Cold weather storage tips please

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TspokeMan
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Cold weather storage tips please

Post by TspokeMan » Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:52 pm

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Well, it's been a fun year for me and Woodrow (the name I gave my newly restored T). Three parades, 3 shows and one Best Classic award. There's another cruise-in late October (might be brrrrrr by then). My friend will be stored in an unheated building with OAT's in sub-freezing conditions. I'll have the battery on a tender. Anti-freeze adequate and Stabil in the gas. Full cloth cover.
Are there other storage tips anyone might have? What about raising front & rear ends just enough to take pressure off the wheel bearings, etc?
Missing anything?
Thanks


Russ T Fender
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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Russ T Fender » Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:12 pm

I have similar storage facilities (unheated with temperatures as low as minus 20). I also let 20 pounds of pressure out of the tires and keep them fully off the ground. I place dryer sheets around the interior and plug the tailpipe and carburetor openings to keep the critters out. I am not keen on covering cars for storage as it provides a nice private nesting place for the critters to enjoy. A little dust never hurt anything and it's a lot easier to clean up than mouse/rat nests droppings.

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CudaMan
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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by CudaMan » Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:43 pm

How large is the storage building?

I have a 3 car garage that I had insulated and drywalled. Then I installed one of these, turned down low to take the chill off. I can also turn it up and make the whole garage toasty if need be:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools ... gJiIfD_BwE

I'm able to drive my Betsy year round as long as the roads are clear. I have full side curtains and wear a sweatshirt and jacket along with light gloves and a stocking cap.
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Mark Strange
Hillsboro, MO
1924 Cut-off Touring (now a pickup)

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Steve Jelf » Sun Sep 29, 2019 4:29 pm

I'm with Mark. I expect winter in Garden City is similar to here. You're only about seventy miles north of Oklahoma. You will probably have a few breaks suitable for Model T driving.
The inevitable often happens.
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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by noelchico » Sun Sep 29, 2019 4:48 pm

I'm a little further north of you, so definitely worry about cold storage. I agree with taking the weight off the tires but haven't deflated or let pressure out of them. I run either stabilizer or 100:1 two stroke oil in the engine much of the time, especially when I put it away for the winter. I also fill the tank to minimize condensation in the tank and don't fill with ethanol in the winter, although I'm not sure if that would help more or less with the condensation. I don't believe the ethanol blend will last as long as the straight gasoline. I'm not worried about aluminum or plastic in the fuel line or carburetor degrading with the ethanol. I turn off the fuel at the potato, and run the engine until it runs out of gas, even choking it the last 30 seconds or so to get the most out of the float bowl. I like the two stroke oil to lubricate the float needle, coat the inner carb and lines, coat the tank to minimize rust, as well as coat the cylinders with a light coat of oil. I just have to remember when I start it in the spring and see the blue smoke that it's not rings! I remove the battery and take it home to put on a trickle charger, since I don't have electricity to my storage shed. If you want, you can pull the plugs and squirt some oil in the cylinders and crank it through a few times. I use 2-stroke oil since I had 5 gallons of OLD 2 stroke oil given to me, but don't always do this. I feel better about this if I am not going to use this engine for a while. I also change the oil to get fresh oil without contaminants spread around inside the engine before a 5 month sleep.


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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by DHort » Sun Sep 29, 2019 6:54 pm

I agree with most of the above. Jack stands to get wheels off the ground, and that way you could also go out and run it every month if you want to. Fresh oil. I turn off gas, and drain carburetor. I assume if you have OATS, you will have mice. Do what you can to kill off mice. Maybe try the bucket trick with ramps and peanut butter on a stick. Jalapeno on a stick only works for Jeff Dunham

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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Ruxstel24 » Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:08 pm

All of the above.... and,
Shut the fuel off at the sediment bulb.
Drain the carburetor.
Leave the hand/parking brake forward.
Start it or at least crank it over as often as you can.
Bounce dryer sheets help deter mice and so does a cat ! :twisted:

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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by TRDxB2 » Mon Sep 30, 2019 12:17 am

