In a message dated 06/08/2004 2:41:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,
dereklola@yahoo.com writes:
If the car's been stored for couple of years you'll be looking at a lot more
than just seat belts to make it safe.
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That's another subject, but an interesting one.
In general, cars that have been stored require braking and fuel systems
looked at carefully. The former to make sure it is in good shape (although I
don't use silicone fluid, it is these times that I rather wish I did), and the
latter to see what has dried out, or clogged up from deposits left when the
fuel
that was in the tank and carbs evaporated. Usually not too much fuss, though
I am in the process of waking up an MGA after about 6 years 'down', and the
gaskets on the intake needed replacing, and the clutch slave had died from
boredom. I have fired up cars stored for 2 or 3 years with no problem, but you
damn sure want to check out those brakes!!
The biggest pain in ending a hibernation can be the clutch. I have an MGC
that routinely has the disc freeze onto the flywheel and the only way to
dislodge it is to get it running, start it in gear and then drive it down the
street while holding the accelerator down with one foot, the clutch pedal
disengaged with the other, and using your third leg to tap the brakes (folks
without
a third leg may elect to use the handbrake). The MGC took a block and a half
of this to kick free this year. I suppose that regularly firing it up and
'exercising' the clutch would help a lot.
The only other things I regularly do on the race cars to make them reliable
(as opposed to just safe) is change all the coolant hoses (used to do the same
with brake hoses, but Teflon lined steel braid seems to be pretty darned
durable when just sitting).
Have I missed anything?
Bill
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