move to San Diego, put he top down and drive the da_ _ thng. Sorry guys, I left Michigan a long time ago!

David
How come I never see any speedsters on the road when I visit out there? I've been out about 15 times in the last 8 years and have seen one on the road. If I move out there I hope to give mine a good amount of road time. :-)
ed

What about this method:

Fire the engine and let run 20 minutes once a week or three times a month. At the same time roll the car forward about a foot so the tires don't rest in the same spot.

This is assuming you are only storing it for 4-5 months of lousy weather.

Jerome

I doubt it would get up to full operating temperature at 20 minutes of no-load running. I don't have the storage problem as I drive my car year-round.

I'd also sit in it and pump the brakes a few times every week. And if no one's looking, make vrooom vrooom noises.
ed

In California, I think winter storage means you start stocking the Celebration Ale instead of the Pale Ale,....right?

Ed B, The reason you'll never see me driving my speedster in San Diego is because I know where all the Sunday morning good roads are, and I ain't tellin'! The local motorcycle lads know too. Back country baby, and watch out for skunks crossing the road.
Seriously though, there are not a lot of speedsters being driven here, probably because the freeways suck (need an automatic trans)and half the year you need air conditioning. I do see a surprising number of 356 coupes in daily transit going to work and back. That always grabs me.