How to preserve engine for a couple weeks while heads are off
#1
How to preserve engine for a couple weeks while heads are off
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.
#2
TECH Senior Member
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
#3
10 Second Club
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Posts: 2,034
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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..
#7
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Lake Anna, VA/ Fairmont, WV
Posts: 1,795
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
Trending Topics
#9
TECH Apprentice
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
#10
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Middleboro Ma.
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
#11
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (35)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Maryland/Illinois
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
Last edited by bowtieman81; 05-13-2006 at 07:53 PM.
#14
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Middleboro Ma.
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by ArcticZ28
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
#16
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Middleboro Ma.
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by ArcticZ28
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.
#18
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.
#20
TECH Regular
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Middleboro Ma.
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by vettenuts
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