Cavatation during storage

[Willie Two]

Hi to all;

I store my 7.3 all 7 months of winter long, starting it only once a month for a few minutes. Does an engine cavitate only while running ? By not driving during the winter months am I prolonging the life of the engine from a cavitation point of view ?? I keep the SCA's up to ***** all the time but would consider draining the block during the winter and not doing the start ups if I thought there would be an advantage. Thanks to all who reply.

 

[RedTruck]

Cavitation only occurs while running. There's a very detailed article on it in the tech section. Good read!

Paul

 

[Papabear]

well ANY cold start is bad for any engine but especially bad for diesels being the greater temperature change from cold to running temp also diesel engine oil is heavier therefore it takes longer to free flow which means longer runtime on dry mechanical surfaces. as long as your coolant is mixed to the right ratio for the winter temps your area expiriences so that it will not freeze and crack your block or push out the frost plugs i would just leave it sit whenever i park a vehicle for winter storage i always do an oil change just prior to storag with cheap oil to remove any acids or caustic that may have built up in the crankcase oil from combustion than in the spring i change the oil again and filter immediately after initial warm up. p.s don't forget about temp appropiat washer fluid for winter storage as well or when you go to ressurect the girl in the spring the washer fluid system won't work because the pump will be cracked and hoses burst.

 

[GenLightening]

Hi to all;

I store my 7.3 all 7 months of winter long, starting it only once a month for a few minutes. Does an engine cavitate only while running ? By not driving during the winter months am I prolonging the life of the engine from a cavitation point of view ?? I keep the SCA's up to ***** all the time but would consider draining the block during the winter and not doing the start ups if I thought there would be an advantage. Thanks to all who reply.

If you're not going to run it to full operating temps (actual driving) then it's better to just let it sit. You'll actually do more harm than good by just letting it run for a few minutes. There's the oil issue, and condensation can build in the exhaust, and instead of drying out, it will sit and cause rust.