Longterm Storage Options

[Hawaiian Style]

Well I might be headed out of the country for a while for work. Might have to put some of the fleet in cold storage until I return.

I plan to dump some stabilizer in the gas and fill the engine all the way to the top of the valve cover after a new oil and filter to help keep the lifters, rocker arms, ect covered while I'm away... I'll just drain out the extra upon return.

Any other ideas?

 

[RichP]

How many months deployment we talking ??
On our 110 day patrols we'd do some basics, stabil, new oil, jack vehicle up on jackstands and let air out of tires, disconnect battery and remove n store on wood shelves, coffee can full of cedar chips inside w/windows closed. Thats about all I can think of off hand, been a while. Oh, and shoot some oil in the plug holes with plugs out and turn it over by hand once or twice then put the plugs back in, smokes like a SOB on startup for about a min but does no harm and coats the top of the cylinder bores and rings. Fast attacks were alot different, those 9 month deployments usually resulted in a 'for sale' sign or professional storage which puts the vehicle in a climate controlled storage facility. Some jack up, air out and remove the tires and put them on a rack. Not a good idea to have them contact with the ground for extended periods of time like that. I think for the newer FI I might even look into bleeding off the fuel pressure in the rail though it might bleed down on it's own after a month or so.
If it is going to be stored outside I think I would lay down a plastic sheet under it with a 4x4 down the center, this should channel any moisture out from underneath then drive over it and jack it up on stands or cinderblocks. Outside I would tend to go with cement blocks for stability, hard enough wind and jackstands can go over or sink in..