{"id":93318,"date":"2023-11-03T13:41:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T20:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=93318"},"modified":"2023-11-03T13:41:35","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T20:41:35","slug":"winter-is-coming-mothball-your-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/winter-is-coming-mothball-your-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"jetpack-slideshow-noscript robots-nocontent\">This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p><div id=\"gallery-93318-1-slideshow\" class=\"jetpack-slideshow-window jetpack-slideshow jetpack-slideshow-black\" data-trans=\"fade\" data-autostart=\"1\" data-gallery=\"[{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/1-min-e1699043986784.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93329&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Click Here to Begin Slideshow\\n\\nWinter\\u2019s coming!\\u00a0 No secret for most Northerners and for us, it\\u2019s second nature to mothball a car by the end of October (or so) to the beginning of April.\\u00a0 Under some circumstances (persistent snow and salty slush), it might even be longer.\\u00a0 While the nice car is down, most of us revert to a beater or a daily driver.\\u00a0 It\\u2019s that simple. This also applies to race cars \\u0026#8212; particularly those that aren\\u2019t torn apart for maintenance or updates.\\n\\nOf course it would be pretty simple to drive the car into your garage, drape a cover over it, lock the door behind you and call it a day.\\u00a0 Proper storage though, turns out to be a wee bit more complicated.\\u00a0 The real idea here is to keep the car from deteriorating during the months (or perhaps years) of inactivity.\\u00a0 It takes some time to properly prepare a vehicle for storage, and the better the job you do in preparing it, the better the car condition will be when it comes out of storage.\\u00a0 Broken down, here\\u2019s a basic approach to long-term vehicle storage:\\n\\nDrive Train\\u2026\\n\\nEngine Oil:\\u00a0 Drain the oil hot. Obviously, when hot, draining the oil purges the contaminants from the engine.\\u00a0\\u00a0 With the oil totally drained, install a new filter, and refill.\\u00a0 Easy.\\u00a0 But another line of thinking goes like this:\\u00a0 Don\\u0026#8217;t fill it with oil.\\u00a0 There is no need to refill the crankcase with lubricant.\\u00a0 Once you pour fresh oil into the valve covers or the oil spout, it will eventually run into the pan and all you are doing is \\u0026#8220;storing\\u0026#8221; fresh oil in the engine.\\u00a0 If that\\u2019s the case, it\\u2019s probably a good idea to take a big chunk of masking tape labeled with \\u201cNO OIL\\u201d and put it right on top of the air cleaner. And place another similar note right on the steering wheel or dash.\\n\\nRemove all of the spark plugs and squirt engine oil (some people use automatic transmission fluid, others actually use Marvel Mystery Oil) into each combustion chamber.\\u00a0 A tablespoon or less of oil per cylinder is sufficient. With the spark plugs out (and oil in each spark plug hole), remove the coil wire and spin the engine over several times.\\u00a0 This can also be done by hand by way the crankshaft damper bolt.\\u00a0 This process helps to coat the cylinder walls with oil.\\u00a0 The spark plugs can then be re-installed or replaced with special \\u0026#8220;dehydrator plugs\\u0026#8221;.\\u00a0 These special plugs actually absorb moisture, which in turn keeps the inside of the engine free of rust.\\n\\nIf the engine is built with a lot of valve spring pressure (for example, a big roller cam), then it\\u2019s a good idea to back off all of the rockers to release tension on the springs.\\u00a0 According to Jesel, this is good for not only the springs, it\\u2019s also good for the rocker arm and the lifter.\\n\\nClutch Assembly:\\u00a0 Believe it or not, the storage process can sometimes \\u0026#8220;fuse\\u0026#8221; the clutch disc to the flywheel.\\u00a0 As a result, you might have some unwarranted clutch repairs when the car is returned to active duty.\\u00a0 The fix is to place a section of 2 X 4-inch wood bracing between the seat frame and the pedal to keep the clutch disengaged.\\n\\nTransmission:\\u00a0 Manual or automatic transmission fluid can be changed at this time, but it isn\\u0026#8217;t totally necessary. Some folks advocate taping the transmission vent opening so that no moisture can enter the inner workings.\\u00a0 On the other hand, other people prefer to leave the vents open so that the components can \\u0026#8220;breathe\\u0026#8221; during storage.\\u00a0 What\\u2019s right?\\u00a0 Both have merit.\\n\\nChassis\\u2026\\n\\nSuspension:\\u00a0 There are two distinct thoughts regarding \\u0026#8220;blocking\\u0026#8221; your car for the off-season.\\u00a0 One line of thinking involves the placement of axle stands under frame members so that the suspension drops down fully.\\u00a0 The other subscribes to the theory that cars are designed to rest on their suspension \\u0026#8212; thus compressing the springs and shock absorbers. If the car is really nice one precaution you might \\u00a0take is to place small, clean rags between the axle stands and the actual suspension components.\\u00a0 This keeps underbody paint damage to a minimum.\\u00a0 In addition, you might consider spraying any exposed shock absorber shafts with a protectant such as WD40. \\u00a0Keep in mind new cars can sit in one spot on dealer lot for months on end with zero preparation.