Winterizing???

[gjk5]

I've got my extra '72 parked over at a friend's farm, it's just sitting out in a field. Do I need to do anything to it if it's gonna be sitting there for a while during winter weather?

It has no hood, so I managed to get down there before too much rain or snow and tarped it, but I'm worried about the engine. I have never started it since I bought it, but supposedly the engine was rebuilt about a year ago and hasn't been run in about that long, PO says it's a good strong rebuild and it looks good (not that that matters). Come to think of it, I didn't even check if there was gas in it much less check and make sure he had antifreeze instead of water in the radiator.


Should I just go out there and drain all fluids?

 

[surpip]

I wouldent drain the fluids, i Personally would worry about it I let my other blazer sit for almost a year before i fired it up and it ran fine, But i would consider some fuel stablizer, and if you can get out and at least turn it over a cupple times this winter, I had my little Bro start my truck up once a month while i was in japan

 

[diesel4me]

I'd at least fill it with anti-freeze and dump some oil down the carb throat,and spin it over several times to keep the cylinder walls from rusting due to condensation.Empty radiators seem to corrode quickly,and draining the coolant isnt always successful--sometimes enough water remains near the freeze plugs to crack the block--I know this beacuse I had a 327 I had just drained out instead of leaving it full of prestone,and it cracked right behind the motor mount location--and come spring the radiator looked like a gangrene factory,mixed with barnacle looking goop--didnt get much use out of either one of them! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif I'd put a peice of plywood over the engine first,then the tarp--I lost a nice small block once when the tarp filled up with rainwater and melting snow,and it sank down over the carb,which had the butterflies half open due to the firewall of the K-5 sagging back and pulling on the throttle cable-(it was a partly stripped parts truck)-the tarp funnelled the water directly onto the air cleaner,and it leaked past the wingnut stud when it got poked thru--the next thing I knew all the prestone in the radiator was in the oilpan,due to the large crack in the #3 cylinder--- /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. Dont let this happen to you! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[gjk5]

I'll go check on it, good idea on the plywood. I guess I'll take an extra batt. out there and turn it over too. God, that'd be great if the thing fires up!

I wish I could get moved into the new house, I'd pull the damn motor and put it on a stand so I could work on it this winter. I'd like to have this motor in the yellow '72 by spring and get the leaky one out of there.

 

[Pookster]

Lexan works better than plywood. Go to home depot and get a sheet of that. Nothing is too water sensitive except the carb area. I'd definately get a battery tender, and if not, at least remove the pos battery terminal until when you run it every so often. Parasitic drain will kill a battery.

Oh yeah, also, if you can try and add some fuel stabilizer and run it through the system. nuttin worse than gummy crappy gas clogging everything.

A fresh oil change will help remove any built up acids.

The coolant should be OK- Leave it full, coolant is acutally full of anti corossion additives.

 

[gjk5]

No battery at all, so no problem there. Why lexan though? the plywood would be under a tarp just acting as a temporary hood. I will definitely put some Stabil in the tank though, and maybe change the oil too.

Thanks guys, I just don't want to ruin the eng. and tranny on this one, I'm planning on swapping them both for the unrebuilt ones in the yellow k5.

 

[Pookster]

Wood absorbs moisture, and has pretty good capulary functions. I would put Lexan as #1, Wood as #2. If you can just get some plastic sheeting to fit over most of the engine first, then the wood, and then a good tarp with some long bungies. You'd be surprised how things can catch wind and fly off.

 

[diesel4me]

More than one person I know in my area who races at local speedways fill their engines right up with oil,until no more will go in(most of them use drain oil from a gas station,filtered through an old sock to get the sludge out--the richer guys use fresh cheap oil from Wal-Mart)they fill it until its right up to the top of the valve covers!.This prevents condensation from rusting the internal parts,and valves from sticking and the valve springs rusting.You cant be too anal about storing things in new england--seems like no matter how much you try to keep something from corroding,its a losing battle.I agree if you can get it started it would be a good idea to put some Sta-Bil in the gas,so your carb and gas lines wont be shellac in the spring--todays oxogenated fuels get ripe really quick. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif