Sitting Engine Care

Pops @ Tri-5.com · Mar 30, 2018

What's the best thing to put in an engine that's sitting, but is going to be installed eventually...It is on an engine run stand and I do start it up occasionally...I don't want it to be rusting from the inside on me.

Drain it completely and blow it out the best I can with compressed air...Or, use a 50/50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze....Or, is there a better alternative?

Classic57 · Mar 30, 2018

David, have to ask, how soon is "eventually"? If you are starting it occasionally, I would suggest a small recirculating tank/radiator that you could fill with 50/50 mix (enough to fill the block) and run it maybe once every two weeks. Certainly wouldn't hurt.

Problem with running it occasionally without the mixture, even drying it out with compressed air, you run the risk of condensation forming and starting the rust you are concerned about. Just my $ 0.02 worth.

Pops @ Tri-5.com · Mar 30, 2018

Classic57....Very much appreciate your reply...."Eventually" isn't any time soon....Also, I'm not apt to start it up every two weeks. (too lazy)

55-6-7 · Mar 30, 2018

Never had any problems with the coolant side of a block rusting if it has a good 50/50 mix. Most antifreeze today have an anti-corrosive,or rust inhibitor in it. If you arnt going to start it for a while you might look into a fogger that is used on inboard boat motors. You run the engine a little above an idle and spray it down the carb until the motor dies.. It lubes cyl walls,valves,etc and keeps it all from rusting or sticking.

Pops @ Tri-5.com · Mar 30, 2018

55-6-7 said:
Never had any problems with the coolant side of a block rusting if it has a good 50/50 mix. Most antifreeze today have an anti-corrosive,or rust inhibitor in it. If you arnt going to start it for a while you might look into a fogger that is used on inboard boat motors. You run the engine a little above an idle and spray it down the carb until the motor dies.. It lubes cyl walls,valves,etc and keeps it all from rusting or sticking.

Good ideas...Thanks...Hadn't thought about that fogger deal.

mickeywestsr · Mar 30, 2018

55-6-7 said:
Never had any problems with the coolant side of a block rusting if it has a good 50/50 mix. Most antifreeze today have an anti-corrosive,or rust inhibitor in it. If you arnt going to start it for a while you might look into a fogger that is used on inboard boat motors. You run the engine a little above an idle and spray it down the carb until the motor dies.. It lubes cyl walls,valves,etc and keeps it all from rusting or sticking.

I would think this would be better than the compressed air ..... and you have never been lazy ..... :tu
Cowboy :flag6:
:gba:
bowtie-trifive

Pops @ Tri-5.com · Mar 31, 2018

mickeywestsr said:
..... and you have never been lazy ..

Well maybe not lazy Mickey....Just the ultimate procrastinator.....I finally got around to joining a procrastinator's support group and they keep putting off our first meeting

Rick_L · Mar 31, 2018

Just leave the coolant passages dry, they will be fine.

My biggest concern would be the cylinder walls rusting. Some oil or WD40 occasionally squirted in each cylinder, followed by turning the engine over, even by hand, would go a long way.

I should practice what I preach. This winter has been a tough one in the shop. We've had some really wide swings with temperature, as well as high humidity when it was warm. Even my mill and lathe have surface rust on bare metal that I've not seen in previous years. Sometimes in January or February I'd go in the shop on a warm humid day and see condensation on the hand tools in the box. Ouch!

Speedi D · Mar 31, 2018

557B210 said:
What's the best thing to put in an engine that's sitting, but is going to be installed eventually...It is on an engine run stand and I do start it up occasionally...I don't want it to be rusting from the inside on me.

Drain it completely and blow it out the best I can with compressed air...Or, use a 50/50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze....Or, is there a better alternative?

You might want to look into Evans Waterless Coolant.

bfalfa55 · Mar 31, 2018

All the other suggestions should surely help so you don't have issues in the future but I do have to tell the story of the 350 in my 55. My dad and I built it in 1989 and it was pulled from that car in 1992. It sat in numerous garages and storage facilities covered up and never taken apart. Fast forward to 2013 when I was putting my 55 on the road. Shot penetrating oil all the cylinders fro a week and turned it over by hand. It never smoked and still runs fine to this day. A closed engine that has already been oiled stays void of rust longer than you think. Another testament to this is the original 265 from dads 55 in high school. It was pulled from his car in 1960! In 2012 my son and I disassembled it completly. It was varnished up enough that you couldn't turn it over but the cylinder walls and crank journals were still void of rust. That's 52 years and no rust and it was not prepped!
I think you will be fine with a little prep work and stored in a non-moisture space.

55-6-7 · Apr 3, 2018

Well non-moisture and Florida..Hmmm. Good luck.

jwscab · Apr 3, 2018

if it's in a stand, how are you firing it up? do you have a rad connected or just have the water passage full but capped off? How about exhaust?

If it's inside a building, and has exhaust, I'd stuff the outputs with some rags,or wrap with plastic film to keep critters and most moisture out, and put an air filter on the carb/intake or cap the same way. If there is coolant, no worries. If it's just water, drain it mostly or add some coolant.

it's already run so the oil has been splashed and pumped everywhere internally. should be able to fire it up anytime. I'd be more concerned about the float bowls drying up and leaving gasoline residue. If you run it and shut the fuel off until it stalls, that would be a good way to leave it.

if you leave it in this condition for more than 1-2 yrs, it would be good to squirt some wd-40 in the holes before you fire it again. and probably change the oil.

David's 56 · Apr 4, 2018

Pops
I was at tractor supply picking up dog food and ran across this, looks like the auto parts stores carry it also, thought of your thread....

Pops @ Tri-5.com · Apr 4, 2018

jwscab said:
if it's in a stand, how are you firing it up? do you have a rad connected or just have the water passage full but capped off? How about exhaust?

If it's inside a building, and has exhaust, I'd stuff the outputs with some rags,or wrap with plastic film to keep critters and most moisture out, and put an air filter on the carb/intake or cap the same way. If there is coolant, no worries. If it's just water, drain it mostly or add some coolant.

it's already run so the oil has been splashed and pumped everywhere internally. should be able to fire it up anytime. I'd be more concerned about the float bowls drying up and leaving gasoline residue. If you run it and shut the fuel off until it stalls, that would be a good way to leave it.

if you leave it in this condition for more than 1-2 yrs, it would be good to squirt some wd-40 in the holes before you fire it again. and probably change the oil.

Lots of food for thought there...Many thanks...Actually, I have one on an engine run stand, one installed in my build car, and one one an engine build stand.

I fired two of the three engines up today and will have to do some shuffling to get my other one fired up.

Pops @ Tri-5.com · Apr 4, 2018

David's 56 said:
Pops
I was at tractor supply picking up dog food and ran across this, looks like the auto parts stores carry it also, thought of your thread....

ThANKS for the tip David.

:tu

Sitting Engine Care

Pops @ Tri-5.com

Classic57

Pops @ Tri-5.com

55-6-7

Pops @ Tri-5.com

mickeywestsr

Pops @ Tri-5.com

Rick_L

Speedi D

bfalfa55

55-6-7

jwscab

David's 56

Pops @ Tri-5.com

Pops @ Tri-5.com

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