Slant 6 to survive canadian winter ???
is a slant 6 a good engine for winter?
A thoughtfully-configured and properly-operated one is as good as any carbureted engine can be in winter. I've driven many slant-6 cars through many winters in Denver and Toronto—plenty of cold and snow and ice. Do not be tempted to put too big a carburetor or camshaft in the engine; this will make your life miserable when all you want is for the damn car to start and stay running so you can get to the damn grocery (doctor, dentist, work, whatever). A stock or near-stock 1bbl or 2bbl is "yes", a big 2bbl or 4bbl is "no". Stock exhaust manifold or
Dutra Duals are "yes", headers are "no". Pay due time and attention to making sure the choke, the manifold heat, and the thermostatic air cleaner are intact and working correctly. If any of these has been disabled, put it back together and into working order—they all make a large difference for the better. See to it that the ignition system is in top shape. I like the
HEI upgrade , myself. Folow the tune-up parts and technique suggestions in
this thread.
And use an appropriate grade of engine oil. I ran 0w30 synthetic in my slant-6 last winter. Car was stored outside and never failed to start and stay running on the first try.
