Oil for Long Term Storage on an Older Car

[Oldswagon]

I will be getting a 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport in the next couple of weeks. The car is a super straight, 140K mile all origninal. I need to put the car into storage for the next couple of years until I have time to do the cosmetic restoration.

The drivetrain in the car runs literally like new. The engine has great compression, no blow-by, and virtually no oil consumption. What oil would best be used for this sort of storage? I was thinking something like a HD fleet oil might be best for this sort of application? Perhaps a synthetic would be better? The car has been run on Castrol dino 10W40 for at least the last 10 years a religious oil change schedule (all documented).

Any suggestions on what oil would be my best choice? If I switch oils now, is there a possiblity of an additives clash from the remaining Castrol 10W40? I don't want to run synthetic either if it will cause the engine to leak. I suspect that the 30+ year old engine gaskets may not like synthetic, and the car does not leak oil now.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[rugerman1]

Oldswagon ,Check-out this thread Best Oil for Stored Vehicle?
Read the post by MolaKule

Mark

 

[Oldswagon]

Thanks for the link. It seems my thoughts on using a HD fleet oil were correct. Where do I get Lube Control though? I have never heard of it before I came here. Will the Lube Control make a huge difference, or will Delvac 1300 be enough (in case I can't get it)?

Also, will any of this clash with any remaining Castrol 10W40 after I change the oil? The car is 80 miles away from me, so I was going to change the oil, drive it the 80 miles home, and then park it in the storage area. I figure that little 80 mile drive should be enough to get the oil hot and circulating.

 

[Shannow]

For real long term storage, a number of manufacturers make an SAE 30 with Vapour Phase Inhibitors incorporated.

If you want to run every now and then HD fleet oils might be the go. If it's park and look, I'd go the VPIs.

 

[Schmoe]

Do it like a boat. Use a diesel oil, Delvac, and then fog the engine. There is also a corrosion spray that you can spray the engine down with and won't hurt metals, plastics and rubber. In my experience for real long term set ups, drain the carb and drain the fuel from the tank. I don't care what type of gasoline storage stuff you use, they all go bad after X amount of time. Fill with fresh oil and filter and let run for a little, then when your about ready to stop the engine, fog the #ell out of it. Drain fluids from the block. Pop off top radiator hose and fill with antifreeze. Take battery completely out. Lube all grease zerts and put car on stands, off of the wheels. Spray engine down with corrosion inhibitor stuff. Cover car.

 

[davefr]

In a previous thread it was reported that you want an Ester based synthetic with lots of Moly. The Ester base has good "cling" and the Moly provides a secondary lubrication barrier.

I would think something like Redline synthetic might be best.

quote:

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Originally posted by Oldswagon:
I will be getting a 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport in the next couple of weeks. The car is a super straight, 140K mile all origninal. I need to put the car into storage for the next couple of years until I have time to do the cosmetic restoration.

The drivetrain in the car runs literally like new. The engine has great compression, no blow-by, and virtually no oil consumption. What oil would best be used for this sort of storage? I was thinking something like a HD fleet oil might be best for this sort of application? Perhaps a synthetic would be better? The car has been run on Castrol dino 10W40 for at least the last 10 years a religious oil change schedule (all documented).

Any suggestions on what oil would be my best choice? If I switch oils now, is there a possiblity of an additives clash from the remaining Castrol 10W40? I don't want to run synthetic either if it will cause the engine to leak. I suspect that the 30+ year old engine gaskets may not like synthetic, and the car does not leak oil now.

Any advice appreciated.

---

 

[Oldswagon]

Redline is too difficult to get in this area, and I will need this oil within the next week and a half or so. I think I am going to just use Delvac and fog the engine. I have done winter storage of other vehicles, so I am familiar with the fogging process.

Has anyone on here stored a vehicle for more than one year? Would it be better to just leave the car untouched for two years, or take it out for a decent little highway jaunt at least once a year? I don't want the car to deteriorate.

Any other advice appreciated.

 

[Drstressor]

No matter which oil you use, the anti-oxidants in the thin film of lubricant "clinging" to metal surfaces is going to eventually oxidize and allow some corrosion to take place if an engine sits for several months. I use AME in my Cummins diesel, which sometimes sits for long periods of time. I find that my UAO results show in increase in wear metals that corresponds to time more than mileage when the truck sits around. I would recommend running the car for at least 20 miles whenever possible. Even if you did that once a week for a year, I doubt that you would see significant depletion of the corrosion inhibitors in a diesel oil.

I notice that Shannow is from Australia. The only oils I have ever seen advertised as containing vapor phase inhibitors were marine oil in Oz and NZ. Does anyone know of an oil or additive that contains VPIs that is available in the states?