Prepping a PR6 to be laid up over winter
Discussion
I've now finished the last event for the year and am thinking about what I need to do for putting the car to bed for the winter.
Tyres on rims - I've cleaned and wrapped the tyres. Are they ok to be stacked in a pile? Do I need to do anything with air pressure?
On Blocks? I guess I need to put it on blocks to save resting on a set of tyres for a few months. If so what should I use as there are no sills for axle stands? Should the suspension be on full droop?
Cleaning? The last event was very wet and the engine area is fairly grimey, can I use degreaser and a hose/light pressure wash? Or is it a manual job with hands and rags?
Coolant? Should I drain all coolant or just put anti-freeze in it (garage isn't heated).
Oil? Drain oil and replace with new or drain and put new oil in at start of season?
Any other advice?
Many thanks,
Matt
Tyres on rims - I've cleaned and wrapped the tyres. Are they ok to be stacked in a pile? Do I need to do anything with air pressure?
On Blocks? I guess I need to put it on blocks to save resting on a set of tyres for a few months. If so what should I use as there are no sills for axle stands? Should the suspension be on full droop?
Cleaning? The last event was very wet and the engine area is fairly grimey, can I use degreaser and a hose/light pressure wash? Or is it a manual job with hands and rags?
Coolant? Should I drain all coolant or just put anti-freeze in it (garage isn't heated).
Oil? Drain oil and replace with new or drain and put new oil in at start of season?
Any other advice?
Many thanks,
Matt
I'd suggest prepping the car as you normally would. Everything cleaned and spanner checked (I'd avoid pressure washing), oil changed etc. If you think it will get cold enough inside a garage in the SE to freeze the coolant then drain it. Up on blocks is fine.
Alternatively, you could shut the garage door and not give it a thought. Get it out in a few months, clean and carry on. In other words, I don't think you need to get to specific about it.
Bert
Alternatively, you could shut the garage door and not give it a thought. Get it out in a few months, clean and carry on. In other words, I don't think you need to get to specific about it.
Bert
Part of my ritual for winter has become buying two large cans of WD40 and spraying the lot wildly over every surface imaginable (with the bodywork off) leaving it to be wiped off when it's fun time again. I also sit in it and pump the pedals a few times to keep stuff moving, making the sound effects is optional 
I test the coolant with a hydrometer before the cold sets in just to make sure:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANTIFREEZE-TESTER-anti-f...
If it's good I can leave it at that. You can either start it up every couple of weeks to keep the battery in good condition or just manage the battery by other means and leave the car - as bertbert says nothing exciting is going to happen over 3/4 months imo.
Dunc.
I test the coolant with a hydrometer before the cold sets in just to make sure:-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANTIFREEZE-TESTER-anti-f...
If it's good I can leave it at that. You can either start it up every couple of weeks to keep the battery in good condition or just manage the battery by other means and leave the car - as bertbert says nothing exciting is going to happen over 3/4 months imo.
Dunc.
Thanks all. I've given it a wash and will make sure the coolant is actual coolant good for a few minus degrees.
Engine wise it looks like I may have damaged it at the last race (oil pressure cut out on LIFE ecu when oil temp only at 90C) so may need to extract that over the winter to have it looked at.
Matt
Engine wise it looks like I may have damaged it at the last race (oil pressure cut out on LIFE ecu when oil temp only at 90C) so may need to extract that over the winter to have it looked at.
Matt
Do you know the cause of the low oil pressure? If it was an "external" factor like low oil level or old knacked oil, then the cut-off may well have saved the day.
If it was just low oil level then I think the normal course of events is to refill and start it up monitoring with the LIFE software.
If you don't know the cause, get the data emailed to RPE and they'll check it out for you.
ETA: we've had a terrible year for oil-loss incidents including the last one at Snett where some dope managed to rip the entire rh side pod off complete with oil-cooler with his adventurous track-rejoining exploits. The oil cutout has done its job admirably for which, as I have said before, Team Bert is very grateful.
Bert
If it was just low oil level then I think the normal course of events is to refill and start it up monitoring with the LIFE software.
If you don't know the cause, get the data emailed to RPE and they'll check it out for you.
ETA: we've had a terrible year for oil-loss incidents including the last one at Snett where some dope managed to rip the entire rh side pod off complete with oil-cooler with his adventurous track-rejoining exploits. The oil cutout has done its job admirably for which, as I have said before, Team Bert is very grateful.
Bert
Edited by BertBert on Wednesday 6th November 06:24
Garages aren't the best ( if any ) insulated so watch out for condensation rotting stuff. Therefore adequate air flow is very helpful to dispel any condensation/keep changing the air. Amongst all this high tech stuff is also a very simple method ( and YES I do know what thermometers are for. ), and that is to put close to the car a small dish with water in it...( ideally it should be exactly where you walk, so every time you go in you kick it, think of me, and curse loudly ),.....any way back to the plot...small dish next to car with water in it...check in a morning and if its frozen then you know how cold the temperature is dropping in the garage...
Arcahiac yes, simple yes...
D D
Arcahiac yes, simple yes...
D D
Oil level is good. Oil has less than 4 racing hours on it (due for a change but not overdue?). The drop in oil pressure during the last race was gradual. Looking at the ecu data, in the previous race there was a big overrev (11.5k) when it spun up in 1st out of a downhill exit corner and I was to busy steering to change gear.
Next step is to send the data off to R and see what they say.
Next step is to send the data off to R and see what they say.
kartaphilos said:
Oil level is good. Oil has less than 4 racing hours on it (due for a change but not overdue?). The drop in oil pressure during the last race was gradual. Looking at the ecu data, in the previous race there was a big overrev (11.5k) when it spun up in 1st out of a downhill exit corner and I was to busy steering to change gear.
Next step is to send the data off to R and see what they say.
In which case then yes, it's a data off to RPE and then probably the motor to follow. Any warranty will be buggered too after 11.5k I suspect Next step is to send the data off to R and see what they say.
Bert
mb26 said:
sorry to hear your bad luck...hope there is a simple/cheap explanation.......with all the cut outs, lower than stock rev limiter and and closed loop paddle shift i had assumed damaging over revs were a thing of the past....
A perfect example of building idiot proof systems and then along comes a better idiot. :-)BertBert said:
Nah, idiots abound. Got 11.6 out of mind this year!
BB
Well, as they say "out of mine, out of mind" x2.BB
Anyway to be serious for a minute. I would be surprised if a single "buzz" to 11.5k had seriously damaged the engine, so please keep us up to date as things develop Matt.
The limiter was set to 11.5k on my kwacker when I first bought it (and regularly saw it until I realised and toned it down to 10.5k), and it lasted for a further 3 years of abuse 
It's now got a new engine with forged pistons and gets treated much better
Dunc.
It's now got a new engine with forged pistons and gets treated much better
Dunc.
Edited by dunc_sx on Wednesday 13th November 12:21
LCM said:
Anyway to be serious for a minute. I would be surprised if a single "buzz" to 11.5k had seriously damaged the engine, so please keep us up to date as things develop Matt.
I agree. Big R were happy for me to run mine after the buzz, even though it would have no warranty. It was at 40 hours so wouldn't actually have a warranty anyway.Gassing Station | Radical | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff