> >I am just wondering about any advice from the veterans on the list about
> >winterization tips for our older cars.
Down here in Alabama, of course, we enjoy year 'round top-down driving, so
I'm no veteran of winterization. However, I have parked my car for extended
periods, and I learned a lesson the hard way the last time this happened.
For whatever reason, Triumph clutch disks frequently freeze to the flywheel
and/or pressure plate when left unused. After sitting just 6 months, this
happened to my TR6, and no amount of abusive starting and stopping would
free it. I had to pull the transmission (which is a long story that I won't
go into...) to fix it. Though it seems to happen less frequently to other
lbcs, it seems worth keeping in mind and taking preventative measures.
The best prophylactic, of course, is frequent driving. Where this isn't
feasible, it would probably be useful to work the clutch weekly. Once the
disk begins to freeze, though, working the clutch doesn't help. And, short
of turning the motor over or rolling the car, there is no way of knowing
whether or not it's frozen. So, if possible, I think you'd want to put the
car in gear, put one foot on the clutch, and roll the car with the other
foot out the door, ensuring that everything's still free. If you determine
that everything is *not* free, I think it would be worth undoing whatever
winterization is necessary to start the car and free the clutch, since the
longer it sits frozen, the deeper the freeze gets.
Kevin "Parked in Alabama" Riggs
'72 TR6
rkriggs@ingr.com
Huntsville, AL
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