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Storing a project car in cold weather.

To: 6-Pack <6pack@Autox.Team.Net>, "triumphs@autox.team.net" <triumphs@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Storing a project car in cold weather.
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 02:55:02 -0500
User-agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.0.1) Gecko/20020823 Netscape/7.0
I purchased a non running TR6 project car from Oklahoma this past summer. I'm 
in upstate NY -- cold. 
The car is in an unheated garage.

We recently had a cold snap, -6 or so, and it occurred to me that an Oklahoma 
car may not have been 
winterized to withstand NE winters.

I removed the engine block plug and liquid coolant poured out. I let it drain. 
I also removed the 
lower radiator hose and sure enough it had started to freeze -- slushy but not 
rock hard. I also 
removed the intake manifold coolant hoses and it was liquid. I believe this 
engine has not been run 
long enough to open the thermostat for many years. Perhaps previous owners have 
topped off the 
radiator with water or weak coolant. The radiator coolant was starting to 
freeze but the coolant in 
the block wasn't.

The weather has warmed up and the radiator and block have been drained. I 
assume I am safe now. But 
am I? Is the water pump and engine safe now that they have been drained or 
should I do more? I 
kind'a don't care about the radiator. This'll be a frame off restoration when I 
get to it, so I'll 
get a new radiator anyway.  I'm mostly concerned about the engine block, head, 
water pump etc.

Don Malling




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