Now, the only thing this has to do with my '53 is the fact that it is preventing me from working on my project. My daughter manged to wreck the '96 Sebring Convertible we gave her. Long story short, I got a '97 as a replacement and have swapped over all the parts (interior, etc.). I just had the engine rebuilt on the old one, it only has about 5K miles on it. I'm going to pull the engine as a "spare". What is the best way to store an engine? I'm thinking of pulling the heads, oiling it up and wrapping it in plastic. It will be stored until needed (the other engine has 100K on it). I don't want this thing to corode or anything and I obviously won't be able to start in periodically. Whats the best way to store an engine, potentially for the long term.

I'm asking here cause you guys know everything!

 

I'm in the same situation and need to also know the procedure for storing an engine for the long term. Also, is there anything to be done for a transmission that will also not be run for probably a couple of years?

 

John -

Of course, you are storing this engine inside, right? I would put it on an engine stand so I could move it when needed and keep it off the floor to discourage critters. I would drain the oil (because it breaks down after a long time), drain all fuel from the carb and feed line (for the same reason) and leave the engine entirely intact. I would close every orifice, including masking tape over the exhaust ports of the head. Cover it entirely in plastic (like a cacoon) to seal it off from any air circulation, then forget about it. All the rubber (vacuum lines, etc) should be fine out of sun light and the elements.

When it is time to resurrect it, I would fill it with oil, remove the dizzy, and turn the oil pump with a drill motor to get oil into all the journals before firing it up.

But what do I know?

 

I'd like to add some to what Randy said. First change the oil and run it for a short period to flush old oil out of bearings, then go to your local marine store and ask for a substance to fog the intake for storage. I can't think of the name right off, but we used to use the stuff before putting our outboards away for the winter. After this it should be ready for extended storage.

 

Not clear but it sounds like you are storing the rebuilt engine? Why not put it in now and sell the old one while it is still running and worth something? To be honest, I doubt you'll ever use it otherwise. What are the chances you'll replace the engine in a car that's already 10 yrs old, two or three years from now? I'd bet your daughter will be sick of it by then. Just my thoughts, you know the situation better, but my garage is full of stuff that I couldn't bear to part with 20 yrs ago!

If this is the typical modern OHC engine (I think the Sebrings use a Mitsubishi engine?), you'll do more harm than good taking anything apart. Like they said, store it inside, turn it over once in a while, and get absolutely all the gas out of the system. But I wouldn't count on all the fuel system O-rings lasting in storage.

Randy, I suspect you're thinking of an old Ford truck engine! I'd be surprised if there is a distributor!

 

My situation is that I'm getting a 351W engine with a 53 ford that I just purchased. The engine is not installed and on a stand. The truck will need total restoration so the engine wont be run for at least a couple of years. Is this something that will probably need to be rebuilt once I resurrect it. I'm concerned about rusty cylinders and dry rotted seals ect. What would be the best way to keep it in the best possible condition internally after a couple of years of sitting on a stand in my garage. I do plan to warp it in plastic and make sure all openings are closed off, but is there any way to treat the internals once it's out of a vehicle.

Thanks.

 

Same thing as mentioned before. Do it Randy's way

 

Whatever you do just keep it away from the mice...trust me!