To Run or Not to Run Dog Days of Winter

[427John]

Fogging with layup is definitely an option and is very popular with marine engines in my area.They probably are subject to moisture as much as anything out there,sitting there under an engine cover with a little residual water laying in the bilge underneath it.

[427John]

I can even see merit in starting and running the engine for a short period if its done frequent enough to keep the inside coated with oil like every few days,but I would tend to think that starting the engine without letting it come up to full temp including the oil and then letting it sit for weeks or months would be the least desirable practice.

[cleandan]

There are so many variables to this question that most of the "proof" is anecdotal, not scientific.

Here is but one example of what I am talking about concerning putting your car away.
Your car, with an older carbed engine, is in otherwise excellent condition.
You drive it regularly during the good months, and put it way for the bad months.

1) Drive in, park, and walk away...change oil in spring when you get it out again.
2) Drive in, change oil, run a bit to circulate and put away.
3) Drive in, change oil, put away.
4) Drive in, change oil, fog cylinders, release valvetrain pressure.
5) Drive in, change oil, put car in storage bag with dessicant system in place.
6) Drive in, change oil, put car in extra garage that is at ambient temps.
7) Drive in, change oil, put car in heated garage but just above freezing.
Drive in, change oil, put car in well heated garage that is also a working shop so it changes temps radically once in a while when the doors are left open due to some other reason.
9) Park open, with a fan cicrulating air around car.
10) Park, covered, with fan.
11) Park, tarped, with no fan....I think you get the idea.

All of this has very different results depending where you live, your storage situation, air quality where you live, humidity level, temp changes through the season, construction of your storage area, and other factors.

EVERY one of these situations are perfromed by some car guy every season, with the results being, it worked, because there are no significant issues causing the owner to question his "good" storage techniques.
This cements his good storage techniques as just that, good, so they are told to others because hey, Dave knows his car stuff. What does Dave do? I'll do that too.

There are many, many, many variables leading to the unique end result. Each could be done better from a true scientific viewpoint, but the current methods are also not "wrong" because they work good enough.

Add to that the age old, "It's what my dad used to do" or other legend and lore type thinking that keeps old ideas going for no other reason than that is what was done, and it gets even more mired and less clear about the "best" methods.

Lots of the methods seem to revolve around the engine alone too.
Never mind the differential and axle bearings.
Never mind the transmission or any suspension parts, or wheel bearings...etc.
Pay no mind to the exhaust pipes and mufflers....Nope, you have to heat the oil to a certain temp to boil off water.....You know the story.

[machoneman]

I think the makeup of the garage (if garaged) does make a significant difference. The floor material counts as well.

In my attached, unheated garage here in a Chicago 'burb, the temps rarely go down lower that 45F of so. With a concrete flow w/o any cracks, a standard 2-car wide door and added-on flexy seals on the big door I've seen zero interior engine rust or even moisture. Having just done a head/cam swap (thanks Brent Lykins!) on the '70 Mach 1, after 26 years in this same garage the cylinder walls, valley, etc. were in perfect shape. Point is, the condition of the place you store your car(s) has the biggest impact in my book over how well the engine and car survive even brutal winters.

On a side note, having a heated garage is really bad news IF one pulls in a grocery getter next to your fun ride and IF it has salt/snow on it. Have seen too many cars garaged this way that succumbed to rust, rust easily forming in a wet, warm environment. Unless one can rinse off that salt BEFORE entering the garage, you're not helping the car at all. And oh, good luck with rinsing off salt in your driveway at near freezing temps!   



   

[Jb427]

I have the opposite problem here 40+ deg C 100+ deg F summers

[Falcon67]

I run the door car about once every month, just run it in the shop.  But this is Texas and while it snowed last week it was also 70F yesterday.  Also, it never gets below high 40s in the shop in winter and I can easily put it in the 60s in an hour or so.  So I just wait for a good windy day with a little warmth.  No problem getting engine temp when you have manual control over the electric fans and such.  For the dragster, it gets fogged down after every race.  For winter, It gets fogged down good, plugs pulled and cylinders fogged and spun, carb tore down and cleaned, fuel system pumped down and changed over to gas, and capped off.  Battery on a maintainer and will spin the motor over once in a while. 

We need to sell the old F-350.  It sits outside and I just start it every 30 days or so.  Maybe take it around the big block/circle.  Been doing that for over a year now and it hasn't bothered it at all. 

[fryedaddy]

i have owned my fe comet for 35+ years and i have driven it year round,especially these last 5 years.but im on my 4th fe in this comet also.unless its broke my car never sits over 1 or 2 weeks and thats because of snow,other than that since im retired now and i dont drive much farther than 20 miles from home,i drive my comet everywhere,nearly everyday.

[6667fan]

Had Fairlane out two days ago. Air temp was mid thirties. Got water up to temp, don’t have an oil temp gauge. Normally would not get a car out this time of year but there was a rainstorm last week that took care of an earlier road treatment. Today there was an inch of snow so the town threw down some blue/green stuff.
Good thing I chose to mix the fluids the other day. Did not even put hood on though it does not make much difference anyways. Engine has a 192* thermostat and I have not been able to get it any warmer than that even in heat of summer.
I would never just idle it to warm it up. Summer or not it needs a load on it.

[Thumperbird]

Thanks for all the input, reminded of lots of variables for all but it sounds like general position of most owners of street(ish) cars is run them once a month or so and drive if you can.  I can't take it out on the road but I do cycle the trans thru RND a couple times.

The older I get the more I dislike 5 month long winters although this one is a bit more mild temerpature wise.

Thanks.