Make sure there is no way mice can get into the cab and nest under your seat - a mouse can crawl through a hole the size of a dime!
AND From past threads - If you haven't dropped the inspection pan in awhile, do so before you put fresh oil in, and clean out any sludge.
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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Gonenorth » Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:16 am

I'm way far north of most folks. My car stays in an unheated garage from roughly mid-October until it emerges in mid-April. I make a habit of draining the fuel from the entire fuel system. Just put it in my truck and use it up. I too put the car upon jack stands and take the air pressure down to 10 PSI. Antifreeze is checked and adjusted to -47 (I've seen -44 up here). Grease and oil everything that needs it. Drain and change the oil and throw some mothballs in places where critters might like to nest. I don't fog the engine, but do keep the battery tender on it once a month to keep the battery charged up. I also put it away clean, but it never seems to stay that way.


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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Loftfield » Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:30 am

First piece of advice: Move South! Second piece of advice: Leave a lot of green rodent poison pellets around, don't trust that you can seal your place against them...they always win. I don't know why green pellets work best but they do. There is nothing more disappointing than finding small rodent holes in your upholstery in the spring. The horse hair is an irresistible magnet for rodents.


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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Russ T Fender » Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:09 am

Moth balls used to be an effective rodent deterrent but no more. The environmental police must have mandated a change in their composition because I found them in a nest last year. Dryer sheets seem to work better but they leave the garage smelling like a French whore house!


Topic author
TspokeMan
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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by TspokeMan » Mon Sep 30, 2019 1:43 pm

A lot of good cold storage advice from everyone. Thanks all!


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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Dean Kiefer » Mon Sep 30, 2019 5:33 pm

What's wrong with a French Whore House?

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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Susanne » Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:53 pm

Put the front and rear axles on blocks to get the tires off the ground, and wrap them separately from the car unless the car will be stored in the dark. Make sure you oil all the oil points and grease all the grease points. Battery out and on a tender. Drain the gas tank, mist the inside of the now empty tank with WD40 to keep rust at bay. Of course drain the rest of the fuel system. Make sure you don't have any coolant-to-oil leaks, and make sure your anti freeze is fresh and up to full strength (50/50); we used to also put in a decent dollop of soluble oil, allegedly to keep the insides from rusting, but I have no idea if it was necessary or not. Mothballs (always wondered if someone felt bad for the poor boy moths), IF you can get the old school napthlene type that smelled like grandpa's suitcase, ESPECIALLY under the seat bottoms.

We used to "pickle" the motor (plugs out, tablespoon of oil in the cylinders, turn it over a few times, put the plugs back in) as well... depends how long the car will sit up. Make sure your dif fluid is topped up, cover the car. Turn the motor over once a month or better. Empty the founts on the side and tail lamps, else the Kerosene will collect moisture (don't ask how I found that out).

For a pre-'15 don't forget to clean and dry out the generator. ESPECIALLY make sure the water reservior is drained... that can be an expensive oops.

Wash, dry, and wax your car's painted surfaces, coating of light grease to cosmoline on the shiny metal parts (brass or nickel) to keep it from becoming a pitted tarnished mess.

Finally - we set a few snap traps loaded with fresh peanut butter in the car - under the seat(s), on top of and next to the motor, in the turtledeck or under-rear seat storage, on the floorboards... because you may have more than one mouse.

I probably forgot something... been a while since I did that, but that's about it.

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Re: Cold weather storage tips please

Post by Jugster » Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:25 pm

You guys do go to a lot of trouble. When I unexpectedly got sidelined by medical issues, the Model T sat in the garage for almost two years. Since there was anti-freeze in the radiator, I didn't worry about it. For all the horror stories I've heard about the way today's alcohol-infused gasoline goes stale, I figured the car would at least run rough when I finally did start it. But no, it ran just fine.

Conclusion? For one or two years of storage, either fill the radiator with anti-freeze or drain it. Charge the battery now and then. If you're compulsive, maybe pour a bottle of Stabil or Star-Tron in the gas tank and for Pete's sake, that oughta do it.

If you have a problem with rodents in your area, put out traps and poison and maybe stick a cork in the exhaust pipe. A shallow tray of anti-freeze smells tempting, tastes sweet and will kill the little monsters dead as Elvis (but don't do this last part if your dog or cat has access to the garage).

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