Oil Tips if Car will Sit for about a year?

[HangerHarley]

Is there anything Special i should do if this car is about to be Stationery for about a year, maybe a little less maybe a little more, just sitting?

The Oil was changed 2 days ago, i got under it and put New 10W-40 in it. This was semi in anticipation of it sitting.

Leave it, its fine?
Put something Special in it?

Im lucky to be able to pursue other life quests, and come back to this POS Probe.

And yes, i would do that.

P.S.: Outside in a "Tow yard" with grace of Mechanic, not Indoors like an expensive car. So it will see winter, snow, ice, rain, all that.. Sitting.. Then Heat in Summer..

 

[The_Jeff]

your brakes will rust to worthlessness. your motor will be fine. Keep the squirrels out of the air filter and wiring.

 

[Nayov]

I just put one away yesterday. I put a healthy dose of MMO and Stabil in the gas, poured MMO down the carburetor during idle until it stalled. It won't be started for at least 2 years.

 

[TomYoung]

Originally Posted By: Nayov
I just put one away yesterday. I put a healthy dose of MMO and Stabil in the gas, poured MMO down the carburetor during idle until it stalled. It won't be started for at least 2 years.


Maybe folks are just too young to remember how temperamental carbs can be. Pouring MMO into a carb until the engine stalls is about as bad an idea as I have heard in some time. This just puts oil and lubrication into the carb and manifold. Add time and that thin layer of oil becomes goo/crud. One time-tested idea is to squirt some oil into the spark plug holes. But even that is not grabbing me. I would change the oil, add STABIL to the gas, park and disconnect and remove the battery. That's it.

 

[stuntboy79]

I would definitely put a trickel charger on it and pull the negative battery cable off.

 

[desertrandy]

I would put the car on jack stands in order to get the tires off the ground and prevent flat spots

 

[Jim_Beverlin]

You will want to make sure the trickle charger is one that senses when the voltage reaches between 13V and 13.5V. A constant charging trickle charger will ruin the battery over that time period. I had that happen recently when a charger that use to shut off when the voltage reached 13 to 13.5 volts suddenly defaulted and continued to charge. The battery was ruined.

 

[stang5]

+1 on the oil in the spark plug hole or fogging oil and stabil in the gas tank..

 

[J. A. Rizzo]

Originally Posted By: Jim_Beverlin
You will want to make sure the trickle charger is one that senses when the voltage reaches between 13V and 13.5V. A constant charging trickle charger will ruin the battery over that time period. I had that happen recently when a charger that use to shut off when the voltage reached 13 to 13.5 volts suddenly defaulted and continued to charge. The battery was ruined.


Bingo Jim! I was about to submit the same reply. Leaving a trickle charger on it will electrolyze all the electrolyte and destroy the battery.

 

[mongo161]

Originally Posted By: desertrandy
I would put the car on jack stands in order to get the tires off the ground and prevent flat spots


Or you could put the car up on Cinder Blocks and bring the tires indoors. Hopefully, you have a garage for your car to do this. In my neighborhood if they spot a car on the street up on jacks or cinder-blocks for any length of time, the vultures figure it's abandoned and will pick it clean in no time.

It all depends on where you live. Sea Foam in the gas take to prevent the gasoline from gelling will also help along with disconnecting the battery cable and removing the battery.

 

[hardcore302]

Have someone you trust start it every so often.

 

[SteveSRT8]

another rule for long term storage is if you can't DRIVE it around for at least 20-30 minutes then don't even start it!

I used to store my own and others cars in a facility that I managed. "mothballing" is an art. Decompressing the suspension without letting it hang is a good one. Trickle chargers are a no-brainer. These days with our [censored] fuel you must use stabilizer.

We never did the oil in the cylinder trick, just fire them up and tool around a bit. This keeps the brakes and all fresh too.

 

[gfh77665]

Whatever you do to the gas is FAR more important than the oil! Use a double does of Stabil (their instructions, not mine!) for up to 2 year storage. Other than having clean oil when stored, nothing special to do, oilwise.