\\u00a0 Just food for thought.\\n\\nWheels \\u0026amp; Tires:\\u00a0 Wheels and tires can remain on the vehicle.\\u00a0 There is no need to store them away from the automobile \\u0026#8212; especially if the length of storage is only a few months.\\u00a0 The real killer of rolling stock is the way the tires are stored.\\u00a0 According to the Goodyear Tire \\u0026amp; Rubber Company, tires should never be stored in areas of direct sunlight, in upper garage areas (where temperatures can exceed 100 degrees), around high voltage electric motors or near welding areas.\\u00a0 All of these factors contribute to decreased tire life.\\u00a0 When storing the car, consider adding separate tire covers. These covers drape over the wheel\\\/tire and protect the rolling stock from excess heat buildup (and of course direct sunlight).\\u00a0 Set the inflation pressure and clean with a good quality tire dressing.\\u00a0 If fitted with chrome wheel covers, chrome wheels or chrome wheel accessories, polish the chrome and then give it a coat of wax.\\u00a0 Don\\u2019t bother to remove the wax once applied.\\u00a0 It can be removed once the car is retrieved from storage.\\n\\nLubrication:\\u00a0 Lube all chassis lubrication points.\\u00a0 In many locations, you will be able to \\u0026#8220;shoot\\u0026#8221; grease into points until the old lube is force out.\\u00a0 Clean up the excess grease.\\n\\nCooling System\\u2026\\n\\nMost street driven cars make use of some sort of glycol-based coolant.\\u00a0 If the mothballing calls for the car to be stored for a considerable length of time (as in years), you should consider draining the cooling system totally (and that includes the heater along with the block drains).\\u00a0 When this is accomplished, leave the rad cap off and leave all the drain petcocks open (that also includes the cylinder block drains if so equipped).\\u00a0 This allows air to circulate through the system.\\u00a0 If the storage is shorter term, flush the cooling system and fill it with the proper mix of coolant and water (as per the manufacturer\\u0026#8217;s recommendations).\\u00a0 Be sure to test the system for temperature capability.\\u00a0 Cars that are stored in sub zero weather absolutely require the protection of antifreeze.\\n\\nFuel System\\u2026\\n\\nAlthough \\u0026#8220;fuel stabilizers\\u0026#8221; can be used (simply poured into a full tank of gas) tank, some folks feel you should drain the tank completely along with the entire fuel delivery system.\\u00a0 This is rather important if you use octane boosters. Some of them are pretty good at gumming up the fuel pump(s), regulators and other fuel system parts.\\u00a0 Once the tank is drained, you have a pair of options for draining the carburetor and the balance of the fuel delivery system. The first method of removing all fuel from the carburetor (and lines) simply involves firing the engine and running the carburetor out of fuel.\\u00a0 If you\\u0026#8217;ve followed the preceding text, you\\u0026#8217;ll immediately remember that the engine doesn\\u0026#8217;t have oil in the pan.\\u00a0 Oops!\\u00a0\\u00a0 A better option is to simply blow out the remaining fuel lines with compressed air. Once the fuel system is \\u0026#8220;dry\\u0026#8221;, remove the gas cap and leave it off.\\n\\nElectrical System\\u2026\\n\\nIt\\u2019s best to keep the battery trickle charged by way of a battery tender.\\u00a0 A good quality tender will actually determine battery condition and automatically turn on or off.\\u00a0 When it comes to batteries, be careful!\\u00a0 A charging battery just happens to discharge some pretty lethal fumes and if ignited, they can cause a huge mess.\\u00a0 Preparing the balance of the electrical system is relatively easy.\\u00a0 The battery should be removed and temporarily set-aside.\\u00a0 Clean the battery tray.\\u00a0 Minor battery acid spills can create big trouble in the corrosion department.\\u00a0 While you\\u0026#8217;re at it, clean the battery cables and give them a coat of dielectric grease.\\n\\nBrakes\\u2026\\n\\nDo not engage the park brake when the car is stored.\\u00a0 Simply leave everything in a normal \\u0026#8220;rested\\u0026#8221; position.\\u00a0 This will prevent the shoes from seizing to the drums.\\u00a0 Simple as that.\\u00a0 Some folks flush and replace the brake hydraulic fluid. It\\u2019s not a bad idea.\\n\\nSheet Metal\\u2026\\n\\nPreparing the bodywork for storage is relatively simple.\\u00a0 Be sure it\\u0026#8217;s clean, wax the paint and polish the chrome.\\u00a0 When you\\u0026#8217;re done, add a coat of wax to the chrome (and stainless), but don\\u0026#8217;t buff off the residue.\\u00a0 It\\u0026#8217;s easy to remove when the car comes out of storage.\\u00a0 This should not be done to painted surfaces!\\u00a0 It will be almost impossible to remove from body panels.\\n\\nInterior\\u2026\\n\\nClean all surfaces and apply some vinyl protectant to the surfaces (don\\u0026#8217;t get carried away).\\u00a0 At the same time, apply some silicone or vinyl protectant to all of the rubber weatherstrip.\\u00a0 Clean and shampoo any cloth upholstery.\\u00a0 Polish the bright work.\\n\\nWith all of the above work completed, roll up the windows so that there is approximately 1\\\/8-inch of gap between the top of the window to the doorframe.\\u00a0 This allows air to circulate through the vehicle.\\u00a0\\u00a0 Finally, cover it with a good car cover. You can turn off the lights and wave goodbye (although if you\\u2019re like me, I still check the car regularly \\u2013 as in daily!)