Going to store at lunch, need oil recommendation, etc.

[joehahn]

Hi all,
I am picking up car (75 2.0L) out of storage tonight and need a bit of advice. A few weeks ago I went to the storage garage, put charged battery back in and car started right up, ran like a dream (having done no storage preperation at all!). Snow came again and I put it back in storage.

Now I am picking it up for good and I am sure everyone would agree that even if it is running well I should change oil etc. Could someone please recommend oil type? (midwest, moderate to cool temps until July and August and then hot as balls until late September). I would prefer non-synthetic as I have heard that the synthetic will make my leaky push rod tubes worse. Thank you for the help. Is there anything else I should do right off the bat?

Joe

Sorry for writing so much for such a simple question.

[JP Noonan]

Fill the gas tank up to mix good fresh gas with the old stuff. Old gas tends to varnish up and make deposits on the injectors.

For oil, I use 10W40 in south Florida. Air cooled engines run hotter than water cooled so higher viscosity is better, I think. The 914 books aren't much help, they recomend straight 30 for the summer.

If you started the motor recently then it's probably got oil in it. Next time, take off the coil wire (ground it if you have a CDI box) and run the motor until the green oil idiot light goes out to prime the oiling system. Then reconnect the coil and run the motor at the lowest RPM possible untill it is warmed up a little. Also NEXT TIME remove the plugs and squirt some light oil in the cylinders, and use "Sta-bil" in the gas. Put new plugs back in before you let it sit. This assumes you are sitting for 3-5 months. Any longer "if it were me" I would jack the car up on jack stands to remove weight from the tires. This avoids flat spots, at the very least drive the car onto some wood boards, the concrete dry rots tires.