The ones suggesting jack stands mean well, but that is a "carry over" from the days of bias ply tires. Just air your radials to 40-42 PSI or so and you will be perfectly fine.

 

[demarpaint]

We've put my son's car up for 3 deployments doing this method and had good success. Get a full qt of MMO and Stabil. Add 1 FULL qt of MMO to the gas and the proper amount of Stabil x 2 based on the amount of fuel the car holds, do this at the gas station before filling the car. Once full go for at least a 30 minute drive, change the oil and filter drive the car again until hot and park it. Remove the battery, store indoors. If you can jack the car up and place it on jackstands to get pressure off the tires and springs. Make sure nothing can enter the exhaust or air intake and make a home.

My son stored his out doors, so he covered the dash, rear window sill and seats with white sheets. You could also block out sunlight via the windows. Leave at least one window cracked slightly open, so it isn't sealed up too tight, but closed enough so now bugs or rain can enter. He did not jack the car. First deployment he lost a battery, but it was due for replacement. Other two times no problems. He suggested this method to Marine and Army friends who left their cars for over a year with no issues.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: desertrandy
I would put the car on jack stands in order to get the tires off the ground and prevent flat spots


I'd be more worried about having the suspension left dangling for all that time than I would about flat spots in the tires. New tires are a lot cheaper than replacing suspension components.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: gfh77665

The ones suggesting jack stands mean well, but that is a "carry over" from the days of bias ply tires. Just air your radials to 40-42 PSI or so and you will be perfectly fine.


Yep. It's unnecessary and potentially harmful. Old myths are hard to die.

 

[demarpaint]

Maybe I should have been a little clearer in my post, although I wasn't quoted I said: "If you can jack the car up and place it on jackstands to get pressure off the tires and springs." Meaning jack the car up so all the weight isn't on the tires and springs. All you need is a few inches. My son didn't do it, but I have and so has my brother. It takes some weight off the shocks and springs, which helps. Todays tires don't get flat spots.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: desertrandy
I would put the car on jack stands in order to get the tires off the ground and prevent flat spots


I'd be more worried about having the suspension left dangling for all that time than I would about flat spots in the tires. New tires are a lot cheaper than replacing suspension components.


This is VERY TRUE!

I do not recommend letting the suspension dangle, this can distort bushings, etc., badly.

 

[gfh77665]

If anyone really is still paranoid about theoretical flat spotting, just buy 4 junk tires (about $10 each) and mount then up, not bothering to balance, for the storage interval. Then switch back to the good tires when ready.

 

[HangerHarley]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: desertrandy
I would put the car on jack stands in order to get the tires off the ground and prevent flat spots


I'd be more worried about having the suspension left dangling for all that time than I would about flat spots in the tires. New tires are a lot cheaper than replacing suspension components.


This is VERY TRUE!

I do not recommend letting the suspension dangle, this can distort bushings, etc., badly.


Well. If you saw how Stretched my Ball Joints were (upper and lower,) Youd know they are due for replacement - long overdue - anyways.

Old POS Car, awaiting service to make roadworthy and nice again, has:

1) Next to no GAS, anticipating Fuel Line replacmenet
2) 4 NEW Tires...

3) The Battery has developed the SLIGHTEST Resistance to Charge, so it will be Replaced with a new one along with all Electrical components under hood before use.

Mechanic will start and run it every few weeks, or a month, to keep it from going Stale. He sometimes has to move cars around the lot.

The oil that was in it before its beginning of sit was: BRAND NEW 10W-40 MaxLife SB, with a bottle of Lucas for good measure (to stick to those Cylinders and seal it up, as im not sure if i "overcleaned" it right into an old leak. Now ARX may seal that too....)

Im also going to give that Oil Drain Pan Bolt a good cleaning, as i notice the slightest drip of Oil coming from it.

In a year or so.