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Puttin the 'ol girl away for the winter

chris4521

chris4521

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Toronto, Ontario
Since I don't use my truck for work during the winter and Ive got a little beater 4 banger to get me around, Im going to put her away. It will be in a Barn up north- not heated....she will be missed thats for sure

Just wanted to get some info on what I can do to make sure she fires back up for me without a problem again in the spring! What do you guys think.
I planned on Putting a full tank of fuel with Additive in it, give her a good wash and rustproof.
Should i add some methyl hydrate stabilizer? Is this safe to use with diesel?
Also, Would it be a good idea to disconnect the batteries so they won't drain?
Anything else you guys can think of? Cheers
 
i'd pull the batteries and bring them with you. The cold can kill them as well. Not to mention if you leave them hooked up and a damn mouse chews a wire and starts a fire, you won't even know until it's way too late. Also put a box of moth balls in the cab, to keep the critters out. might put a few moth balls around the engine bay too. Might give you a better edge of not having chewed wires and tenants in the engine bay when you get back to the ol girl.
 
I agree with Dave on the batteries, I've never had luck with mothballs. Don't use methyl hydrate in the fuel, there are fuel stabilizers for diesel. I wouldn't bother myself though.
 
I use a can of Sea foam in the tank also before parking.

I would also sprinkle some moth balls around the vehicle.

I would also invest in a bait box or 2 and load them up.

Plastic box that holds 12 chunks of rat bait. Farm & Fleet or any simialr store. The boxes are about $8
 
Put the batteries on a float charger so they hold their charge.They can be had for about 10/15 bucks at H/F and work great.

Also test the A/F down to -10/-20, hate to have you come back in the spring to a cracked block or blown out freeze plugs.
 
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last winter i left my pickup parked in the corner of the driveway with a float charger on it all winter. If the truck wasn't on the property i was living at, it wouldn't have had the batteries connected for fear of critters getting frisky with the wiring. They don't' care if your truck bursts into flames because of them.

My blazer has an onboard float charger that I mounted under the hood that's wired in with the block heater and an additional plug for my magnetic oil pan heater when it's needed. Nice to have the coolant warm and the batteries fresh when you go to start it in the cold.

Walmart sells the onboard float chargers that put out 1.5 amps if you decide to leave the batts hooked up and the barn has a power source.

here's the one i have.
EverStart_Model_1_5_AMP_Trickle_Charge_BY_AI2C_P4300008.jpg
 
I go to -20 in Illinois

Minus 10 might not be safe enough

robzombie4551 said:
Put the batteries on a float charger so they hold their charge.They can be had for about 10/15 bucks at H/F and work great.

Also test the A/F down to -10/20, hate to have you come back in the spring to a cracked block or blown out freeze plugs.
Click to expand...
 
And they will have the coldest winter on record...

Pull the batts out. Because if the power goes out they go dead in 30 days. Then they freeze, crack, and then leak.

Poison bait under the truck in a mouse/rat/squirrel type dispenser so cats etc. don't get to it.

Change the engine oil before storage.

Jack up the truck and support on jackstands all 4 corners to prevent flat spots on the tires.

Check on it once and awhile to make sure the snow isn't collapsing the barn roof on top of the thing...
 
WarWagon said:
And they will have the coldest winter on record...

Pull the batts out. Because if the power goes out they go dead in 30 days. Then they freeze, crack, and then leak.

Poison bait under the truck in a mouse/rat/squirrel type dispenser so cats etc. don't get to it.

Change the engine oil before storage.

Jack up the truck and support on jackstands all 4 corners to prevent flat spots on the tires.

Check on it once and awhile to make sure the snow isn't collapsing the barn roof on top of the thing...
Click to expand...

I dont think i can jackstand it - The gravel in the barn is pretty mushy and last year i stored a boat in it- the tires had sunken into the ground almost completely! I had planned on parking each of tires on a 3 foot long pc of 2x10 to distribute the weight. Also , in terms of the engine oil-- should i Change before storage? Or after. Do you think it would make a difference?
 
chris4521 said:
I dont think i can jackstand it - The gravel in the barn is pretty mushy and last year i stored a boat in it- the tires had sunken into the ground almost completely! I had planned on parking each of tires on a 3 foot long pc of 2x10 to distribute the weight. Also , in terms of the engine oil-- should i Change before storage? Or after. Do you think it would make a difference?
Click to expand...


When I store a vehicle for the winter, I put it up on blocks (railway ties or bridge ties), to keep the tires from getting flat spotted and to keep the carcass from separating from the cords, should a tire go flat during the winter (aluminum rims are famous for loosing air pressure). I change the oil (for the first firing in the spring I drive it down the hyway for an hour trip just to get all the oils up to temp so the condensation that will accumulate throughout the winter will be evaporated). I pull the battery(s) and store it someplace warm (usually gets put into my winter vehicle). Where I store my vehicles there are a few barn cats that are excellent mouser's so I just cover it with a sheet to keep the dust and the cat's foot prints off it.
 
Throw a cat in the building and call it a day. That will keep the critters away. Keep an eye on the valley under the intake next spring, though, just in case that's not enough. It seems to be a place that looks attractive to a rodent.
 
An alternative to moth balls is to use fleecy sheets . No scientific proof ,but they seem to have worked for our 5th wheel & the boat .And a nicer smell.

Some argue that its better to change oil before going into storage so that acid infested oil doesnt sit in engine all winter.

50/50 antifreeze . Even Toronto can get a bit nippy ( I know you know all that)

I would make sure theres no water in filter manager ,drain T valve.

Check air intake in spring for nests ,etc before starting

I,d for sure cover the the truck with a tarp or whatever to deal with possible pigeon & racoon poop
 
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