Dave's Autum Lay-Up Tips

After the summer runs we are getting ready to put the car to bed for the winter. Here are a few things to do to ensure that the car does not deteriorate over the winter.
Anti-freeze How long has it been in the radiator? More than a couple of years I’ll bet, and has it ever been topped up? are you sure it was filled with the same kind? - I thought so! Antifreeze degrades over time, and there are different chemical compositions not all of which are compatible. Drain the radiator by removal of the bottom hose [this gives a quick drain down and gets rid of the rubbish better than using the drain cock – if indeed there is one fitted!]
Radiator Flush This would be the time to do this if necessary i.e. is the old water very dirty? Has the car been overheating while standing in traffic? Does the heater work well? Radflushing agent is a good idea but it won’t cure severely blocked radiator tubes. If your car has an aluminium heater valve as most do, it’s a good idea to remove it while the water is out of the block. You will need a 7/16 A/F ring spanner to get at the bolts. You will be amazed at how clogged this heater valve can become due to a chemical process known as hydrated aluminium oxychloride. I don’t need to tell MGB owners how important it is to get a full flow of hot water to the heater! The valve can be replaced quite cheaply, but it does come apart for cleaning, just drill out the rivet and turn the body till the slots line up, after first removing the circlip from the spindle. Don’t worry, even when things are perfect, the MGB heater won’t burn your feet!! Now fill up with a good quality antifreeze at about 1/3 concentration. Iif you can't get the engine to run all the time at "Normal" or close to it, click here to see what the problem maybe.
Engine Oil If the oil is due to be changed best to do it in the autumn and not wait till the spring. This is because old, contaminated oil can degrade the bearing surfaces within the engine over time when the engine is not warmed, it’s not a big issue, but it is good practice. Remember to change the oil filter, and, just for me, drain the oil cooler as well, there is nearly half a pint between the cooler and the pipes.
Battery Check the electrolyte level in the battery and top up to the correct level. This will preserve the battery during the winter.
Tyres On the subject of tyres, some say that you should jack the car and put on blocks so that flats don’t form on the tyres, but unless you have huge wide treads it’s not really a problem. However, do blow the tyres up with a few pounds extra pressure prior to lay up.
Brakes If you garage gets damp and you have disc brakes, a wee squirt of WD40 on the disc will prevent rust forming and it won’t damage the pads when you first brake again in the spring – remember just a small amount, don’t soak them!