Getting ready to store GN...need some help

D

d0n_3d

Boost is good.
Joined
Jul 14, 2001
They are talking snow showers in the next few days here and the weather has been sucking so I have decided to put her away for the winter. Here is what I have decided to do:

1. drain oil and replace with new
2. put car on jacks stands because i have brand new tires
3. wash and clean car
4. leave windows cracked
5. put cover over car
6. disconnect and pull battery out of car
7. do all the anti-theft stuff to the car

is there anything else i am forgetting? what should i do about the gas tank? should i leave a half tank in there? full tank? i don't want to leave it empty because of the fuel pump drying out...also is there anything else i need to do?
 
I've been struggling with myself to actually do it too. :D I want to keep driving it darn-it. :mad: Got the dyno day this saturday, then she's going in the garage.

What kind of car cover do you have? I was starting to look into it recently, don't really know whats out there.
 
For anti theft do like I am going to do and store it with a blown HG. As soon as they smoke out the county they will think shes a clunker:D
 
I clean mine up real nice(wash and wax). Change the oil and put a full tank of gas in there with some stabile. Then I put it in the garage under the car cover. I usually move it twice a month so I don't put it on Jack stands or take the battery out. I read in a post that some people put moth balls in the car to stop that musty smell from happening I think I might try that.
 
Beats me but they dont like them. I use them in my boat in my buddy's barn, they tore the crap out of his and didnt mess with mine
 
where do you put the moth balls? Under the hood to keep them from chewing lines? Wouldn't moth balls make the interior smell pretty bad?

It would seem that some silica stuff (the little bags in new shoes) would keep the moisture down, and get rid of the musty smell. They also sell little buckets that collect moisture (used it in a storage center this summer).
 
Originally posted by d0n_3d
1. drain oil and replace with new
Click to expand...

I leave the old oil in and change it first thing in the spring. I worry about moisture acculating in the oil over the winter (from the extreme temperature changes). There's nothing about the old oil you need to worry about. It's running the car with "wet" oil that's bad for the bearings.
 
very good points guys...i like the oil idea since it will all drip into the pan anyways so no harm done there...i will change it first thing in the spring...

about the gas...what is stabile and where do i get that? it is good to leave a full tank in there? the tank won't corrod or rust will it?

my car will be in a heated garage and i don't get mice in there or anything so i don't need to worry about that...
 
For those of you storing your cars, a few things I can add...

don: sta-bil© stablizes the gasoline for extended periods of time. you can get it at any auto parts store or walmart. comes in a red bottle with a built in measuring cup. add it to some good gas in a nearly full tank. temp changes tend to corrode the tank, since moisture will collect inside it.

stuff your tail pipes, also. You never know what will crawl in and make a home in there!
armor-all your rubber seals (doors, trunk, etc) or they will dry out and crack over time.
put a container or two of baking soda ( the flow-through refrigerator kind) in the car to keep any smells from building up

yeah, cant you tell Ive done this a few times? :D
damn upstate NY winters :(
 
I always change my oil before stg to clear the engine of all the byproducts of combustion that can be quite corrosive, sulfuric acid, unburnt gasoline, any moisture that might be present. The oil is going to accumulate a little moisture no matter if its clean or dirty so you might as well have clean stuff in there
 
1. Drain a gallon of water, put in a gallon of antifreeze.
2. Pull it into the garage.
3. Pull the battery.
4. Never, ever start it, not even once, until Spring.

It's worked for 15 years on 2 cars, so I'd say I'm onto something...
 
Originally posted by strikeeagle
1. Drain a gallon of water, put in a gallon of antifreeze.
2. Pull it into the garage.
3. Pull the battery.
4. Never, ever start it, not even once, until Spring.

It's worked for 15 years on 2 cars, so I'd say I'm onto something...
Click to expand...

My system is even simpler.

I put the cars in the shop. I walk away.

I reverse this procedure in the spring. :D

Chris
 
Keep the gas tank full.
The theory behind this is two-fold.
During temperature changes, condensation will form inside the tank and drip into the fuel...and...condensation may tend to cause rusting on the inside of the tank.
I learned this from keeping my motorcycles stored outside in the winter. The tank on my KLR-650 had surface rust about halfway up on the inside. I had to pull the tank off, use an acidic mixture to etch the rust, and coat the inside of the tank with a plastic or rubbery type solution that you swish around in the tank to cover all surfaces.
S.
 
Originally posted by blackbuick87
I always change my oil before stg to clear the engine of all the byproducts of combustion that can be quite corrosive, sulfuric acid, unburnt gasoline, any moisture that might be present. The oil is going to accumulate a little moisture no matter if its clean or dirty so you might as well have clean stuff in there
Click to expand...

Oil has base neutralizers in it to absorb the acidic byproducts. As long as you change your oil with some frequency, it will be fine. Unburnt gasoline won't hurt your engine. Used oil should will have very little moisture in it. It's cooked out each time run the car (assuming you get it to operating temps). The moisture that accumulates over the winter may be fairly significant. (I spent some time working in a motor oil/fuel testing lab after college)

Actually it's probably ½ dozen of one, 6 of the other. Doesn't really matter too much. I you don't change it in the spring, just let the engine get up to temps for a good while to cook out any moisture before getting on it.


I don't use gasoline stabilizers. Modern fuels are much more stable than they used to be. Either way, the fuel may loose some light ends (the more volaitle components) and have lower octane by the spring. So again, take it easy for that first tankful. :)
 
i would not use armor-all because it acutally dries out rubber, plastic, and vinyl. use something that is nat a silcone base like wizards
 
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