Hi Guys,

Looks like my 64 Sport Fury won't be driving any time soon, need to yank and rebuild the tranny, replace the M/C, water pump and diff seals. With work, School, and a wedding to plan I'm hoping to fit all this in before the end of summer.

While the cars going to be up on jack stands for a while, whats the best way to preserve things while they are not being used, worst case is this car won't move until this time next year, how would I best go about putting a 46 year old car to sleep while I work on her?

 

good breathable car cover. keep the battery disconnected and on a battery tender, keep the tires off the ground which you mentioned jack stands so i assume they will be.

 

Non-op it and cancel the insurance (unless you have full coverage that will cover acts of god.... or something like that)
Clean and wax it. Always keep it covered, even if in a garage.
Change the oil and filter before you put it to sleep.
Drain the gas tank and fuel line.
Put enough gas in it to run it once in a while. The trick is to not let the gas get old or sit and turn into varnish.
I'd start it and let it run for 5 to 10 minutes. At least 1 time a month. (If you can)

If you don't plan on starting the motor, Still change the oil and filter and rotate it by hand at least once a month.
Keep the rubber out of the sun by covering it.
Lubricate: (before 1 time)
linkages, door hinges, hood hinges, u-joints, suspension and mirror pivot points.
Change the diff. oil. Oh you are doing something there????
Drain and flush the coolant. After the water pump change.
Spin the front and rear hubs by hand once in a while.
Keep the moving parts moving. Things tend to sieze if not rotated once in a while.

And the most important thing to remember is to not sell your car because of wedding plans. LOL

 

I noticed your from Canada, if this is where the car will be stored I recommend keeping the fuel tank full and adding a fuel stabilizer to the tank. The reason would be going from a cold winter to a warm summer has a tendency to accumalate moisture in a fuel tank less than half full. This is assuming you have no fuel leaks and as stated the maximum time in storage will be no more than a year. I do agree with fresh oil in the crank case but add a little sea foam to the oil. Pull the plugs and spray some sta-bil in the cylinders (go by directions on can), turn the engine over 1 revolution and re-install plugs. Make sure air cleaner is installed properly but do not cover inlet (of air cleaner). This is how I put the Harley to sleep for the winter.

 

Guys -

Just a little hi-jacking here

1. How many people use Sta-bil in their gas over the winter? I start the car about once a month, and never bothered, but have used it in mowers that might not go through gas as quickly -thoughts?

2. Regarding jack stands. I recall a little debate over using vs not. Basically using them protects the tires, but leaves the shocks without weight bearing, and possibly messing them up. What's the fix, jacking the car up half way?

Tks

Archer

 

Yes fuel stabilizer you live in Edmonton and so did I and it helped - put the stands under the rear axel & front control arm will solve your hanging shock prob. - 4 steel rims with no tires bolted on the car lowered down on 4 steel rims flat on the floor works perfect, rims can be pure scrap so condition dont matter, no flat spots in the tires and no stress on the shocks - but thats just from a guy who deals with 6 or 7 every winter to store who has lived in your part of the world and I'm sure I'll be corrected

 

trampy -

And that is exactly why some of your responses, while may be "correct" can be just as meaningless.

Some of us don't have a barn or 7 car garage to store loose wheel/tire combinations or spare wheels for that matter. Also, the use of traction bars that might be lower that the bare rim might also throw a monkey wrench into the works. Ditto for not being able to change wheels once the car is in the garage. Nice to have all the room in the world to play, but some of us don't, so we make compromises. Years ago, we never needed fuel stabilizers, but then we didn't have gas with 10% ethanol either.

Also when you say something helped or is "better", doesn't really "help", unless you qualify how it helped. Likewise, if you say something "sucks" an (honest) example of why or how would be nice. In this case, did it make the cars start easier or run smoother than they did when you didn't use it and is that a subjective impression or somehow quantitative?

This is the Internet, and for all we know anyone posting can as easily be a 12 year old twit, copying things from other websites as well as an adult who is actually trying to help. Sometimes, how you present "stuff" is as important as what you present.

Archer

 

LET it go guys

 

Ahemmmmm...if I may here, getting back to the post. If being stored for a year or less I wouldnt worry about the tires just make sure air pressure is correct. You could use one of those products on the market to spray on your side walls to make them pretty and help prevent dry rott/cracking but a year is realitivly short time for tires.

Ok I said my peace, now back to the, well, what ever it was you were doing.....(lol)

 

2x on that

i would polish up the tires and rims
it'll protect them

 

Thanks guys!

Hoping to get to work on the Fury this summer. Never thought to spin the wheels to keep the bearing lubed, great idea. And it shouldn't be on blocks long enough for the tires to start to rot, I'd give her away to a better home before I let that happen!

And it would be greatly appreciated that any dirty laundry not be aired in public. If you have a issue with that try me, I have a 'ban' button right next to my 'any key'!!