Longterm Storage of Vehicles

It looks like I will be helping a friend prepare a number of tractors, cars and trucks for long storage.

What are the issues to consider for a successful storage?

Batteries, fuel, tires and RUST all come to mind.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

TMT

The biggest and most costly is the brakes, after a few years of non use the break fluid absorbs water and the rest is history. Thay make a senthadic( cant spell) fluid that works good, but you have to totally remove the old stuff a real pia....Phil in Mt

I have had good luck with the fuel addative "Sta-Bil". I put it in my gas cans late summer because then you know all your fall refills will get it.

No affilation; yada, yada,yada disclaimer.

pete

I would not leave gas in the tank - it turns into varnish after a long time ...

Cheers,
Bob Welland

Long term as in years?

There was a routine put out early WW II for civilians to store their cars. Maybe Google has something.

I suggest you treat it as though it was an overseas shipping problem.

A work list for 10 year mothballing of military equipment adapted for storing a car would go something like this:

Steam clean the entire underneath of the vehicle. Grease all fittings to purge dirt and water.

Start the engine and run up to full temp. Immediately change the motor oil. Refill with an approved preservative oil. Start and run for a few seconds.

While the engine is still hot, remove the spark plugs, connect a shop vac to the exhaust pipe and use air suction to draw fresh dry air through the engine to remove moisture residues jogging the starter from time to time. Drain all coolant and flush the coolant system with a waterbased corrosion preventative. Drain and dry the coolant system.

Slack all belts. Remove the battery. Spray all bare metal with a petroleum based Type II metal preservative.

Purchase a complete set of electrical and brake consumable parts and package them in their boxes in an airtight container with charged silica gel. Store this and the relevant manuals and documents on the vehicle.

Thorougly clean the interior as in a full showroom detailing job. Thoroughly dry the interior for several days with 100 degree heat. Distribute packets of silica gel as needed.

Spray the exterior with the protective shipping film used for transporting new cars. Locate the vehicle in place. Block up the vehicle so no weight is on the tires. Deflate the tires to 5 PSI.

Build a light wood containment framework just clear of the vehicle's exterior and enclose it with heat welded plastic film. If there's any possibility of the top of the vehicle containment being used for light storage, be sure to frame accordingly.

THAT should keep you busy.

Seriously, long term equipment storage will result in degradation and deterioration to some degree unless some heroic measures are taken.

There is some kind of a huge zippered bag expressly designed for storing cars...lay it out flat, drive onto it and then zipper up. I'm sorry that I don't have a source.

The trick is the long dessicant socks that you bake in the oven at low heat beforehand and then zipper into the bag to eat any leftover moisture. The dessicant socks are like spill-absorb socks but their main purpose in life is to mitigate rust in sea containers.

Guys told me they stored cars for 2 years with the brake rotors emerging gleaming as they entered.

I would use some kind of a gasoline stabilizer...my small engines gum up regularly.

There's also the upper engine fogger...basically you idle the engine, then start fogging away into the air cleaner or throttle body and the engine chokes and stalls on the fog but it introduces a rust preventative....I've used it successfully before.

Batteries, I think I would remove it and put it on a solar charger or some sort of ultra slow trickle (think cell phone charger) to keep the charge up without boiling out the water. Use it in another vehicle if you can because it's likely to get trashed sitting unattended especially if you are talking more than a year.

The whole process of storing and "waking up" vehicles is a PITA but your hard work up front will pay off.

-Matt

ok. now i know .
what about cleaning up the
after fx of storage on the car. i've a
88 toyota corolla, 89 supra turbo,89 mazda 626-lx,
isuzu pu , all stored in or outside of my
shop.
none were prepared for storage,.. of course
i wasn't going to keep them at the shop that long.
...but weeks turned into years. now, they run like
crap. i'm a machinist(not mechanic), and i really
hate fixin' stuff. i'd rather make anything than
fix it. ....how do i get rid of these (otherwise
good) cars.....auctions.?..whatever.....any
suggestions....anyone int'std...500.00 each!

I was told for long term storage to drain all of the fluids, remember to replace the brakes before running again, and spray the whole thing down with oil. Spring may loose tension and anything that is flexible may not be after long term storage.

They shrink wrap boats, so why not cars?


Jerry

How d'ya suppose they prepped the VW Beetle that Woody Allen found in the cave after 200 years? He just got in, fired it up, and drove off !!

I use a carbag, it keeps the moisture/condensation away from the car.

http://www.carbag.com/

Forest pretty well covered everything even though it's more detail than necessary. Knowing how long the car(s) will be in storage and where makes a difference. Also what year cars, inside, outside, controled invironment?

DO NOT spray oil on the cars. It won't last and it will deteriorate rubber parts.

DO NOT cover with plastic or allow plastic to remain in contact with the paint. Cover with a cotton sheet(s). I think there's breathable plastic covers with cotton linning available.

DO NOT allow tape of any kind to remain in contact with the car. (Any part, including chrome)

Long term basics:

1. Remove all fuel (Tank, lines and carb).
2. Remove the plugs and sqirt oil in cylinders.
3. Crank to distribute oil, replace plugs.
4. Remove the battery and store away from the car.
5. Change ALL fluids (Oil, brake, antifreeze).
6. Wash and wax/seal the paint.
7. Treat the tires.
8. Jack the car up and remove weight from suspension and tires. Store on Jack Stands.
9. Keep the tires aired to full pressure.
10. Treat/coat all door and trunk weatherstrips with talcum powder.
11. Block or cover all the glass. Don't let the sun in.
12. Block or cover all plastic parts with cotton. (Tail lights, side lights, grills, etc.)

Eleven and twelve can be accomplished by one of the car covers mentioned above.

A few more points, the gas tank if metal should be filled and a gasoline stabiliser added otherwise it will condense water and rust internally. The heater/airconditioning should be switched off with the engine running to close duct flaps to keep critters out. A bag of charcol briquettes placed in the car (non self starting type) will absorb odors over time. A few moth balls placed in a can in the engine compartment from time to time will prevent critters from chewing on things. It's amazing what mice/squirrels/chipmunks etc find tasty. I had the ignition wires on my PT Crusier chewed up by a chipmunk.