[T3] And while Im in that folder....

["Keith Park" <topnotch@nycap.rr.com>]

The T3 get your car out of storage FAQ

Salt belt readers take warning, here in NY anyway despite all the warm
weather there is still a LOT of salt around, its been quite dry and we got
heavily resalted after the last rainstorm here in Albany.  Its been a very
warm winter and there is a lot of extra salt in the coffers, and in New York
State it is in the best interest of the towns to use up all the salt they
have at all cost, or they wont get the same funding for it next season.
Expect rampant "Run by saltings" well into April, they will spread it at the
least provocation!  So don't pull out your classic too early!

Keith



Removing your car from Storage and Starting it

By Keith Park
3/1/02




	Its that time of year again. Snow has melted off and its time to
remove your classic car from storage.  Or is it?  In those areas that salt
the roads its good to make sure those snow banks have all melted down, a
snow bank that is wetting down the road is doing so with a heavy
concentration of salt, not something you want to drive your classic through.
A good rule of thumb is to have all the snow banks gone and a good inch of
rainfall before venturing out, especially if the roads are wet, salt tends
to reside in the cracks and potholes for a long time and needs a real good
rinsing
If your car has been sitting for a long time, the oil has all drained down
from the heads, oil cooler, and oil passages and evaporated from parts of
the cylinder walls.  Oil evaporates just like water, it just takes longer.
Have you ever read the labels of the lighter weight penetrating oils? Some
even warn you of this and is the reason why such products as WD40 are
useless as a long-term lubricant.  A lot of wear occurs if an engine is just
started right up after sitting for a long period of time due to lack of
lubrication.
What to do??  Crank the engine over till the oil light goes out and just a
bit more.  This will reprime the oil system without the loads of running on
the engine.  To keep it from starting, Fuel injected cars can remove the
connector from the trigger points, this will also keep you from dumping fuel
into the engine.  Carburated cars will have to remove the center wire from
the distributor and ground it, and don't touch the accelerator or you'll
flood it. This cranking will take from 10 to 20 seconds.
The next thing to check is for fuel leaks, carbureted cars will have their
fuel bowls full and fuel injected cars will be at operating pressure by now.
Fuel injected cars should pay special attention to the injector housings
themselves for leakage.  No leaks?  Reconnect things and start it up, being
careful not to rev the engine till it has warmed up.
The last things to check are that no mice have built a nest under your
engine shrouding. get a good flashlight and look under there, are you
getting good airflow? Does the thermostat open up properly when fully warmed
up?  Still no leaks? Check and inflate your tires and your ready to get on
with another season of fun.

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