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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / winterizing

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Posted By Discussion Topic: winterizing -- page: 1 2     agriffey 10-29-2020 @ 8:52 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 28 Joined: Sep 2015 I would not leave it without the coolant. The unprotected cooling jackets of the engine, including the water pumps will rust for sure if left dry. I add a half cup of water soluble oil to the cooling systems of my cars. If you have a car with aluminum heads it is important to use a 50-50 mixture to keep the aluminum heads from being eaten away. On cars with cast iron block and head/heads you need at least 25% antifreeze or add rust preventative to a rich enough mixture to keep it from freezing. Some years it gets down to 33 degrees where I live so I use 25% antifreeze and add a half cup of soluble oil that I get from the parts store. Max 13, or Mack’s 13 will also keep the rust down. I am working on two cars right now that have so much rust in the engines that you can’t put in more than a quart of water. With the water pumps off and I pour water in the top nothing comes out where the water pumps go. And we have no hot tanks in Taxafornia. therunwaybehind 10-25-2020 @ 9:58 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 180 Joined: May 2019 I am 76 myself and in the last 30 to 40 years have always respected the 80 year-olds. When I worked for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California I was 21 in the beginning and every other engineer or analyst was at least 40 and many were 50. By the time I left in 1978, many had come to me as they retired to express their happiness with how we had worked together. The upper management by that time was those who were in their late 50's and early 60's and a movie was circulated at how those who were 50 were not going to take over at that time. Moves were being made to eliminate "engineering paper." Reductions in staff were described as "surgery." All paper was to be made once and used as what once was called "production paper." First the Southern California Professional Engineering Association got certified by the labor Relations Board and then it joined the Teamsters. At United Technologies The Florida Professional Engineers Association made a push to be certified and years later they all moved back to Connecticut. I left in 1983 with no real place to go except North. Eventually, I ended up in Troy, Michigan where my sister was a teacher and the Ford Professional Engineers were organizing. The major thing they gained was the company could garnish their wages to satisfy divorce agreements. In Florida the court designated a contractor to receive all child support payments and that contractor kept the money and did not disburse it. They also managed probation. So where did that eventually put me with 80 year-olds? My parents had retired earlier and established themselves as "snow birds" first in Palm Beach county where I had worked and then on the West Coast in Tampa. For a time I was the dog sitter through the Winter and my sister would spend the Christmas holidays with my parents. Then when my sister turned 60 she retired and we went South every Winter. That is where I met the 80 year-olds who treated me like a kid. Many were from Canada and had the $400,000.00 Class D motor homes. Performers from Branson, Missouri would sweep through and the park residents had regular music get togethers. Exactly, how I jumped from building Harley-Davidson motorcycle 3D digital models bridges on my father using his middle name "Harley" and explaining it was like the motorcycle to the harder reality that I was born in Wisconsin near Milwaukee and as a teen ager I worked in a Standard station and bought a 1948 Ford coupe as the only real access I had to the Early Ford V-8. Yes, I drained the water out that first Winter and I put Methanol in it for several years because it was cheaper and in Summer I could use water. This message was edited by therunwaybehind on 10-25-20 @ 10:00 AM GK1918 10-25-2020 @ 6:40 AM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 128 Joined: Aug 2016 Ok check anti freeze usually get it down to say 20 below because maybe the temp is rising and throwing heat thermostats are closed OK now its the wind chill factor not enough protection the radiator may freeze going down the road and this goes for all new or old. Daily driver a good thing like mine I use 20 - 50 racing oil all year and the coldest of days its starts on a dime with no choke used 7 days a week. It is 74 yrs old same as me. then it has better bones than me. And if why? because I can walk in it and sit on a couch I have hard time to get in this new junk never mind crawling out. There are people on my street in their 80's god forbid if a fly or it starts to rain he has a heart attack. Has no children so whats that for a casket? I kick the bucket it ain't my problem no more ; life is a one way rode enjoy it while there is time left.... MG 10-23-2020 @ 6:23 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1261 Joined: Nov 2009 Drive it during the winter months....Just make sure you have the correct amount of antifreeze in it and a light weight oil.... JohnA 10-23-2020 @ 5:13 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 281 Joined: Dec 2009 damage to paint least of my worries, it"s daily driver so gets lots of use. My main concern is it gets there and back without breaking down. Johna Jacques1960 10-22-2020 @ 8:09 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 201 Joined: Aug 2020 Not a plug for any particular product, but I’ve used the Cal Car Cover “Noah” successfully for several outdoor storage needs in Maine. Good product, easy on paint. Care needs to be taken when removing below freezing as ice can cause inner layer of cover to freeze to vehicle, damaging cover (not car) on removal. How do I know this...? TomO 10-22-2020 @ 7:30 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7256 Joined: Oct 2009 Storing a car outside can cause paint abrasion from the car cover being whipped around by the wind. Another concern is how well the cover is moisture resistant. If the cover stays wet, it can cause rust to form under it. Choose a car cover that is designed to be used outdoors and fits the car well. The main problems you will have to protect against are rust and vermin. Tom 51woodie 10-21-2020 @ 3:43 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 517 Joined: Jan 2017 If possible, it would be best if you could put it up on stands on a concrete or asphalt (put two layers of 3/4" x 1' x 1' plywood under each stand if on asphalt) driveway. Also it is very important to use a breathable cover, instead of a poly tarp, as condensation will collect. Jacques1960 10-21-2020 @ 3:08 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 201 Joined: Aug 2020 Yes, you could also fog the cylinders for added protection if the car really, really will sit unitilized for an extended period therunwaybehind 10-21-2020 @ 1:25 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 180 Joined: May 2019 Drain all the water out of both the easy places with taps, like the bottom of the radiator and the harder ones to do like the center of the bottom of both vees of the engine block. You could check the antifreeze freezing point with a bulb type hygrometer or simply drain and refill with a new supply of antifreeze and water for a calculated freezing point but that is a technical and not a muscle memory task.

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