Putting Up For The Winter Advice

[Cowboy75]

Uncle Sam has given me yet another all expense paid trip to the desert. I'll be shipping out first part of the fall and return mid late summer next year. Question is, I have a 1969 Mustang that I will have to leave behind. Car runs strong and tires are brand new. Can anyone give me some advice as to what I need to do to properly store it so that I don't return to a mess on my hands.

Thanks..

 

[Realmongo]

Typically storage like that involves a good cleaning inside and out with good wax job. Change the oil and filter. Run the fuel tank down, fill it with fresh fuel, add stabilizer and dry-gas, then run the engine to get the mixture throughout the entire system including the fuel bowl. Block the car up off the ground, pull the wheels and store them with reduced tire pressures out of the sunlight. Put the lugnuts on snug to prevent losing them and protect the threads. Have someone start the car and let it idle for a 1/2 hour every month in gear with the transmission and rear axle turning slowly to move their fluids around. If the car is not going to be started, then you can pull the plugs, squirt some oil in each cylinder, slowly turn the engine over a few times by hand to speard it, then put the plugs back in. Then you can back off each rocker arm to seal the cylinders shut. Next put a plastic bag with a rubber band over each exhaust tip and seal up the carburetor also. Pull the battery and put it inside safe from freezing temperatures. Then you can put a good quality cover over the car and lock it on with the cable. I am sure someone else could add anything I missed.

 

[horseballz]

+1 Everything Realmongo said with the addition/exception of when putting car on blocks, have the blocks under the frame, not the rear axle and/or control arms so that the springs are relaxed and I would put the tires/wheels in bags and NOT reduce air pressure. I am a firm believer that reduced/low air pressure contributes to hard to rectify rim/bead leaks. Most importantly, thank you for your efforts and sacrifices to help keep America safe.
HTH,
Gene

 

[Realmongo]

From the Goodyear website:

"If tires are stored while mounted on rims, they should be inflated to 10 psi"

"If they are put in storage during warm weather, the initial inflation pressure should be about 15 psi to offset the pressure drop during cold weather months"

The 10 PSIG is supposed to hold the beads firmly in place.