13 replies to this topic

[brad hibbard]

Race-1
Recommendations On How To Put Your Engine To
Bed For The Winter

First and foremost---if you are not storing your engine/car in a garage that is heated 100% of the time you need to get all the water out or install antifreeze in the system NOW.

We recommend putting at least a gallon of antifreeze in anyway.

Next

Disconnect the feed line to your fuel pump and run a hose from the pickup side of the pump into a fuel jug with quality gasoline (AV gas or 93 octane pump gas) it is also recommended to mix 2 stroke oil into this gas

Placing the fuel jug into a safe location away from headers
Then warm the engine up to operating temperature

After the engine is warm begin drizzling straight 30 wt. motor oil down the carb at a high idle (1300 to 1500)

Once the garage becomes filled with smoke increase the stream of oil and choke the engine out with oil.

Next take several oil soaked rags and stuff them into the ends of the headers.

If you want added security remove the rocker arms so all the valve springs will be relaxed
If you used a mixture of two stroke gasoline for your fogging process and made sure the secondary side of the carb was also flowing fuel during fogging then there is no need to do any further carburetor bedding but some like to remove the carb drain and fill with wd40.

When wakening up the engine remove the spark plugs and spin the engine over a time or two to release any excess oil then prime the oil system reinstall the same plugs to initially fire the engine
You will need to change spark plugs after you warm it up and clear the winter oil away

This process does not take long and will help to insure your engine will wake up the same way it went to bed

Any questions please call or e mail through our web site

Brad
330-540-RACE
http://www.race-1.com

[gofast05]

Race-1
Recommendations On How To Put Your Engine To
Bed For The Winter

First and foremost---if you are not storing your engine/car in a garage that is heated 100% of the time you need to get all the water out or install antifreeze in the system NOW.

We recommend putting at least a gallon of antifreeze in anyway.

Next

Disconnect the feed line to your fuel pump and run a hose from the pickup side of the pump into a fuel jug with quality gasoline (AV gas or 93 octane pump gas) it is also recommended to mix 2 stroke oil into this gas

Placing the fuel jug into a safe location away from headers
Then warm the engine up to operating temperature

After the engine is warm begin drizzling straight 30 wt. motor oil down the carb at a high idle (1300 to 1500)

Once the garage becomes filled with smoke increase the stream of oil and choke the engine out with oil.

Next take several oil soaked rags and stuff them into the ends of the headers.

If you want added security remove the rocker arms so all the valve springs will be relaxed
If you used a mixture of two stroke gasoline for your fogging process and made sure the secondary side of the carb was also flowing fuel during fogging then there is no need to do any further carburetor bedding but some like to remove the carb drain and fill with wd40.

When wakening up the engine remove the spark plugs and spin the engine over a time or two to release any excess oil then prime the oil system reinstall the same plugs to initially fire the engine
You will need to change spark plugs after you warm it up and clear the winter oil away

This process does not take long and will help to insure your engine will wake up the same way it went to bed

Any questions please call or e mail through our web site

Brad
330-540-RACE
http://www.race-1.com

i wouldn't recommend 93 octane pump gas. i work on alot of equipment and i test fuel as far as ethanol content. everywhere i have checked, 93 has alot of water in it. problem i have found is that it sits in the tank too long because not a whole lot of people run it due to the price. highly recommend finding an ethanol free gasoline if you choose to go that route.

[BALLBUSTER]

i wouldn't recommend 93 octane pump gas. i work on alot of equipment and i test fuel as far as ethanol content. everywhere i have checked, 93 has alot of water in it. problem i have found is that it sits in the tank too long because not a whole lot of people run it due to the price. highly recommend finding an ethanol free gasoline if you choose to go that route.

Makes sense ! .. where do you find gas without the food suplement in it ? what brands dont have the ethinol in it ?

[dirtstudent2]

"Once the garage becomes filled with smoke increase the stream of oil and choke the engine out with oil." Will an engine always 'choke' and quit turning without damage or is there a possibility you might hydrolic the engine?

