Starting stored vehicle during winter?
 

The truck is high and dry in the pole barn. No heat except for those occasional sunny Michigan winter days. Do I add Sta-bil and start occasionally, run the carb and electric fuel pump dry like the previous owner, or is there a preferred method?

I live in PA ...I use the stable in my two trucks and jubilee tractor....I do go out periodically and run them till they get up yo tempature..... knock wood I haven't had any problems......my antifreeze I check every year to make sure it's up to its potential....

Thanx. Nice tractor too!

Why? Idling will get the coolant up to temperature but it won't get the oil temp up.

It needs to be 200° F. or so to boil off moisture. Starting it up every couple weeks seems like a good way to get more condensation inside the engine as well as the exhaust system. Idling will move fresh fuel through the pump and carb, but I don't see the point unless there's no choice.

My routine generally is to always try and have completed a good highway run, engine under load, normal operating temperature kind of thing, before shutting it down for any extended length of time. Then I know the condensation and sludge has been boiled off, this is the stuff that causes acids to form, and that is what attacks bearing materials for example. I'm not super picky about oil change frequency but, I want to give the corrosion inhibitors a chance to do their thing.

Avoid short trips in general. Starting the engine every couple weeks without putting it under load never made any sense to me, just extra wear and tear on the starter, battery, and charging system and tends to foul plugs unnecessarily, wash down cylinders with raw fuel, and possible oil contamination, etc. Shut it down once at the end of the season, and then start it back up in the spring. Keep the battery topped off and on a float charger or, bring it inside. A discharged battery will freeze at 20° F. and it is ruined, and a frozen battery may explode if charging is attempted.

Fogging the engine till it stalls out with Marvel's or something like that seems to make even more sense, and drain the carburetor/fuel pump. I'm going to try that with the Y-block here in a few weeks.

I agree with Ted. Short start ups seem like will just put a lot of moisture in the engine and exhaust system (condensation).

I park mine in an unheated garage around the first of November until about mid-May. I keep a battery tender on it all winter and use Bounce sheets in it to keep rodents out. Tried Stabil but didn't see any difference in using or not using it so I don't. It starts every spring with no problem. I do try to get new gas in it at first opportunity.

Sometimes I'll read accounts of mice setting up shop in the exhaust system, the suggestion is to stuff the pipes with steel wool to prevent this. I've also taken to leaving the hood up, as I've also heard they like the cover or concealment when making nests. And chewing on wiring. And I've read of nests or middens found in piston cylinders and even way down in the oil pan. !!!

So is it true mice can crawl that far into an engine on a routine basis? I guess that would maybe be an issue with trucks stored outside, but I dunno. I've seen the pics, so I know it happens, but I still can hardly believe it.

Also a full tank of gas will leave less room for condensation.

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On the mouse issue I place glue traps around the truck and do catch a few every year
Ed
near Philaelphia

I put my 55F350 in storage on Friday. I usually do it in early December before the snow flies, but I am getting my hand operated on tomorrow and it's hard to drive these trucks with one arm. I put dryer sheets in the cab and moth balls around and on top of each tire plus moth balls in the cab.

Good luck on your operation Abe! Let us know how you are doing.

Ben in Waco
1950 F1

Hope all goes well with the surgery Abe. I don't know much about anything but I do know a bunch about gasoline. I would suggest you keep the tank either totally full or totally empty to avoid the ethanol from absorbing moisture. I have some experience with very high end collector cars that get driven from time to time. My company works with a few car museums and there are "storage fuels" available, in fact I use them in my lawn equipment and have never had an issue. The ones offered by my company are high octane, leaded or unleaded, and have a shelf life of several years. I usually use regular unleaded gasoline through the summer months and the last few times I use the equipment I use the storage fuel to be sure it is all the way through the system. Before I started the work on my 53 I stored the truck with our storage fuel in the tank and never had an issue. The cost is significantly higher than regular unleaded gas so using the product on a daily basis in a vehicle is cost prohibitive but to throw 5 gallons in an empty tank at the end of the season is certainly doable, plus it smells great!

Operation was successful. Dr said scar tissue from the carpal tunnel surgery 4 years ago was compressing the median nerve. When he cut the scar tissue the nerve immediately expanded outward. So gotta keep the bandage and Ace wrap on until November 4 when I see him Again.

So I now type on!y using my left hand.

Thanks all for asking.

After re reading my post ...I did leave out the part that I do drive them for a coffee on those nice winter days..... probably a round trip of 15-20 miles......I definitely agree with getting that oil up to temp......and circulated.....

Get well soon, Abe. What you need is a:

Right-hand man

noun

an indispensable helper or chief assistant.