Winterizing Your Triumph
by Liv Haasper
It’s that time of the year again when we have to face the reality that winter is approaching and, no matter how often we’ve postponed this day, found excuses to go for yet another drive around the corner, the final decision has to be made: It’s time to put the Triumph into winter hibernation. Some of us are lucky to have a dry, cosy garage where, once in a while, we can visit the sleeping car, walk around it a bit and, when no one is looking, let our fingers casually caress that dusty front wing, inspect a bit of lint the boot lid, open the bonnet, just to have quick look to see if no one has built nest in a secluded place, and if this is the case, give that red squirrel an eviction note “ Out…or I’ll search for the 22!!!” Some, not so fortunate Triumph owners, have no choice but to send their baby off into storage, an old barn, some large, unfriendly cold and windy building. So, what need to be done to prepare ‘Little old Brit’ for the long winter sleep???
The last drive:
It’s time to face reality; the car is going out for her last drive. It’s time to prepare for storage. You sadly drive her home and park her in her designated spot. You want the exhaust system up to operating temperatures before it is parked so that moisture isn’t condensed inside, causing the pipes to rust all winter.
If your car is parked on a concrete floor, you’d want to worry about vapour emitted from the ground, lime built up, condensation, rust prevention. Some people opt to have the car up on jacks for good ventilation [also to free the suspension and take the weight of the leaf springs], others will park it on a tarp for added protection and insulation. Apparently, cars stored on a wood floor are less prone to condensation and rust problems. Look up. Is the car parked under a roof that may leak or condensation may drop on it?? If the car is on jacks, how will you be able to evacuate it in case of fire???
Preparations:
The first thing one should do is to change the oil and oil filter and, at this time, also change the antifreeze. Cars stored without antifreeze and just water can and will result in cracked blocks, burst radiators and heaters. Freezing temperatures require a 50/50 solution of antifreeze and water to prevent the coolant from freezing in the engine block, radiator or heater. Check your container for the proper mixture for your regional area. It will vary depending upon your expected temperatures.
Next thing on the list is to add a stabilizer to the fuel and run the engine to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetors.
Top of the tank to completely fill it. This will prevent the inside of the tank to develop any rust and give you problems with the fuel supply when going on that long awaited drive next spring. A full tank of gas also reduces the amount of water that can be absorbed by the petrol and slows the rate at which the gasoline turns to varnish. Fresh oil in the sump reduces bearing etching, caused by dirty, acidic, contaminated oil.
Remove the spark plugs and squirt a few drops of oil into each cylinder, fog the engine lightly with oil or buy a commercial fogging product.
Top off the master cylinder to deduce water contamination in the hydraulic lines. Bleed those brake lines, especially if you’re using DOT 5. Water is not absorbed by the silicone and if not removed, will affect the rubber components of the brake system.
Periodically over the winter month, roll the Triumph back and forth a few times to prevent the brake pads from rusting to the rotor. Operate the brakes on occasion to prevent the cylinders from freezing. Also, engage the hand brake a few times to keep its cables and linkages moving freely. Store the Triumph with the hand brake off.
Clear out those drain holes. Make sure moisture can drain off wherever possible. Pay attention the boot and rocker sills where moisture may collect. Rubber plugs should be checked. You might even consider opening and leaving you boot open for storage so no water can build up inside the boot lid.
Pay attention to the clutch. The clutch hydraulics may leak and the clutch disc can rust to the fly wheel or pressure plate. Occasionally, activate the petal to avoid these problems.
Remove the battery and store it in a dry place where it won’t freeze. Keep it of the ground to avoid discharging. A battery that isn’t in a tray can’t leak…….While the battery is removed you may want to put it on a tickle charger to prevent it from freezing.
If you have air shocks, spray the air bladders with some silicone spray to protect them. If you plan on painting the car the next spring, stay away from the silicone,………. You may want to let some of the air pressure out over the winter.
If your car is not sitting on jacks, put a little extra pressure in the tires.
Add fresh wind shield washer solution [instead of water] to keep mould from forming in the reservoir.
To prevent critters from making a nest in your exhaust, bend a metal coat hanger so you can insert the ‘hook’ end into the muffler or tail pipe. With a hook attached in this fashion, the removal of the ‘plug’ is very easy.
Give the car a good cleaning. Try to get rid of accumulated dirt under the vehicle as best as possible. Vacuum the inside, polish with a protective polish or wax it to protect the paint, treat the vinyl with a coat of armourall or a similar product [a marine upholstery protector seems to work well on the vinyl of the soft top, tonneau covers, boot covers]. Treat leather seats, if you are lucky enough to have those in your car. Give your hoses and all other rubber parts a good spray with a lubricant to keep them pliable and soft.
