Thread: How do I store my engine

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Hey guys any advise on how to store my engine. I am getting ready to do a frame off resto on my 59 apache. The engine is new but was running. I don't want it to seize.

Fill it with oil- I mean - fill it. Tape off the holes & fill it up. Tape the carb too. Then bag it & put it in a dry place.

I am in the marine business, and we "winterize" boat engines which means to prepare them for long storage. But since we are in Florida, it is reversed, we "summerize" the engines for the people who are leaving to go north for the summer.

You are trying to accomplish several things:

1) Keep the engine from rusting internally and externally. You take care of the cylinder walls by using fogging oil, available at any marine suppiler. you are basically trying to coat every inch of the cylinder walls with this thick oil. Pull your plugs, spray alot into each hole, turn the engine over by hand, spray some more, repeat, repeat. Then reinstall the plugs. For the outside, spray everything in sight with a product like WD40. We use 656, as it stays on better. Pull the side drain plugs, and get all the water out of the block. Then pour straight antifreeze into the water neck, after replacing the side plugs.

2) Keep the carb from gumming up.
Spray more fogging oil into the throat of the carb while cranking by hand. If you want to keep your carb from having varnish in it, take it off and dump all the gas out. THen fill the carb up with engine stabilizer, via the vent tube on the carb. Spray the entire outside once more with 656, or equiv. and wrap the engine with plastic sheeting or large garbage bags.

If you want to be really good about it, change the oil and filter BEFORE you wrap it up, as used oil has acids in it that will work on the inside of the engine if left inside. Hambiskits idea about flooding the engine with oil is also good, but remember to drain and refill with the proper amount before you try cranking it again, or you will possibly bend some stuff inside.

Oh, store the engine up off the ground, on a stand or at least wood, and keep it in a dry, warm place. If you want to be really good about it, loosen each rocker arm to remove the tension on the springs and valvetrain. This is for real long term storage (like a year or more) but it insures your springs will stiill have good tension when reinstalled.

Even all this doesn't guarantee you will have no problems, especially if the engine is stored for a real long time, but it is your best shot.