MaxBoost!
Advice for fellow TR owners from Tom Shea Racing
Home phone until 9 pm 952-892-5669
Cell phone anytime (612)-209-9090.
Email ttshea@charter.net
"TSR" Switch Fuel System, save money, drive on pump gas!
Storage
#1: Battery, get a "Tender", from Batteries Plus or Fleet Farm. They are inexpensive.
#2: Fill tires to 40 to 50 psi, this will help avoid flat spotting from sitting on the same contact area for extended periods of time.
#3: Lay down a large piece of sheet plastic and duct tape it in place. Some cardboard will cushion the plastic and help it resist being punctured. The plastic is a vapor barrier. Concrete has a lot of water coming up from it. If you would like to have a visual example, just lay something down on it that is waterproof, such as a small piece of plastic or rubber. In a few days you will be able to see the dark and damp area underneath it. This is the moisture that was kept from coming up. This is moisture that you can avoid having under your car when parked if you put down a vapor barrier.
#4: Change oil. Oil collects lots of acids and other nasty stuff. A clean fill is not going to be contaminated.
#5: Place some mouse poison around the vehicle. Mice can do a lot of damage. They are present everywhere, even in a city garage stall.
#6: Fabric freshener sheets can be placed in the interior of the car. They are less strong smelling than mothballs but do discourage mice from setting up a home. Mothballs can be put in a pie tin and placed on the floor near the tires and in the trunk. This will result in a residual smell in the spring that will have to be aired out. I would rather have to air the car out than have pest damage!
#7: Fog cylinders. See below for procedure.*
#8: Leave the hood and trunk open if possible. Make sure to remove the light bulbs so they don't burn all winter long. This will help keep the charge in the struts, as they will not be compressed.
#9: Don't start the car unless you can operate it long and hard enough to overcome the inevitable condensation that naturally occurs with the associated heat cycle.
#10: When suspending your insurance coverage, make sure to keep the comprehensive physical damage coverage in place. You may not be driving it but there are many things that could happen, fire, theft, collision, etc.
The Off season is a good time to plan for what you want to do for next year. Your first priority should be getting the basics solid. Sparkplugs are not expensive or hard to change out, given the right tools (ratchets, extensions, u-joints, sockets, etc.)
***Cylinder fogging *** When changing out the plugs for next year, pull them all at the same time and fog some light oil in the cylinders.
Just spray in some WD 40 or similar product. Lay something like a towel or old blanket on the inner fender wells to catch the spray. Then turn the engine over until the spray lightens up. Do this with the orange wire for the computer disconnected at the battery. This will keep the injectors from firing.
Do this if and when you are not going to run it for the winter. The small amount of oil that coats the cylinder walls will burn off instantly when you fire it up next year, but will help to prevent rust from forming on the inside. Don't forget to check the plug wires before replacing them, you can either ohm them or use the special tool from "Caspers", or better yet do both. Use some dielectric tune-up grease to treat the plug-to-wire and the wire-to-coil-pack contacts.
"Basics" should include, good plugs, wires, coil-pack and ignition module.
Check the vacuum/boost lines. There are two, that are critical. One connects the waste-gate actuator to the turbo compressor outlet fitting, it has a plastic Y that connects to the factory bleeder valve assembly on the passenger side valve cover. This line is subject to heat from the turbo, which will accelerate the aging process.
The second one is the fuel pressure regulator to the throttle body via the hard line. Check these lines by rubbing them between your thumb and forefinger. If there is any black that comes off on your thumb and fingers, the line should be replaced.
Turbo to waste-gate line, This line is the most critical because it controls the boost. If this line is breached there will be an over-boost condition. This line has to be able to contain boost pressure to limit boost!
Fuel pressure regulator line, this line is critical because it is the link that synchronizes the Delta pressure adjustment for fuel pressure. Without the lines ability to contain boost there will be a lean condition at boost.
Fuel filter should be replaced on a regular basis. Annually is good. Winter storage is a good time to remember to do it. It's a good idea to spray a little WD-40 on the fittings and let it set for a while to soak in, prior to attack. Use a line wrench.
If you are willing to spend some money in order to avoid possible down time while waiting for parts, you may want to have a few of these things as spares, or replace the old ones on your car and keep them for spares. These items are as follows, Serpentine belt, both radiator hoses, S hose at water-pump and heater hoses, O2 sensor, and MAF sensor
There are now alternatives to the stock MAF sensor that should be considered.
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