Remove the rubber floor mats, so the carpet can breathe.
It’s a good idea to keep those little rodents in mind that are desperate for a home at this time of the year. Rodents have been known to be most pervasive. They can burrow into seats, fenders, petal boxes, inside heater boxes, even inside exhaust headers and cylinders. Some people claim that pieces of Irish Spring soap, liberally dispensed in certain areas of the interior and under the bonnet are a deterrent for critters. Make sure the soap is placed in a dish to prevent it from soaking into the upholstery or carpets. Mouse traps and moth balls, frequently scattered around, all of these ideas seem to be of help in the battle with ’Stewart Little’ and his family.
Ventilation is the next issue that should be addressed when preparing the car for storage. A tightly tarped car will collect condensation, which in turn will cause the car to prematurely rust and moulds to develop. Moisture condenses on everything, especially during temperature changes. Make sure the car is very well ventilated. If you must tarp the car, leave the windows open a crack to allow air movement. Chose to have the soft top either up or down and leave it that way for the season. A cold soft top will not stretch into place and the vinyl may be damaged. You may even find that the bonnet itself will collect condensation, which then may run into the battery tray. And, when you think your battery acid has again damaged the paint in your battery tray, it may as well have been the condensation dripping into it from the bonnet that allowed the rust to develop.
Silica gel crystals are apparently of great help to absorb moisture. These products are not very expensive and now available in some pet supply sections of your grocery store. Put into small bags, safety- pinned close, and dispensed throughout the car, they will absorb moisture. You will be able to re-use them, season after season. Put them under the seat, into the battery tray or anywhere else you may find them useful. Overall, you want the car dry. It won’t matter if it’s cold.
Lastly, consider the matter of insurance. It’s important to keep a theft, damage, vandalism, fire policy in effect, so keep your comprehensive insurance in place.
Spring and the first drive:
When spring has sprung on that special day of the first drive, introduce oil into the cylinders, perhaps 6 squirts from a normal oil can. Turn the engine over [maybe by hands, using the drive belt] until you get oil pressure, before replacing the spark plugs, to move the oil through the head, the pistons and the valves.
Of course, the best solution to winterize your car for the cold winter month is to drive it daily or better still, move south and drive it all year long.
It’s that time of the year again when we have to face the reality that winter is approaching and, no matter how often we’ve postponed this day, found excuses to go for yet another drive around the corner, the final decision has to be made: It’s time to put the Triumph into winter hibernation. Some of us are lucky to have a dry, cosy garage where, once in a while, we can visit the sleeping car, walk around it a bit and, when no one is looking, let our fingers casually caress that dusty front wing, inspect a bit of lint the boot lid, open the bonnet, just to have quick look to see if no one has built nest in a secluded place, and if this is the case, give that red squirrel an eviction note “ Out…or I’ll search for the 22!!!” Some, not so fortunate Triumph owners, have no choice but to send their baby off into storage, an old barn, some large, unfriendly cold and windy building. So, what need to be done to prepare ‘Little old Brit’ for the long winter sleep???
The last drive:
It’s time to face reality; the car is going out for her last drive. It’s time to prepare for storage. You sadly drive her home and park her in her designated spot. You want the exhaust system up to operating temperatures before it is parked so that moisture isn’t condensed inside, causing the pipes to rust all winter.
If your car is parked on a concrete floor, you’d want to worry about vapour emitted from the ground, lime built up, condensation, rust prevention. Some people opt to have the car up on jacks for good ventilation [also to free the suspension and take the weight of the leaf springs], others will park it on a tarp for added protection and insulation. Apparently, cars stored on a wood floor are less prone to condensation and rust problems. Look up. Is the car parked under a roof that may leak or condensation may drop on it?? If the car is on jacks, how will you be able to evacuate it in case of fire???
Preparations:
The first thing one should do is to change the oil and oil filter and, at this time, also change the antifreeze. Cars stored without antifreeze and just water can and will result in cracked blocks, burst radiators and heaters. Freezing temperatures require a 50/50 solution of antifreeze and water to prevent the coolant from freezing in the engine block, radiator or heater. Check your container for the proper mixture for your regional area. It will vary depending upon your expected temperatures.
Next thing on the list is to add a stabilizer to the fuel and run the engine to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetors.
Top of the tank to completely fill it. This will prevent the inside of the tank to develop any rust and give you problems with the fuel supply when going on that long awaited drive next spring. A full tank of gas also reduces the amount of water that can be absorbed by the petrol and slows the rate at which the gasoline turns to varnish. Fresh oil in the sump reduces bearing etching, caused by dirty, acidic, contaminated oil.
