1972 455 Buick Stage 1 Engine Running Engine Over Winter

[Takis]

Hello everyone..  I realize this is a loaded question...

 

I live in a cold climate and refuse to drive my 68 GS with rain, snow, and salt on the road...

 

I have a 72 rebuilt Stage 1 in the 68 with ~6K miles on it.

 

I start the car up once every 2 weeks on average for ~ 3 months out of the year while in a non-heated garage.

 

When I start up it really sounds rough running at ~600RPM..  i let the engine by itslef (with no revving) warm up where the temp goes to ~195F.  Takes about 20 minutes in 30F degree temperature.

 

Then I manually rev the car in park at ~2000RPM for 1 minute at a time with a say 20 second rest inbetween for about 10 minutes... then I rev it up to 3000-3500rpm for 30 seconds once or twice.  This is about 30 minutes of the car being turned on from start...

 

My questions are:

 

Should I rev my engine that high in park?  in other words, is is better to rev with a load (meaning transmission hooked up and turning tires), or without?  I intuitively feel that reving it that high without a load may push a rod through the engine...

 

Any advice on this warming up the car and revving approach is appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Takis

[Roadmaster75]

Based in your description I wouldn’t worry about over revving at 3000.

If anything let it run longer if it’s that cold.  I’d also put it in drive and reverse after warming up

just to ensure trans circulation.  

 

I built a Stage One for my truck project and warmed it up regularly.  If it was dry....... I drove it

around the block a few times.  No worries.

 

 

[JohnD1956]

2 hours ago, Takis said:

I intuitively feel that reving it that high without a load may push a rod through the engine...

 

Then don't do it.  There is no real consensus about running the cars during the winter months.  Some do it, including myself, and some don't.  This year I have run the Electra which sits in the unheated shed.  I do that to charge the battery as I have no other power source there.  I start it and it runs around 1700 rpm on the fast idle from a dead cold start.  That sounds like an airplane inside that shed with the hood open and the small space.  

I let it idle like that for approximately 30- 40 seconds and then tap the accelerator to drop it to the first step of the fast idle.  I have not measured this engine speed but estimate it is  around 1,000 RPM.  I leave it there for 10- 15 minutes.  Then I step it down to it's hot idle about 700 or so and leave it for another 5 minutes. Then shut it down. 

I have only done that twice this winter.  

 

The '56 and '69 I have settled for just charging the battery in the garage. 

[avgwarhawk]

Let the engine run through its paces from high idle choke to warm up and high idle kicks off.  Let the  thermostat open to circulate hot coolant into the heater core. 15-30 minute run time. This is how I run mine during winter months if I can not get them out on the roads. 

Edited March 2, 2019 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)