Thread: Assmbling an engine for use later.

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All the other engines I ever put together were for immediate installation, but I'm presently assembling a Cadillac for a pickup that isn't ready for it, and won't be for a while.

Can somebody advise me as to what, if any, different assembly procedures should be followed for an engine that will be "pickled" for an undetermined length of time?

Thanks-

Jim

My advice would be too just coat everything good with oil and wrap it in plastic bags. Clean everything up and assemble it later. I never assemble mine until it's time to put em in and fire em up. JMO

I agree, the best way is to leave the parts separate until it can be built and fired right up. A big bag over the engine, on a stand in a corner of the shop, would work for a while on the finished engine.

Thanks, Dave and Pope,

Okay. I'll put the parts back in the closet. I decided to work on the engine because, believe it or not, it's COLD here in north central Texas. It's fifteen fahrenheit as we speak!

That's probably T-shirt weather for you dudes in SD and SK but not for us wimps in these parts. (I see where it's a balmy SIX where you live, Dave).

I hope you brought your brass monkey inside!

Jim

Six heck !!!! Made it all the way to 14 today, me and the dog went for a walk and everything, lovely day!!!! NOT

good plan on holding off on the engine, you'll do better in the long run.... i've got an old buick nailhead sitting in my shed that was rebuilt 20 years ago and never run... now if i want to use it, i'm gonna hafta tear it all apart, clean it up and relube it....

btw, it was a nice 72 out here in san diego and its 50 outisde tonite and i'm complaining how damn cold it is.... i could only imagine

If you have to build it now just take care an essemble in a clean environment.....use lots of oil and moly lube.....mast off the exhasut ports on the heads, and mask off the inlet on the intake manifold. As long as not dirt or debry can get in you will be fine. then put a dust cover over it......could sit for a while if oiled up proporly.........

Thanks, thesals and caballero,

Naw. I don't have to work on it now, caballero. As I said, I'll put the parts back in the closet and put the engine together later. I just moved into my nice warm little shop because it's plumb frigid out under the carport where the truck is.

And thesals, yesterday I went to a reunion of (other) elderly drag racers in Frisco (Texas), guys who raced in this area in the fifties and sixties. A few of them have resurrected old coupes, roadsters, and front engine dragsters from that era. One man, Don Ross, has built (and brought) a perfect full size replica of Bobby Langley's beautiful "Scorpion" dragster of that era. Bobby was there. Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this is because one guy brought an old "slingshot" with a nailhead. Those gotta be the best looking engines ever made (and I was always a Chrysler man).

Also, thesals, go ahead! Rub it in about your 72 degree days! Just wait, a tsunami's gonna get you San Diegans one of these days! Just Wait.

Jim

yeah i heard about that meet out in frisco texas.... i totally wanted to take my packard but that ol caddy motor needs a rebuild desperately...

and i really dont think we'll get hit by a tsunami.... i expect it to be an earthquake

72 ... I only wish it could be so nice here. I'm over here near Fort Worth, and this 12 - 15 degree weather definately SUX!

whenever i assemble an engine that wot be used for awhile i use STP or 90W to lube everything. those oils are very thick and sticky and will stay on whatever you put it on until you run it

man, it was way too hot here. was right at 95* all day, and with my tent garage, it's 10-15* hotter in there, I didn't work on my Chevy. was working on my dads '72 C10 putting in the HEI distributor, and after all was said and done, had it running, still doing a little timing to it then the distributor burnt up