Backing off valve springs?

Got my car ready for winter yesterday as the last race was a week ago.

My shop is unheated and normal winter temps see lows most of the times in 20-30° range with occasional dips to teens or single digits. So, yesterday got it good and hot (225°) to evap any water/alky out of the oil. Drained the water and added antifreeze (good to -20°). Then I drained the fuel cell, cleaned the fuel filter, blew out all fuel lines and then got really liberal with the WD-40 in the lines, injector nozzles, fuel cell, throttle body, etc. Took the belt drive fuel pump off, filled with oil and capped it off. Finally put it on jackstands with the rear end just hanging and all tires off the floor.

The only other thing I might do is back off the valve springs. I have done it some years, others I didn't and couldn't tell any difference the next spring. The times I left them as is I would go out every 2-3 weeks and rotate the engine with a breaker bar about a 1/2 rev.

What are the opinions on backing them off? As said, I couldn't tell any difference.

Springs are Manley Nextek 250 lb seat and a little over 800 open.

Thanks
David Cole

If you're willing to go out and rotate the engine a 1/4 turn every couple weeks that would usually be fine if the intake and exhaust is blocked somehow from the weather.

Most people are unwilling to go through these steps.

I typicaly remove the rockers, it relieves pressure off everything and closes up the cylinders. I hit everytiing inside with a little WD40

I back um off every winter.............also keeps moisture out of the cyls..............I cap the collectors to, I dont have to bad of an issues but mice like to get in there and store corn etc lol. The valves backed off would keep um out of the cyl but they dont need to be in the tubse either...........

I try to take my Mustang down the road at least twice a winter

56Tbird wrote:I try to take my Mustang down the road at least twice a winter

Start it on pump gas

Lem Evans wrote:

56Tbird wrote:I try to take my Mustang down the road at least twice a winter

Start it on pump gas

...................and do a burnout

David Cole wrote:Got my car ready for winter yesterday as the last race was a week ago.

My shop is unheated and normal winter temps see lows most of the times in 20-30° range with occasional dips to teens or single digits. So, yesterday got it good and hot (225°) to evap any water/alky out of the oil. Drained the water and added antifreeze (good to -20°). Then I drained the fuel cell, cleaned the fuel filter, blew out all fuel lines and then got really liberal with the WD-40 in the lines, injector nozzles, fuel cell, throttle body, etc. Took the belt drive fuel pump off, filled with oil and capped it off. Finally put it on jackstands with the rear end just hanging and all tires off the floor.

The only other thing I might do is back off the valve springs. I have done it some years, others I didn't and couldn't tell any difference the next spring. The times I left them as is I would go out every 2-3 weeks and rotate the engine with a breaker bar about a 1/2 rev.

What are the opinions on backing them off? As said, I couldn't tell any difference.

Springs are Manley Nextek 250 lb seat and a little over 800 open.

Thanks
David Cole

i did same as you but also took the rockers off and left the chute out.

ditto on the chute.............in fact it got pulled on the last pass...............

The chute is out. I take it out after each race and leave it out. It's got a Stroud spring launcher on it. Big MF spring that I don't want to loose tension, so I take it out.

I have decided to back the springs off...later. The end of the year brings the Hangovers at Montgomery. If the weather is nice I may go. I will wait until after then.

As the car sits right now I can have it ready to load in the trailer in a few minutes. Off the stands, put the fuel pump on and drain/flush the antifreeze and it's ready.

Lem Evans wrote:

56Tbird wrote:I try to take my Mustang down the road at least twice a winter

Start it on pump gas

Always on pump gas in the winter start ups