Couple questions related to storage

[gnosez]

My Z goes away before the first snow (read road salt) hits the ground and comes out after the 3rd rainy day after the last snow (read road salt) event. In between that the car is driven 4,000-8,000 a year. Much of it very hard in any type of weather (other than snow) condition. I like 60 degrees better because my engine does, forget 75.

My Z sits in a temporary garage, unheated for the winter months. I do have friends however who only keep their custom rods in heated garages and in car-jacket bags even for a just few days or for a whole year.

You want simple? Turn the engine off, lock the car and walk away.

As to draining the battary, you should get noticeable oil pressure in a few cranks of the engine. A well maintained battary will not be affected by this. Taking spark plugs out will reduce the compression. I have, depending on the length of time the car will sit sprayed oil in each cylinder and put the old plugs back loosely. I write a note to myself and leave it in the cockpit to remember to tighten them up before really firing it up.

Do whatever you want to do, it's your car. I got no problem with that. This is what I do.

[beandip]

Surely you will flatten the battery turning an engine over until the oil pressure comes up!

If you were going to do that...and it does sound a good idea, why not take the spark plugs out just prior so that the poor battery isn't fighting against compression. That way it would come up to pressure easy and fast....or am I being over cautious?

This exactly what should be done after a long term storage . Plus put a little oil in each cylinder before the storage period. I really doubt that a readable pressure can be seen spinning it on the starter only . I wont run a starter longer than 15 sec. at a time. But that just me. Gary

[TomoHawk]

Keeping the battery off the cement goes back to the days when you had caps on the 6 cells. Remember how the clamps got the corrosion buildup? for the same reason, some of the acid fumes can get UNDER the battery, and eat up the concrete. So if you put it on a bock of wood, to elevate it, the acid fumes dissapate. Ventilation is a good idea too, but I would assume it's in your garage, which probably has fresh air occasionally.

I keep my battery in the basement, on the bottom shelf, near the chargers. Probably doesn't matter at ALL now, with the sealed batteries.

I've never experienced flat spots, and I store mine straight from Nov - April. Maybethe flat spots only happened to the old-style bias-ply tyres?

thx

[240znz]

I haven't run my L24 for nearly 6 months now. I squirted about 5ml of oil in each of the spark plug holes and then turned it over by hand a few times to get the oil coated in there. I figure that I should turn it over by hand every month just to keep the oil up in the bores. As the bearing shells hold oil, I'm hoping that I won't do any damage by hand turning. Also I'll put some more oil in shortly as I figure the oil could have seeped past the rings.....I am being very anal about it but I you know how you can get about these Zeds....bonkers. But if it doesn't hurt it then I say why not do it. At the very minimum, it gives me peace of mind that I'm doing eveything I can to help stop issues.

Does anyone know any problems with putting oil down the bores. I imagine that there will be a heap of smoke on start up but what about glazing of the bores. Is this a possibility?

[gnosez]

I would think it was more a matter of heat transfer (re: battary on concrete), as the electrolyic process would continue (at a reduced rate) and would generate heat, which would in turn be sucked up by the cold concrete floor. Of course after a bit of time went by the wood and concrete floor would reach equalibriumand if I could reach the process operation manual I would do the calcualtions but now my head hurts.... :stupid: I mean really, if you store it on wood, on an old ribbon bound package of love letters, or nothing at all, it's okay with me. I got no problem with how you do what you do with your Z.

I doubt that radial tires flat spot after a few months with the correct air pressure in them either. I add more to ensure that the correct amount is still there 4 months later. If no leakage, it cost me a few cents running the compressor. As to all the other storage stuff, the only thing that costs "real" money is the car-jacket. Having old acidic oil sitting in my engine doesn't appeal to me. I'd rather spend a few dollars and change it before I put it away. Then change it again after a brief spring shake-down run.

I've gotten a noticeable oil pressure reading after the second (10-15 second per) time I've turned the engine over w/o the coil wire.

[TomoHawk]

The dangers of cold-starting your car are more for your daily-driver. 7 times A WEEK, you start the engine after sitting overnight, draining. On the other hand- if you store the car and only start it monthly, that's only 4-6 times over the winter (Nov - April in Northern U.S.) Either way, it doesn't actually drain DRY. There's still a light smear of lube on there. the engine prefers to have more tho.

I was planning on adding a quart of oil before I start the engine. It's a shade low as it is now.

[gnosez]

Quart low? Is this a British Z?

As to the monthly starting, why are/would you do this? If not run long enough and hot enough the moisture in the exhaust system will condense out and settle into all the low spots of the system (muffler is a given). The exhaust gases with the now available water form sulfuric and nitric acid. If you're driving it around (tranny/diff lube) this I can understand, or for me it would be that I couldn't resist the urge to drive my Z. But I see no reason to start it up at all. Maybe I'm wrong....its' happened.

[TomoHawk]

If you store inside, there's no condensation, even in an unheated garage.

[gnosez]

So, are you telling me that if I store my car inside and then start it up and run it for say 5 minutes, that the water vapor in the air (at room temp) will not condense out in the soon to be cooling exhaust system? Ever see the water drops flying out of your exhaust?

[TomoHawk]

You have to have a cool surface for water to condense onto, like on the outside of a glass of icewater. A surface cooler than the dewpoint of the air. The warm exhaust system parts will just cool down, and stay dry. Storing in a closed garage keeps the temperature fairly constant everywhere.

Even if you did have a few drops, which is the most you'll get, of water anywhere, it will evaporate quickly. Most of the water comes from the exhaust itself.

[gnosez]

ah, and where did the water come before it was in the exhaust system? And before it evaporates it will begin to eat the metal.....gotta run I think I hear someone's exhaust dieing prematurely.

[EScanlon]

I found a website with some information on batteries, including whether or not they discharge on concrete floors.

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq14.htm

Has as it's first paragraph the one about batteries and concrete floors.

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/index.htm

This one is the main index for all the documents.

I found this place by going to www.howstuffworks.com

Now as far as the amount of moisture, temperature gradients, cooling off factors and condensation issues in storage, are you guys going to continue to split hairs?

IDEAL conditions are always preferable. However, the money and time needed to attain those conditions are typically the limitation factors in attaining them. While some people can provide a humidity and temperature controlled environment for their vehicles, others find it hard just to get it into a garage.

Rust isn't something that you can stop. At best, you establish a happy "detente" with it via the various methods we have at our disposal; paint, undercoating, zinc and other metal plating. If you REALLY want to rust-proof your car, have it dipped in Cosmoline or whatever the military is using now to mothball for decades. That will really slow the stuff down, however, the clean up costs are exorbitant.

2¢

Enrique