ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Pulling the heads today, just wondering what the best way to preserve the cylinders as the car will be sitting in an open garage for a couple weeks. I'm gonna cover it with saran wrap and thought I'd put some WD40 or something in the cylinders to prevent rust. Just wondering what the best thing to do/use is while the heads are out being ported.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Not WD-40, go to a Marina and get some storage lubrication they use in the marine engines over the winter. I am partial to the Mercury brand, and used that in my engine while it was apart. I live near the coast and we always have a salt laden moist breeze this time of year, so if you don't take the proper precautions you would surprise the amount of rust that can develop overnight

1QuickT-A

iTrader: (12)

Some people use regular motor oil, some people use assembly lube and a friend of mine uses 2 stroke oil cause its thick and pasty.. I have used 20w50 plenty of times with zero issues..

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

I don't have a marina close to me... what else would I be able to use?

j99fbody

iTrader: (1)

i would use regular motor oil, should be fine with that.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Motor oil will work, it won't stick as well as the marine stuff. Use a soft rag to coat the cylinder walls and turn the motor by hand about 1/2 turn at a time and keep wiping down the walls.

Ryan02SS

iTrader: (3)

Fogging oil is what I think vettenuts is talking about. It should be available at local tractor supply or lawn equipment shops. I use it to winterize my boat engine and it's good stuff. Autozone or auto stores should have it too. Regular motor oil should work fine too. I used wide masking tape to cover the bores and lifter areas.

PREDATOR-Z

Just coat with oil and tape them off with masking tape (wide type)

bichin95redta

I just smeared straight 30 weight oil all over each cylinder wall with my fingers. My block was on an engine stand, so I enclosed it with a cinch-strap plastic lawn/leaf bag. The cinch-strap didn't close the bag completely, so I gave it a few twists, and zip-tied the opening closed. It sat that way for almost 5 months. When it came time to send the block out to the machinist, and I took the bag off, the block looked like it did when I "bagged" it up.

zo6vetteman2003

iTrader: (1)

Motor oil works just fine. Beware of sealing off bores, this can produce moisture this time of year, morning dew if the car is stored outside. . If the hood is closed and they are coated with oil, should be no problem.

Cleaning the head bolt holes, removing liquids. This is the part that everyone looks forward to lol! I rigged up a plastic straw to a wet-vac. Huge amount of suction to suck up residual oil and coolant. Don't mess with the rolled up paper towels, you'll go crazy. ARP sells a thread chaser too to ensure torque reading accuracy.

bowtieman81

iTrader: (35)

I just wiped a bit of motor oil in teh cylinders and my engine was fine. I covered the engine with some towels. I had the heads off for 3 weeks and no problems.

JoeMack

iTrader: (18)

Coated with some 30w motor oil and covered with the great equilizer (duct tape):

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Thanks for the help guys, I'll just coat it all with some oil. Don't have to worry about cleaning the bolt holes... I've got 12pt ARP studs in there... makes life a bit easier for these type of things

zo6vetteman2003

iTrader: (1)

Hope it goes smooth. Are you drilling your lifter retainers while your there? When I did my heads, I replaced the lifters too. It is not totally necessary unless you have many miles. I also drilled the retainers with 1/2" drain holes to keep oil coming quickly back to the pan, instead of pooling up in the retainers. Just something to think about that is a free mod. while you are there.

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

It's a 408 with barely 1500 miles on it, no need to change anything, already have all the good parts Just need more flow from the heads.

zo6vetteman2003

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I remember when it went now, I was the one who recommended the 408 here Sounds good then, good luck with the heads.

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Thanks.

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Quick question... I have the ARP 12pt studs like i said before. I cleaned the coolant out of the cylinders and tightened a few of the studs down with an allan wrench that came a few threads out when unbolting the nuts. Question is, could coolant have gotten down into the threads if they only came slightly loose from tight when I took the heads off? The most that was needed was about a quarter turn with an allen wrench to compltely tighten a few but I just wanna make sure that nothing could have gotten down in there. I'm a worrier, so just ease my mind. Thanks.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Once the heads are off, the studs are easy to get out. Personally, I would check them. Since there is a bore diameter larger than the studs down to the top of the threads, I would just verify each one has no coolant in it. Like you, I am an **** worry wort

zo6vetteman2003

iTrader: (1)

I agree, I removed the drain plugs in the heads and let them drain for a day. I still had coolant in all the lower head bolt holes. There is a chance that once the heads were losened, you saw some residual coolant and also had coolant in the bores. This would be the tell tale sign that you also have coolant in the bolt holes. You want to be sure, or crack the block. Like I said, I rigged up a wet-vac and a drinking straw fitting. You will be surprised how much could get in there if you had coolant in the bores, all fasteners below that may have coolant and oil. I double and triple checked like vettenuts said, **** about it. I used GM torque to yeild fasteners, one time users, so I had to be sure. The ARP's are nice if you need to check the blot holes because they are reusable, a big advantage and no worries. You should be fine if you check and see for sure, no assuming. The most critical part of the install is torque sequence and making sure those holes are clean and dry.