Remove the spark plugs and squirt a few drops of oil into each cylinder, fog the engine lightly with oil or buy a commercial fogging product.
Top off the master cylinder to deduce water contamination in the hydraulic lines. Bleed those brake lines, especially if you’re using DOT 5. Water is not absorbed by the silicone and if not removed, will affect the rubber components of the brake system.
Periodically over the winter month, roll the Triumph back and forth a few times to prevent the brake pads from rusting to the rotor. Operate the brakes on occasion to prevent the cylinders from freezing. Also, engage the hand brake a few times to keep its cables and linkages moving freely. Store the Triumph with the hand brake off.
Clear out those drain holes. Make sure moisture can drain off wherever possible. Pay attention the boot and rocker sills where moisture may collect. Rubber plugs should be checked. You might even consider opening and leaving you boot open for storage so no water can build up inside the boot lid.
Pay attention to the clutch. The clutch hydraulics may leak and the clutch disc can rust to the fly wheel or pressure plate. Occasionally, activate the petal to avoid these problems.
Remove the battery and store it in a dry place where it won’t freeze. Keep it of the ground to avoid discharging. A battery that isn’t in a tray can’t leak…….While the battery is removed you may want to put it on a tickle charger to prevent it from freezing.
If you have air shocks, spray the air bladders with some silicone spray to protect them. If you plan on painting the car the next spring, stay away from the silicone,………. You may want to let some of the air pressure out over the winter.
If your car is not sitting on jacks, put a little extra pressure in the tires.
Add fresh wind shield washer solution [instead of water] to keep mould from forming in the reservoir.
To prevent critters from making a nest in your exhaust, bend a metal coat hanger so you can insert the ‘hook’ end into the muffler or tail pipe. With a hook attached in this fashion, the removal of the ‘plug’ is very easy.
Give the car a good cleaning. Try to get rid of accumulated dirt under the vehicle as best as possible. Vacuum the inside, polish with a protective polish or wax it to protect the paint, treat the vinyl with a coat of armourall or a similar product [a marine upholstery protector seems to work well on the vinyl of the soft top, tonneau covers, boot covers]. Treat leather seats, if you are lucky enough to have those in your car. Give your hoses and all other rubber parts a good spray with a lubricant to keep them pliable and soft.
Remove the rubber floor mats, so the carpet can breathe.
It’s a good idea to keep those little rodents in mind that are desperate for a home at this time of the year. Rodents have been known to be most pervasive. They can burrow into seats, fenders, petal boxes, inside heater boxes, even inside exhaust headers and cylinders. Some people claim that pieces of Irish Spring soap, liberally dispensed in certain areas of the interior and under the bonnet are a deterrent for critters. Make sure the soap is placed in a dish to prevent it from soaking into the upholstery or carpets. Mouse traps and moth balls, frequently scattered around, all of these ideas seem to be of help in the battle with ’Stewart Little’ and his family.
Ventilation is the next issue that should be addressed when preparing the car for storage. A tightly tarped car will collect condensation, which in turn will cause the car to prematurely rust and moulds to develop. Moisture condenses on everything, especially during temperature changes. Make sure the car is very well ventilated. If you must tarp the car, leave the windows open a crack to allow air movement. Chose to have the soft top either up or down and leave it that way for the season. A cold soft top will not stretch into place and the vinyl may be damaged. You may even find that the bonnet itself will collect condensation, which then may run into the battery tray. And, when you think your battery acid has again damaged the paint in your battery tray, it may as well have been the condensation dripping into it from the bonnet that allowed the rust to develop.
Silica gel crystals are apparently of great help to absorb moisture. These products are not very expensive and now available in some pet supply sections of your grocery store. Put into small bags, safety- pinned close, and dispensed throughout the car, they will absorb moisture. You will be able to re-use them, season after season. Put them under the seat, into the battery tray or anywhere else you may find them useful. Overall, you want the car dry. It won’t matter if it’s cold.
Lastly, consider the matter of insurance. It’s important to keep a theft, damage, vandalism, fire policy in effect, so keep your comprehensive insurance in place.
Spring and the first drive:
When spring has sprung on that special day of the first drive, introduce oil into the cylinders, perhaps 6 squirts from a normal oil can. Turn the engine over [maybe by hands, using the drive belt] until you get oil pressure, before replacing the spark plugs, to move the oil through the head, the pistons and the valves.
Of course, the best solution to winterize your car for the cold winter month is to drive it daily or better still, move south and drive it all year long.