[Raz900]

"Once the garage becomes filled with smoke increase the stream of oil and choke the engine out with oil."

Will an engine always 'choke' and quit turning without damage or is there a possibility you might hydrolic the engine?

Anything's possible and someone could pour enough in.

Seriously though, I'm not sure about choking a running engine off with oil, especially a high compression race engine. Oil reduces gasoline octane rating, dramatically so in large quantities of oil mixed with air (below 30:1 ratio). Starting with 93 pump gas, it's not out of the question for the 'real' octane to be down in the 70s with enough oil to foul the plugs assuming some of the drizzled oil would mix in the air not stay completely liquid. Not sure that's enough to keep a 12+:1 race motor from detonating even at low load fast idle. If it stayed liquid, and the car wasn't completely level, the low cylinder would get more of the liquid oil as well.

Would be much easier on internal parts to pull the plugs and squirt a known amount of oil in that way, put the plugs back in, then spin the motor over with the starter to push some of the oil into the exhaust pipes to keep them from rusting. Repeat if feel necessary. Then pull the carb and tape off the intake and exhaust so the air is 'trapped' in the engine and additional moisture laden air can't get in and rust stuff.

[4effer]

Stabilize the fuel ( and as stated , don't forget the secondaries).. Go to the boat store to buy engine fogger. ( Use as directed).. Pull the valve covers and back off the rockers from the valve springs ( They may lose tension)..... Ensure there is some antifreeze in both sides of the block.. common knowledge about race cars is to NOT use antifreeze. (This helps track clean up workers get the slippery stuff off the race surface. BUT SHHhhh !!!!!!!! If we just happen to go to Sandusky on new years day for the hangover races. I would have to have some in the car. ..... Now being the racer that I am. I think I'll just put the sandusky antifreeze in now, wait for new years, go have a good time with some thing that is always so so so serious, hope there is some snow on the ground, dress warm, finish last (who cares). Then bring it home stabilize him, fog him, back off the rockers. TA DA !!!!!!!!!!!! Now the season is over

[gofast05]

Makes sense ! .. where do you find gas without the food suplement in it ? what brands dont have the ethinol in it ?

i work for a lawn and garden shop and we sell 94 octane ethanol free fuel in cans but its 6$ a quart. thats the big problem. it's expensive. i'm not doubting anyones knowledge i'm just putting my opinion on the fuel. another option is just use race fuel but again, expensive but ethanol free.

[Dingo]

Okay, humour the Aussie here..... never done anything like this in 25 years racing in Australia. Okay, so the temp variance isn't as great as it is here but surely keeping your engine inside and full of anti freeze, then starting it every couple of weeks and letting it idle therefor lubricating the whole shebang would be the sensible and most efficient way of maintaining the engine without having to go through all the above? Drain the anti freeze and fill with water before racing if its what you want to do. Dingo

[NUTHOUSE RACING]

Why would you "Put your engine to bed" for the winter? We ALWAYS had the engine tore down over the winter new rings ect in and all gone over. Unless you have a fresh engine with very very little wear on it then I could see "Putting it to bed" NUT

[Blaz18]

Why would you "Put your engine to bed" for the winter? We ALWAYS had the engine tore down over the winter new rings ect in and all gone over. Unless you have a fresh engine with very very little wear on it then I could see "Putting it to bed"

NUT

Brad does a lot with the crate engines....for the most part....guys will run a crate a couple seasons without a freshening...if they are not showing wear....

[mcmillen61m]

ethanol free gas in cooperstown pa

[NUTHOUSE RACING]

Brad does a lot with the crate engines....for the most part....guys will run a crate a couple seasons without a freshening...if they are not showing wear....

Gotcha... Thanks Blaz!

[scruffy1a]

Why would you "Put your engine to bed" for the winter?

NUT

Because brad hibbard said so. Do not question his authority.

[Jimmy Henry]

Thanks for the helpful info Brad. Have a good winter...