Proper way to store LSC

[TitaniumLSC]

About to store the LSC away for Hibernation, since I picked up a winter beater (95 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 230K Miles but runs strong, for $35.) I was wondering whats the proper way to store it. Unfortunatley it will have to sit out side, so I will be getting a car cover for it.

[Hizhonor]

About to store the LSC away for Hibernation, since I picked up a winter beater (95 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 230K Miles but runs strong, for $35.) I was wondering whats the proper way to store it. Unfortunatley it will have to sit out side, so I will be getting a car cover for it.


Make sure there is FRESH oil and filter, if there's any gas in the tank, throw in a bottle of Stabil; Start the car at least once every two weeks and keep it running for about 10 minutes. Keep the battery on a trickle charger if starting it won't be convenient. Make sure all the joints have fresh grease in them and if you can get to them, spray the control arm bushings with a LITTLE bit of white lithium grease. (some fresh lithium grease on the door and trunk hinges isn't a bad idea either) It's up to you if you want to pull the door panels to make sure the rubber boots on top of the door lock actuators are tight and intact. Test the anti-freeze to make sure it can handle the low winter temps and change if necessary. WASH and WAX the car. Make sure all the hoses and belt are in good shape. Keep the tires over-inflated by about 5 PSI to help avoid flat spots. Keep the e-brake off and make sure the cable is lubricated. Make sure there are no wet spots in the trunk or in the engine bay. Run the car for about twenty minutes to make sure there is no moisture in the exhaust system. Get a few of those "stay dry" (silica gel) packets and put them on the floor of the front and rear of the car. If I missed anything, others will chime in I'm sure. :cool: Have fun!

[Drake_tr7]

Cork the tailpipes or put some mothball chips in there...(mice) dryer sheets inside help also, they move into the fan through the holes in the cowl (found out the hard way)

[Hizhonor]

Cork the tailpipes or put some mothball chips in there...(mice) dryer sheets inside help also, they move into the fan through the holes in the cowl (found out the hard way)


Instead of "corking" up the pipes (it'll trap any moisture that's left in there) Take some chicken wire or metal window/door screen and form it around the ends of the pipes and hold it in place with a hose clamp. Outside temp changes, expansion and contraction will produce moisture and you want that to be able to evaporate.

+1 on the dryer sheets. I usually do that during the hot summer months when the sun heats up this black interior of mine to about 110 degrees! LOL I recommend BOUNCE! :p:D:cool:

[Magic Al]

http://www.1aauto.com/garage/information/storagetips.php

http://www.musclecarclub.com/library/show/storage.shtml

http://www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/storage.html

[PETE]

if you put a car cover on it,make sure there is a fresh coat of wax, for a little better protection.i have a battery tender on mine.works great. www.batterytender.com plus you might put some flat cemet blocks down to park on,keeps out of the moisture,or spare/extra wheels. just more food for thought.

[Nick]

If you're going to get a cover, the WeatherShield or WeatherShield HD is the absolute best one to get. I leave mine on all winter and have no worries come spring. it's expensive without a doubt, but I'll never buy another cover for outdoor storage. Mine is going on 4 years now. It faded from sun this summer, but the HD is supposed to address that.

Throw some moisuture absorber inside the trunk and interior too.

[Kit Sullivan]

Starting the engine and letting it idle for 10 minutes once a week is NOT a good idea if that is all you are going to use the engine. This will actually increase the moisture inside the engine dramatically. If you start it you should drive it until everything is up to speed and temperature. About a 1/2 hour drive at moderate speeds is preferable. This prevemnts excess moisture from collecting. If you are not going to use it for a few months, it is better to just not strat it. Cover the tailpipes and the intake so moisture cannot get in. Do not sitore the car in close proximity to an electric motor (like an A/C fan): It creates plenty of damaging ozone.
All the other tips are excellent.

[outlaw69]

Just wondering why the trickle charger?.Mines been in storage for 1 year now and I just disconnect battery and it still fires right up.

[Davemutt]

Starting the engine and letting it idle for 10 minutes once a week is NOT a good idea if that is all you are going to use the engine. This will actually increase the moisture inside the engine dramatically. If you start it you should drive it until everything is up to speed and temperature. About a 1/2 hour drive at moderate speeds is preferable. This prevemnts excess moisture from collecting. If you are not going to use it for a few months, it is better to just not strat it. Cover the tailpipes and the intake so moisture cannot get in. Do not sitore the car in close proximity to an electric motor (like an A/C fan): It creates plenty of damaging ozone.
All the other tips are excellent.

+1 on this. If its just for the winter, I'd just change the oil, disconnect the battery, and let it sit until spring.

[JBLSC]

make sure theres good gas in it...pull the spark plugs and squirt some oil in each cyl...turn the motor over once or twice and call it a day...theres not much else you can do and its only for a few months

[Artbaileyjr]

For winter storage (oil changed and coolant fresh), I simply park it, remove the battery and store it [the battery] inside the shop where I can hit it with a charger once in a while during the winter and it wouldn't freeze in the sometimes extended -30 degree temps. By spring thaw, the springs are down but come up with no issues. (unless there was an issue to begin with)

I'd re-install the battery in the spring and disconnect and ground the coil wire. Crank the engine for 30 seconds or more to get some fresh fuel into the rails and bring up some oil pressure, then re-connect the coil wire and fire it up. (It'll start a bit rich but settle right down)

When I lived in the mountain country in Idaho, I did this for 12 years. No sweat!

Art

[Nick]

Art, by "ground the coil wire" you mean literally ground the wire at the coil end? Would pulling the fuel pump relay accomplish a similar goal?

[Artbaileyjr]

Art, by "ground the coil wire" you mean literally ground the wire at the coil end? Would pulling the fuel pump relay accomplish a similar goal?

Well, you could do that but I like the idea of moving fresh fuel through the rails and pressurizing the system with fuel from the tank.

The only reason I ground the coil wire is to keep the secondary coil voltage low. Neither one is a biggie.... just my method. Neither may have much merit. The important thing in this whole exercises is to prevent a "dry start" after all the oil has drained out of the bearing surfaces. One dry start can do more damage and cause more bearing wear than running hard for hundreds of miles.

In the RV world, there is also a pre-lube pump available, which pulls oil from the pan and pressurizes the oil system prior to cranking the engine, for just this reason. It extends engine life by a considerable amount.

Art