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Winterising... What do you do?


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I'd love to drive my TR6 all year around in the UK however sadly I've decided to put her away at the end of this month till next spring because of the threat of rust caused by the stuff on the roads once the temp drops...

 

It's a 71 with fuel injection

 

What do you do with yours to make sure she is ready to jump in and go next April?

 

Do you start yours up periodically over the winter and just in and out of the garage to keep the hydraulics moving or do you just disconnect the battery, cover and leave?

 

Be interested to hear what works for you

 

 

 

 

 

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If there's no salt,Keep using the car!

Depending on what part of the UK (if you are in the UK!) you're in, there are enough mild spells in 'winter', these days.

Happy TRing!

Best wishes,

Paul.

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Add fuel stabiliser to the tank and run it through the system for a few minutes

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lucas-Oil-Fuel-Stabilizer-237ml/292323564016?epid=1312015700&hash=item440fd799f0:g:-K8AAOSwJ59Z1Pv4.

 

Change the brake and clutch fluid.

 

Put the battery on a trickle charger.

 

Jack the tyres off the ground so they don't flat-spot. Jack under the suspension, not the chassis otherwise it will reverse load the bushes.

 

If not done recently, Waxoil/Dinitrol inside the chassis and the body cavities.

And already present, fit wheelarch liners - body preservation at a modest price.

http://www.revingtontr.com/product/rtr7182-6k/name/underwing-shield-kit-tr6

Then you won't need to worry quite so much about the winter.

 

Ivor

 

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Add fuel stabiliser to the tank and run it through the system for a few minutes

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lucas-Oil-Fuel-Stabilizer-237ml/292323564016?epid=1312015700&hash=item440fd799f0:g:-K8AAOSwJ59Z1Pv4.

 

Change the brake and clutch fluid.

 

Put the battery on a trickle charger.

 

Jack the tyres off the ground so they don't flat-spot. Jack under the suspension, not the chassis otherwise it will reverse load the bushes.

 

If not done recently, Waxoil/Dinitrol inside the chassis and the body cavities.

And already present, fit wheelarch liners - body preservation at a modest price.

http://www.revingtontr.com/product/rtr7182-6k/name/underwing-shield-kit-tr6

Then you won't need to worry quite so much about the winter.

 

Ivor

 

No need to change brake or clutch fluid. Please tell why?

 

Cheers

 

Mike B)

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No need to change brake or clutch fluid. Please tell why?

 

Unless using silicone which I never did or will, the fluid absorbs water.

The water corrodes the brake internals.

That tears up the seals.

The brakes leak.

 

Change every two years, but for the small time taken and minimal cost, may as well be done annually. Applies to all cars, not only TRs.

 

The benefit of this was illustrated in my own TR6 when I raised it from 5 years idleness. I had changed the brake fluid before layup, the brakes were perfect, but being lazy I hadn't done the clutch and both master and slave - new within a few years - were leaking. The slave was dripping fluid like a tap, as I discovered when I refilled.

 

Ivor

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I use winter to do all sorts of odd jobs over the car, which immobilize it for a fair bit of the time, but experience has taught me to do the following as a minimum:

 

- Add fuel stabilizer. In Australia the unleaded high octane fuel turns very aggressive when it goes stale and it can attack the elastomers in the PI system.

 

-Fit a trickle charger and a timer to the battery , the timer is set to turn the charger on for about half an hour a day. This prevents the battery going flat without overcharging. I've found over the years that modern batteries can't be revived after they have been fully discharged, so I don't let them go flat.

 

I try and run the engine every few weeks , but in my case getting the TR out of the garage and on the road involves shuffling around other cars so I generally don't bother exercising it on the street with short runs.

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Not necessary in my opinion to completely mothball the car, as Paul has already said, there are plenty of dry, and even sunny winter days to take the car out for a run, not to mention your local group who might organise a few winter outings.

 

But certainly a good pre-winter service with plenty of WD40 on locks/ hinges, linkages etc, a trickle charge for the battery, fresh antifreeze and a decent car cover is well worthwhile.

 

 

Kevin

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I'm all for rustproofing- wheelarch liners, hammerite, waxoyl, etc. Also worth polishing chromework, & then adding a coating of WD40 to these surfaces.

Cheers,

Paul.

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If you decide not to drive the car over winter (as I do) there’s no finer product than a carcoon. Car comes out exactly as it went in, not even a spot of rust on the discs.

Simon

 

+1, although I use an Airchamber which has an internal frame for ease of driving in and out - TuRK only get a car cover!

 

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Cheers

Andrew

Edited by Andrew Smith
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Mine lives in a brick garage with a Dehumidifier running all the time and a wall bar heater during the winter. I just start it up once every month or three giving it a short run on dry winter days, or sometimes just start it up and pump all the pedals, and drive it back an forth a bit, if I can't be bothered to take it out. That's worked for me for the last 20 odd years, always seems to start and work ok.

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Mine lives in a brick garage with a Dehumidifier running all the time and a wall bar heater during the winter. I just start it up once every month or three giving it a short run on dry winter days, or sometimes just start it up and pump all the pedals, and drive it back an forth a bit, if I can't be bothered to take it out. That's worked for me for the last 20 odd years, always seems to start and work ok.

 

Same for me!

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I bought an e-bac dehumidifier some years ago, and put it in our two bay brick garage with open eaves,

One of my mates asked me if I was trying to dry Norfolk.

To work they need a sealed garage, preferably insulated.

 

I do cover my old cars, mostly to stop nutshells and mouse droppings!

 

If you start them up they need a good run, just my thoughts anyway. :)

Edited by OAF939M
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I bought an e-bac dehumidifier some years ago, and put it in our two bay brick garage with open eaves,

One of my mates asked me if I was trying to dry Norfolk.

To work they need a sealed garage, preferably insulated.

 

I do cover my old cars, mostly to stop nutshells and mouse droppings!

 

If you start them up they need a good run, just my thoughts anyway. :)

 

Yeah you do need to eliminate all the drafts, I had to put seals all around the garage door, but it works well now. The added advantage is that it keeps out all the rodents as well!

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I'd love to drive my TR6 all year around in the UK however sadly I've decided to put her away at the end of this month till next spring because of the threat of rust caused by the stuff on the roads once the temp drops...

 

It's a 71 with fuel injection

 

What do you do with yours to make sure she is ready to jump in and go next April?

 

Do you start yours up periodically over the winter and just in and out of the garage to keep the hydraulics moving or do you just disconnect the battery, cover and leave?

 

Be interested to hear what works for you

 

I ran mine all year round

I did any planned maintenance during the winter, but, if she was on her wheels, she was out and about whenever it was dry and there was no salt residue on the road.

 

If it was inclement for a long period, I would run her up for about 30 minutes at least once a week.

 

I never worried about tyre flat spots, she didn't stand around long enough IMHO

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