Storing an engine

[Bill Stoneberg]

I have engine that i have just finished rebuilding. The car wont be ready to have it put back in for a couple of years.

Is there a way of storing the engine ? I live in the hot and humid south so i want to protect it from rust. I would like to keep it in the house, but the wife says "NO !".

I was thinking of shrink wrapping it. Will this work ?

So how can I protect the engine while it lives in the garage for a while ?

Thanks....

[Guest BillP]

I assume the engine's been rebuilt using plenty of assembly oil and grease on sliding and rotating surfaces. That will at least protect internal machined areas. If the external surface isn't painted, it would be good to do so, bare iron will quickly rust no matter how well you wrap it.

Assume further it's an inline engine (in the case of your old Buicks) with neither intake nor exhaust manifold on, but that detail can be changed for any situation. I'd invert the engine, remove the pan and spray everything in sight, including the unpainted inside of the pan, with WD-40. Put the pan back on with sealant so it is tight.

Similarly, remove the valve cover and spray the rocker gear and inside of the cover and replace the cover. Spray copiously inside every port, figuring that if some is enough, too much is just right. You might try turning the engine to expose different internal parts but I wouldn't get frantic about that, the WD40 will travel around pretty well.

Using heavy, waterproof tape, carefully and completely seal off the the intake and exhaust ports. You may want to get fussy and make up a card-stock blanking plate but whatever you do, make sure the ports are sealed. All other openings, i.e., road draft tube, crankcase breather, etc. must be sealed. Don't ever think you're doing an engine a favor by periodically turning it over to keep it loose or something because all you're doing is sucking in new, moist air. You;ll eventually open it up and find a pile of rust in every cylinder.

Then wrap the whole thing in heavy plastic and block it up in the corner of your shop where it won't get knocked over. You may want to put a tag on it saying what it is and the date. Also maybe put some plywood on it so your cousin Ernie doesn't drop an anvil on it.

[Bill Stoneberg]

Good suggestions BillP.

Just for some clarification, Yes it has been rebuilt using assembly oil on all the rotating surfaces. Block/Intake/pan and eveything else is painted or chromed and it has the intake and carbs on it. It also has the headers on the exaughst.

Its not a straight 8, but it is a Buick. It a Buick 425 (more or less) that I have rebuilt. Dual Carbs and a mild cam. Should be a nice running engine.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will use some of them.

[rgshafto]

How about storing an old engine? I just picked up a spare 36 Pontiac 6 that was running, still turns over, but has since sat awhile. I thought I might pour some oil down the cylinders, seal off all the openings, and let it sit. Any advice?

[Guest BillP]

Pretty much the same as above I guess. If you wanted to make it into a project, you could take off the pan and solvent-wash everything in sight to try and get out the old acidified crud. Then do the WD40 thing and seal it up. Another thing after getting the pan on might be to fill with fresh engine oil and drive the oil pump via the distributor (if possible) with an electric drill to force oil through the various passages. I guess it all comes down to how crazy you are.

If nothing else, keep out the moisture and mice.

[HarryJ]

Bill....I would not shrink wrap the engine. This tends to trap moisture in the unit. Lube up the inside and turn it over every couple of months. The important thing is to keep the rust at bay and plug up any holes to prevent insects and general vermin out. When you are ready to reinstall it drop the pan and remove the valve cover to check and lube it. A general point to consider is when restoring a car;restore the subassemblies right before they are to be installed, this action relieves you of this storage task. I purchased a parts car that a novice acquired and started to restore; the first thing he did was to replace the tires! Needless to say, they are dry rotted today.

[Oxnard Montalvo]

WD40 evaporates over time. Use a heavier oil. Something that flows and sticks around. Sorta kinda like a wife.