Well, I've gotten into my engine and found a lot more work that I (and my bank account) was prepared for. I'm planning on having the block hot tanked, honed, etc, but until that time, and after I get it back while I'm saving up for other various components, I need to know what is the proper way to store it. I'm guessing it has something to do with a coating of some lubricant to keep it from rusting, and keeping it wrapped up in a large trash bag. But I would like to know the specifics so I don't add to my problems.

Thanks,

MoMo

 

A lot will depend on your location too... I'm located where it is pretty much 0 humidity all the time, so it's easy to keep things lubed and dry. Spray the insides with wd40, wrap it up and store in dry location.

--Mike

 

White lithum grease!!! you'll have to clean it real good but WD-40 dries out. I did a block in Hawaii then PCSed to North Carolina and it sat on a boat for a couple of weeks before it got here and it's wasn't rusty when I put it together. Sat for over a year.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm near Raleigh, NC, so we have plenty of humidity to go around.

MoMo

 

I'm in Ga. so we are close. Before you hot tank and clean it, just wrap it up good. The hot tank and machining will remove any rust.

I have done numerous rebuilds and some have set for over a year waiting on customer parts/money.The machinist at the shop that I use told me to do the following for storage after machining:

Block bags, these are heavey duty (should be provided by the machine shop, get 2 new unused ones besides the one the block is in.)

Head bags, if you are not installing the heads (same as block bags, 2 reqiured per head and 2 for the crank, total of 6 bags)

Several packages of desiccant.

Get straight 50 weight oil (or the highest you can get).

Coat the block with the oil (EVERY WHERE). Pull one bag over the block, put in a couple packages of desiccant, twist and tie the bag, pull the second bag over the block in the other direction and twist and tie. Do the same thing to the heads and crank if they are not installed.

Using motor oil means you do not have to clean it off before the rebuild, except for bearing surfaces where you use assembly lube. This has worked for me and it is how the machinist that I use long term stores his.

Hope it helps.

 

a thin layer of any type of grease on all machined sufaces and a coat of 30wt oil brushed on the rest of it and wrapped and bagged, if you are going to store it for any length of time, especially if you live in a high humidity areas or any area where rapid changes in temperature and dew points occur. i seen a block my friend had once in his garage that was spayed with wd and wrapped. he'd turn the heat on in the winter just while he was working and then off when he was done and even with it being wraped the change in temp like that made the block sweat and rust to the point of pitting in some places. i put little faith in spray type lubes and what not for such applications.

 

Wow, great responses guys! I really appreciate it. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it clear of rust until the work begins, and until the install date!

MoMo

 

I've had a block stored for several years. The lithium grease on the cyl walls and lifter bores is a great way to go as mentioned and also i coat the rest of the block with 30W. i keep it wrapped in a large HD plastic bag and reoil the block every 6 months or so. You can also wrap layers newspaper on the outside of the bag to collect moisture. Kind of makes it look like a giant spitball!! LOL I try not to store blocks on engine stands either for long periods of time.

G.


G.

 

Ok, you guys are gonna think I'm nuts, but here goes....

I've been building high-perf/race engines for, well, a looong time, and this only applies to blocks that are going to be completely machined (bored/honed/decked). The process is called block seasoning.

Completely disassemble the block, knock out the freeze plugs, cam bearings, remove the block drains, strip the paint everything. De-grease everything. If you're not gonna align-hone the mains, get the heaviest grease you can find and coat the main cap and block bearing surfaces and torque the main caps back on. If you're serious, though, you'll get the block align-honed along with the other machining when assembly commences. If you're gonna do that, forget the grease-thing. Now the fun part;

Take your clean, de-greased block and throw it in the back yard.....right in the dirt....and let it rust....the longer the better. Yup.

As cast iron rusts, it will actually push all the contaminants to the surface and become part of the rust. Cast iron will not rust like steel or other ferrous metals. As it forms, it actually is forming a protective coating and will not continue to attack the underlying iron underneath....it basicly "cleans" itself, then stops. When you finally drag it out of the back yard and have it machined, the metal will be cleaner than when it came out of the foundry. All the acids, oils, slag and other crap will be machined away. If you visit any professional engine builder that uses cast iron blocks, you will see shelves of blocks sitting outside in the sun and rain. New or used, they all go outside. They may use new or non-seasoned blocks due to time constraints, but the "good" engines all come from "out-back". BTW, used blocks are always better than new ones, as they have already been thermal-cycled hundreds (thousands?) of times and have stabilized.