11 replies to this topic

[DrDomm]

I drained the fuel tank and changed the fuel filter last weekend (while I was under the car changing the diff). Should I fill the car up with gas while it sits in the garage for the winter? How much gas? 93 octane E10 pump gas?

[wreckerboy]

I've always stored mine with a full tank to minimize the air space and reduce the possibility for condensation. I also treat that last tankful with Sta-Bil, and run the fuel pump (engine off) get it circulated through the entire system. As for the grade of the gasoline used - Brand X from the corner station works fine. I'll pump it down in the spring and fill it up with fresh race gas at the track. The "storage" gas goes to fill the lawn mower, daily driver, etc.

[ChrisA]

⬆ Same here, filled plus Sta-bil. I pump it out and put fresh gas in before I head to the track. Put the old stuff in the truck, it goes through it fast enough.

[joeg5982]

You do not want to leave it dry, although if you can find "ethanol-free gas", so much the better.

[tony senese]

I live in Vermont and store my car outside on an open trailer.... last year I finally got a car cover after tons of ribbing by all my racing buddies. I have stored it both full and almost empty with pump gas. I start the car and run it about once a month to make sure the battery is still charged. I do replace the water with 100% antifreeze, which experience taught me.... Right now the tank is full, really full, there is absolutely no room for moisture. I don't think it really makes a big difference, but it seems a very small amount of prudence and it was easy.

I can't help it, I'm lazy.

[wreckerboy]

I start the car and run it about once a month to make sure the battery is still charged.

Tony - two things:

• Unless you're running the car above about 1200 RPM you're not charging the battery. At idle and slightly above you're just running off the alternator and very little, if any, charge is going to the battery. Invest in a Battery Tender. Mine gets plugged in to "life support" whenever it's parked and my battery is many years old now. Since your car lives outside and electricity may not be nearby consider a solar powered model. I just got one this winter and hooked it up to the van, which lives outside and basically doesn't get used from November to April. The battery in the van ('04 E350, V10) is 8 years old and dark current pretty much kills it every winter. We'll see if this helps.
• Startng the car and running it for 10 or 20 minutes doesn't get it very warm, probably even less so in the wilds of a Vermont winter. Think about it - if the cooling system is more than adequate for the rigors of racing in the draft on a 95+ degree day, the amount of load placed on it idling in the cold ain't much. It's actually pretty brutal on the rotating assemblies in terms of a cold start, lackof oil, etc. Most of the material I've read on the subject suggests that just leaving the car alone and not starting it if the thing is going to be stored for short (<6 mos.) periods of time. YMMV, but mine hasn't been started since November and probably won't get started until the middle this month after I finish doing some work to it. Otherwise, I normally wouldn't start it until March or later.

[ChrisA]

You could just disconnect the battery.

[Jim Boemler]

Storing your car outside in Vermont with a car cover is probably not a good idea. I did it once in Seattle, and came back to a nice fuzzy velour interior -- the entire thing was covered in mold. Not easy getting it all out again. Your area "may" be cold enough that it won't happen, but I know I'll never have a cover on my car again.

[tony senese]

Although I do appreciate all the advice...... this ain't my first rodeo.....

[DrDomm]

Thanks. I'll put some gas in it. It has antifreeze in it already. I don't need to worry about the battery right now...don't have one, and figured I'd wait til spring.

Rob, you said you would put "race gas" in it at the track. You're not talking about 112(or whatever) octane race fuel, right? What exactly are you talking about?

[wreckerboy]

Background - I race SSM with WDCR at Summit Point. We have (or maybe it's used to have, I'm not sure) a gentleman's agreement about fuel that grew out of the POG wars a few years ago. To eliminate the eleventeen dollar a gallon weasel piss, everybody agreed to buy gas from the pumps at the track. In this case, it's Sunoco 93 octane, nothing fancier. That's the "race gas" to which I refer.

Interesting observation - a few years ago I brought the car down to Ed York's shop to get it dyno'd and sealed. (Another WDCR SSM requirement.) Ed observed some things while doing that in terms of HP that lead him to ask how old the gas in the car was. It might have been two months old at that point. At Ed's suggestion I went up to the local station and picked up a few gallons of fresh 93. The change was pretty obvious when we put it back on the dyno. Gasoline performance really does appreciably degrade fairly quickly. It was an eye opener.

Rob, you said you would put "race gas" in it at the track. You're not talking about 112(or whatever) octane race fuel, right? What exactly are you talking about?

[DrDomm]

Thanks.