Parking the Mustang
Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2022 11:39 pm
Fall got away from me this year. I suspect that both the truck and the Mustang are due for oil changes but have been afraid to look until I have time o my hands. Both have had mostly highway miles all summer, and with Mobil 1, it's probably safe to go a bit beyond 10K. Maybe we'll get a warm weather streak.
In any event, the Mustang was sitting in the garage with a part-full gas tank, and that was all Evil Ethanol Gas anyway. That's a problem. Today was sunny, of cool (mid-30s). The snow all melted last week. I had a bunch of chores to run today so they got combined with season's last run for the pony car. After the start-and-stop chores like recycling, groceries, and an office stop to drop off stuff too bulky for carrying on the bicycle, I headed on down the road and put about 30 highway miles on the odometer to dry out the oil, with a stop for 7.4 gallons of rec gas at the end. I'd like to have more rec gas in the tank, but it didn't work out this year. I'll add stabilizer. Can't recall f I have any more Biobor EB. Practical Sailor magazine did some tests and liked that one best. If I don't have any, I'll use Sta-Bil, which is on hand.
The only notable old-car burp involved the clutch safety switch. The starter won't run unless the clutch is in. Well, today it wouldn't run, period. Previously it sometimes needed a second depress-all-the-way motion. I pumped it a few times and made sure it was all the way down and still no luck. Popped it into neutral and it started jut fine. Had to do that one or two more times and then it started reliably. I probably need to find a new switch. Tonight I'll go out and add the stabilizer and connect the battery maintainer.
I don't do any other winterizing. Back in 1962 my Dad bought a fiberglass runabout boat with a very early Volvo-Penta inboard/outdrive. He asked the shop's mechanic what to do about winterizing. The guy said "Warm it up and then dump ATF down the carb until it stalls." I've done that on a lot of carbureted engines. But the Mustang is fuel-injected and has catalytic converters so I just park it. I still have the old boat. A nice old Volvo 4-cyl. marinized engine--water cooled oil filter and exhaust; displacement-style water pump; flame-arresting air filter.
Chris Campbell
In any event, the Mustang was sitting in the garage with a part-full gas tank, and that was all Evil Ethanol Gas anyway. That's a problem. Today was sunny, of cool (mid-30s). The snow all melted last week. I had a bunch of chores to run today so they got combined with season's last run for the pony car. After the start-and-stop chores like recycling, groceries, and an office stop to drop off stuff too bulky for carrying on the bicycle, I headed on down the road and put about 30 highway miles on the odometer to dry out the oil, with a stop for 7.4 gallons of rec gas at the end. I'd like to have more rec gas in the tank, but it didn't work out this year. I'll add stabilizer. Can't recall f I have any more Biobor EB. Practical Sailor magazine did some tests and liked that one best. If I don't have any, I'll use Sta-Bil, which is on hand.
The only notable old-car burp involved the clutch safety switch. The starter won't run unless the clutch is in. Well, today it wouldn't run, period. Previously it sometimes needed a second depress-all-the-way motion. I pumped it a few times and made sure it was all the way down and still no luck. Popped it into neutral and it started jut fine. Had to do that one or two more times and then it started reliably. I probably need to find a new switch. Tonight I'll go out and add the stabilizer and connect the battery maintainer.
I don't do any other winterizing. Back in 1962 my Dad bought a fiberglass runabout boat with a very early Volvo-Penta inboard/outdrive. He asked the shop's mechanic what to do about winterizing. The guy said "Warm it up and then dump ATF down the carb until it stalls." I've done that on a lot of carbureted engines. But the Mustang is fuel-injected and has catalytic converters so I just park it. I still have the old boat. A nice old Volvo 4-cyl. marinized engine--water cooled oil filter and exhaust; displacement-style water pump; flame-arresting air filter.
Chris Campbell
