So I need to put my evo in storage for a while. Potentially for a year maybe less Any pre storage maintenance to be concerned for? I plan on putting it up on jack stands. anything I should be worried about after I take her back out of storage?

 

I wouldnt be so much concerned about the jack stands. What I would recommend is that, if possible, you go to the storage lot and fire it up every other month or so and let it run for a few minutes.

 

It sounds like he may be getting deployed and can't stop by to do that.

I would make sure it has a good battery tender and just let it sit.

If you have someone who can stop by for you to start it up once in a while, that would definitely be a plus.

 

I wouldn't bother starting it at all. Make sure it has clean oil and filter, clean the interior, wash the exterior, and add fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank. As mentioned before a battery tender will keep that thing fresh for when you come back. You can also overinflate your tires a tiny bit to help prevent flat spots. On stands is OK but you're keeping all the suspension components overextended for the entire period of time, so just for storage I usually don't do that.


I am not a fan of starting the engine every once in a while and idling it, because all you're doing is creating condensation which it will never get hot enough to properly burn off in the 5-10 minutes of idling it will be doing per month, and it's just creating more wear. Let it sit. Best thing you can do when you get back is kill fuel, and crank it over 10-15 times to get some oil circulating before actually starting it. That's all it needs in my opinion.


When you get back and pull it put of storage, wash it again, fill the tank with fresh fuel, change the oil/filter again and if your drivetrain fluids are a bit old I would change those too so everything is new and fresh. Enjoy!

 

Agreed on not starting it unless you'll bring it to full temp. Just fill it up full, so that there isn't a lot of room for condensation to get on the inside of the tank and create rust.

With my carbureted bike, if you don't start it once a month, it will be a pain because the carbs are open to air, so the gas dries out, gums up, and clogs everything. My fuel injected bike can sit for 6 months (not a frequent occurrence thankfully) with no issue, so the car should be the same.

Regarding flat spots, I've read comments from tire company people that this is no longer an issue. It was the case a long time ago with how tires were made, but now not necessary.

 

I drive my evo maybe about 500 miles a year, so it sits alot. I can confirm for me atleast, you are correct. The tires only have "flat spots" for about a mile or 2 and then they go away.

 

You only need to do that if the car has no oil pressure and it needs to build it up before starting, i.e. a car that just had the oil pump changed and there is absolutely no built up pressure.

 

I just pulled my 1989 Mitsubishi Starion out of my garage (heated/aircon'd) after 16 years of hibernation. It's started up on the third try! What I did was: Stabil fuel treatment in the tank, yanked-out the battery and hooked it up to a Craftsman trickle charge, charger unit. I then believe it or not, I took the windsheild wiper mounts (not the arms), off, and put folded cotton socks on the wiper arms so as not to scratch the glass. I took them off because they will loose their edge and be 'sloppy' by the time you use the car again. Also, I would not put your car on jacks! Like I said, my car sat for sixteen years, I put the spare tires on. Yes, I bought 3 of them, plus the one that the car came with. If your car is in a safe area, then I wouldn't put her on jack stands, in case of an emergency, your car is at least mobile. Granted, my car sat for some time, so two of my spare tires got soft, I just used a mini air compressor to fill them up, and I was done! I'd also crack to windows, diagonal from each other to get some light air in/out of the interior. Let the interior 'breathe'. And that's pretty much all I did. Good luck with your car!

 

so jealous - wish I had a starion