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Triumph TR6 - TR6 in winter

Hi folks!
Winter is already on us in Québec and annonces to be quite cold this year...
3 weeks ago I was driving top down, (with the heater on naturally...) and it was terrific, but with -4 Celcius during the day and some snow (beurk!) , I have to accept that it's for next year.
Now my question (I bought my TR6 last April):
for a long term storage (ex.5 to 6 months) do you recommend to jack the car on blocks , wheels at few inches from the floor or simply like it is usually, i.e. wheels on the floor.
What is best and what are the consequences on the coils springs and the suspension?
I'd appreciate your comments.
Pierre
Pierre Demers

Pierre - I store my TR3A in a warm garage for the winter. I don't put it up on blocks. I heard that the springs will sag with the weight and you can have problems when you drive next year. I put mine up on blocks for the first 4 years (back in 1958 to 1962) - but don't remember if I had any problems. For the last 12 winters, I haven't put my TR up on blocks. It sits on its tires in my garage. I drove 57,000 miles on my 4 new Michelin X 165-15 tires and on the way to Colorado, I had to buy new tires in Cedar Falls, Iowa because of tire ply separation. I've driven over 13,000 miles on the new ones since then and see no problems.

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A with over 150,000 miles on "TRusty" and over 70,000 miles since my restoration - 1987 to 1990.
Don Elliott

Pierre, My uncle from Eagle River AK says he runs a can of heat in his last tank of gas and then tops off the tank before parking for the winter. He pulls the battery and stores it on a 2x4 in his utility room closet and rolls his cars about 2 feet, back and forth every month during the winter so his tires don't go bad. He has an MGA and a Subeam.
Curt Anderson

Other that the normal stuff ie top the tank, add stabilizer to the fuel, take the battery out, and drain the carbs, I add to the list:

Put a sheet of plastic on the floor if it is concrete, gravel or dirt (stops the condensation and moisture coming up) , pump the tires to the max pressure on the sidewall (prevent flat spots) and drive the car on to a wooden plank under each tire (2 2"x6"x1' under each tire). I read somewhere that the lime from the concrete or the tars and oils from the asphalt depending on what you have, reacts with the tire compounds and causes premature aging (ie cracks). Not sure if the later is true but I've been doing it for years and there is no cracks on the sidewalls. I also tape up the ends of the exhaust pipe to stop moisture traveling though and into the engine as there will be at least 1 valve open. If the rest is going to be longer than 5 months, then I usually fog the inside of the cylinders with a spray of oil. I also change the oil to rid of the used stuff that has moisture, and acids built up .

Also throw some moth balls under the car (stops mice, rats and squirres from gnawing on rubber parts and wires. Crack open the window a bit to allow air to pass (so it would smell musty)

And finally MAKE SURE that your antifreeze is good and rated to the lowest temp you are going to experience.

Steven

Don, I know this is off the thread, but what were you doing in Cedar Falls Iowa when travelling from Montreal to Colorado? Kind of out of the way isn't it? I went to university there and it's the only reason I'd have gone there or through there to anywhere else (nothing wrong with it it's just out of the way).
J.T. Cruz

J.T. - I didn't find it out the way. Montreal to Sault Ste-Marie, cross upper Michigan, then Wisconsin, down to Iowa, cross Nebraska then the rolling hills of N.E. Colorado to Loveland, Estes Pass to Breckenridge for VTR 2001. It's quite straight, especially across Nebraska. 2-lane roads all the way averaging about 70 mi/hr and got 26 mi/gal (US). Drove "TRusty" 5220 miles that trip.

Oh yeah ! My good friend Joe Alexander of "Friends of America" - (TR3A and #197 Red racing TR4) lives in Cedar Falls.

Passed near there the year before on my way to VTR Portland Oregon 2000 too. (7200 miles)

Don Elliott, Original Owner 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Sorry for the error in the note above - read that as "Friends of Triumph" (FOT) - They have a web-site for all the Triumph Racing drivers in America.

Next summer they (about 60 to 80 Triumph racers) will be at Mosport, Ontario at the end of June, including at least 8 Triumph race cars from England.


But this is getting off the subject. Je m'excuse Pierre.

Don
Don Elliott

Thanks for your recommendations.
Steven, can you explain me how to drain the carbs?
By the way, I noticed some gazoline dropping from one carb a few days ago. Do you think it is hard to repair?
Pierre
Pierre Demers

Pierre

Remove the plugs at the bottom of each float bowel. Don't know your year some most are an O-ring fit wiggle out others screw out.
Depending on where the gas is dripping from. May be just a bad o-ring on drain plug. Do not leave your air filters off over winter.

Bill
B Brayford

Bill,
Thank you for your answer.
What would be the problem with the air filters?
Pierre
Pierre Demers

Hi Pierre

Little bugs crawl in the holes and ports. There are enough problems with carbs. without adding cocoons.

Bill
B Brayford

This thread was discussed between 05/11/2002 and 10/11/2002

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