\\n\\nClick Here to Begin Slideshow&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/2-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93320&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Once the engine has been warmed to operating temperature, position the car in the \\u0026#8220;final resting location\\u0026#8221; and drain the oil.  There\\u0026#8217;s no need to \\u0026#8220;store\\u0026#8221; oil in the pan \\u0026#8211; especially if you are going to drain it before the car is retrieved from storage.  See the text for full details.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/3-min.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93321&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Another item that is seldom considered is the actual clutch disc.  Even if you leave the car in neutral, the clutch disc will remain engaged against the pressure plate and flywheel.  In some cases (especially where the moisture level is high), this can result is a \\u0026#8220;frozen\\u0026#8221; clutch \\u0026#8211; one where the disc literally welds itself to the flywheel or pressure plate via rust.  Some folks advocate propping the pedal in the down or disengaged position with a piece of wood.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/4-min-scaled.jpeg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93322&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;There are a couple of different theories regarding the actual \\u0026#8220;blocking\\u0026#8221; method.  Some people favor blocking the chassis while others block up the car by way of the suspension points.  Whichever method you select, add a soft (and dry) clean rag between the axle stand and the chassis point.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/5-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93324&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Wheels and tires can remain on the car.  The most important aspect of rolling stock storage isn\\u0026#8217;t the position of the rubber, but rather, the location.  Things like high-powered electric motors, direct sunlight and other factors can raise havoc with your rolling stock.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/6-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93325&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Cooling systems should be flushed, and if the car is to be mothballed for some time, drain the system totally.  Leave the cap off and at the same time; open the drain petcocks fully (that also includes the cylinder block drains).   On a similar note, don\\u0026#8217;t forget to drain the heater.  If it freezes, the mess will usually occur in the interior.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/7-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93326&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;The storage of the battery is also critical. Odyssey Battery notes: \\u201cWhile placing a battery directly on a concrete surface doesn\\u2019t cause self-discharge, when storing a battery, it is always a good idea to clean off dirt and grime from battery terminals and wipe off the top of the case. Accumulated grime could create a circuit between the terminals that could cause self-discharge.\\u201d A battery tender will keep most batteries fully charged and in top operating condition.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/8-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93327&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;It\\u2019s most common to simply add a bottle of fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and call it a day. But in other cases, it may be beneficial to drain the gas tank and complete fuel system. The text offers more info.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;},{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.racingjunk.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/9-min-scaled.jpg&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;93328&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Winter Is Coming: Mothball Your Ride!&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Clean and detail the car.  We like to keep the windows open ever so slightly. This allows air to circulate through the car. Keep the window opening small, however.&quot;,&quot;itemprop&quot;:&quot;image&quot;}]\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageGallery\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Winter\u2019s coming!  No secret for most Northerners and for us, it\u2019s second nature to mothball a car by the end of October (or so) to the beginning of April. <\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":93329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5007,3697,17,11,3470,4879,3698],"tags":[2744,813,281,41,4888,461,321,9333],"class_list":["post-93318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body","category-galleries","category-guest-column","category-how-tos","category-news","category-slideshow","category-tech","tag-body","tag-gallery","tag-how-to","tag-news","tag-slideshow","tag-tech-tips-2","tag-wayne-scraba","tag-winter"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/1-min-e1699043986784.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-oh8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93331,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93318\/revisions\/93331"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}