Storage issues

Reply #15 – April 28, 2009, 12:47:06 PM

It does have power. It's wired for 220, actually, and the line between the house and garage is two-way. When the power is working the house feeds the garage, but when the power goes out the garage feeds the house (I've got a 6750-watt generator out there). It's not insulated at all, though. Single pane glass, open eves, and a considerable gap around the doors. I can have the wood stove gowing red and it doesn't get warm in there. To heat that thing to 50 degrees would probably cost more than heating the house to 70.

It's not a climate issue anyway - so much air moves through that garage that condensation on the car itself isn't really an issue (there is no musty smell whatsoever). My moisture is coming directly from the gasoline itself. They say every gallon of gas produces a gallon of water when burned, and that gallon of water is condensing on cold engine and exhaust parts. Even with the garage at 70 this would still happen, though likely not as bad. The only solution is to run the engine until it's hot enough to burn (boil) the moisture off. I think Tom's idea would be the best solution. A block heater might help as well - plug it in several hours before starting, and then you're starting off with an engine that is already warm. It would help keep water out of the oil, but still wouldn't help the exhaust much...