I couln't resist replying to Denise's note. This comes from a person who has
lived in Montana with his faithful BGT for ten years. Despite the cold, my
car runs almost year long. But when the temperature dips below zero (or
below fifteen or so degrees below zero for those who think in centigrade),
my BGT struggles and the heater can't keep the inside of the car above freezing.
>I've been reading with increasing amazement the stories from people who
>go to great lengths to store a car for four months. Maybe it's that I
>live in Southern California where we drive our cars all year round with
>the top down, or maybe it's that I _do_ drive my car all year round with
>the top down thereby causing the Bernoulli effect in my head, but I think
>that all of you who are doing a bunch of stuff to your car to store it for
>the winter are a bunch of looney tunes. Here are some facts I just made
>up to support my opinion.
>
>> fresh fluids
>
>My racer friends tell me that acids start accumulating in engine oil as
>soon as a car is started. That's why they drain the oil out of their
>cars between race weekends. A street car that is driven....
This is true, although the acidity is very weak in strength. The effects
would also be very slight. Still it is always good to change your oil
frequently, and at a minimum, twice per year if mileage is low.
>
>Batteries spew acid when they're being charged. A car that isn't running,
>isn't charging the batteries. I don't see how having batteries sitting in
>a stored car can corrode the battery boxes unless the acid in the batteries
>freezes causing it to crack the case or be forced out the filler holes. I
>suspect that the battery boxes rusted out from residual salt....
Some people contend that you should disconnect the battery, but I fail to
see the purpose of removing it. Four months really isn't that long, although
it can seem that way.
>> Disconnect the distributor lead to get the car to turn over
>> without starting until oil pressure turns up on the gauge.
>
>An engine gets oil pressure faster if it's running than if it's cranking.
>Based on the same principle, it's better to jump in a car and drive, rather
>than letting it warm up idling because it warms up faster while driving.
>Is this not true in very cold weather?
>
The only part I can disagree with Denise is this. After the car sits for a
long period, the oil has drained from the engine. I think some good cranking
to get the oil flowing is essential before the engine fires. I don't
disconnect my ignition wire to the coil though. I start turning the engine
while the float bowls are filling to give me that time delay. And I do like
to see the oil pressure register before ignition.
>I've driven cars that have been sitting for years and I've never felt any
>squareness in the tires or "memory" in the suspension and you obviously
>haven't either. Of course, their tires have never frozen.
This one is new to me also. Maybe if the car was going to be sitting for a
few years. Personally, I cannot bear to leave my car idled for more than a
few weeks. Here in Montana, my idea of winter preservation is to change the
oil. And I try to drive the car once a week and no less than once or twice a
month. It may be winter, but there are pleasant days mixed in with the worst.
Some of my greatest MGB adventures relate to its facing the winter. At one
time, my MGB was my only car so even during subzero temperatures, I had to
get it started even when it didn't want to. These are some of the joys a
Californian like Denise probably cannot fathom. My record cold start is -22
F (-30 C), and I can still estimate the temperature by the hardness of the
seat as the foam stiffens at 5 F (-15 C). But then, that is another story.
David Councill
dcouncil@imt.net
71 BGT
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