How long can an engine sit?

notch22 · Aug 12, 2006

Ok, I found a complete engine for a good deal, but I wont be able to have the car put all together and running for a while. How long will the engine be able tod sit without being run. I dont want it to sit too long and then have a ton of problems with it when i first crank it. Thanks.

Original Owner · Aug 12, 2006

My 5.0 sat for over a year while I was involved with other car projects. Assuming there is and has been oil in the engine, I'd say you're safe to sit for at least 18 months if it is kept indoors. If you know that a synthetic oil has been in the engine, it could sit longer due to the "sticking" properties of the oil. My 5.0 had about 50K miles at the time of "storage" and after I put it back on the road, I had no leaks from engine seals nor other engine issues. Hope this was a source of hope or help for you. good luck.

RacEoHolic330 · Aug 12, 2006

Storing it indoors is key. Also making sure there is oil on the cylinder walls and other moving parts is important, as said above.

notch22 · Aug 12, 2006

Oh yeah, it will be in the garage out of the elements. Would it be good to spin the oil pump every now and then to keep it all circulated?

Original Owner · Aug 12, 2006

Absolutely. If you can circulate oil through the system (you'll have to spin the lube element fairly quickly to do this - let me know how you intend to do this - I'm curious) it would keep the internals coated.

Bill88Stang · Aug 12, 2006

my 351w in my mustang right now say for id say around 7 years. thast right a fireind of mine had built it for his brother in his f150. his brother drove it for like 2 years and was called over to germany in teh army for liek 6 years. i bought the motor from the truck since the truck started to rot from sitting. store the motor on a engine stand with a tarp wrapped around it outside on teh side of my house four 2 years through ny winters! while i gathered up remaing parts to swap it in. drained oil, pulled plugs put some wd40 donw cylinders to lube them. installe dmotor in car tunr key on first try started right up and idled. so i might have the record here lol. it honestly wasnt started and ran for 6 or 7 years in the elements under a hood and under a tarp until it found its way under my hood and takes daily beatings and runs like a scalded dog. so i say dont worry about letting it sit, the hibernation just makes it run harder once they wake up lol good luck

85_SS_302_Coupe · Aug 12, 2006

I read an article in Hotrod recently about this huge horde of rare hotrod parts (some of you might remember it). Anyways, the guy stored his engines FILLED with oil....not a bad idea it would seem, you just have to drain it out and refill it to the proper level.

RacEoHolic330 · Aug 12, 2006

are you talking about the one that the lady found and sold it all for $1 mill?

notch22 · Aug 12, 2006

That seems like a good idea to me also 85_SS. Well then it looks like all will be well. I just wanted to make for sure that I wouldnt need to rebuild or anything when the time came to crank it up. Thanks for all the help guys.:SNSign:

Mustang5L5 · Aug 12, 2006

85_SS_302_Coupe said:
I read an article in Hotrod recently about this huge horde of rare hotrod parts (some of you might remember it). Anyways, the guy stored his engines FILLED with oil....not a bad idea it would seem, you just have to drain it out and refill it to the proper level.

I've heard of people doing that. If i was sure a car's engine was leak free..i would do the same.

Before doing that though, squirt some oil into each cylinder and turn the motor by hand to give the walls a good coating. Then put the plugs back in.

Next up, seal the motor up. Tape the TB shut and the tailpipes. I also tape up the oil filler hole and any other place air can get into the engine. The goal is to keep humidity and moisture out.

I have also had a bare short block with no oil pan open to air for over a year, installed it and it's been working fine.

fidstang · Aug 12, 2006

Mustang5L5 said:
I've heard of people doing that. If i was sure a car's engine was leak free..i would do the same.

Before doing that though, squirt some oil into each cylinder and turn the motor by hand to give the walls a good coating. Then put the plugs back in.

Next up, seal the motor up. Tape the TB shut and the tailpipes. I also tape up the oil filler hole and any other place air can get into the engine. The goal is to keep humidity and moisture out.

I have also had a bare short block with no oil pan open to air for over a year, installed it and it's been working fine.

I agree with sealing up the motor. The trick is not to let air into the engine. Air carries moisture and that causes rust and corrosion.
Also, before you start the motor, get an old distributor shaft and put it in a electric drill. Then spin the drill counter clockwise(reverse) to prime the oiling system before startup.

85_SS_302_Coupe · Aug 12, 2006

RacEoHolic330 said:
are you talking about the one that the lady found and sold it all for $1 mill?

No this was some guy who spent pretty much his whole life stocking up on really hard to find and mostly GM parts and something like 15 cars....a bunch of old rare-code Vettes and even a Yenko Camaro....over 100 engines and just about any part you can imagine. He passed away without warning and his nephews inherited all his stuff. The guy had everything packed away inside semi trailers....he would back them together with the doors facing eachother and weld the doors shut, then flatten the tires so nobody could steal his stuff. It was probably the most amazing car thing i've ever read. It couldn't have been 3 months ago.

feifong · Aug 13, 2006

yea this was like 4 mo. ago. I was so shocked seeing all those rare cars in there. It was in CAr Craft magazine

R2D2 · Aug 13, 2006

cleveland was sitting for 12 years, fired right up on the dyno and made 636

85_SS_302_Coupe · Aug 13, 2006

feifong said:
yea this was like 4 mo. ago. I was so shocked seeing all those rare cars in there. It was in CAr Craft magazine

They might have run it too but this was def. Hotrod. The guy would get cars and pull their original engines out and swap in ordinary truck engines to drive or move them around, then store the original engine. They said the guy was quoted once about pulling the Yenko Camaro's 427, saying "I don't see what the big deal is anyways, it's just a POS Camaro with a big engine" lol

90_Red_LX · Aug 13, 2006

85_SS_302_Coupe said:
They might have run it too but this was def. Hotrod. The guy would get cars and pull their original engines out and swap in ordinary truck engines to drive or move them around, then store the original engine. They said the guy was quoted once about pulling the Yenko Camaro's 427, saying "I don't see what the big deal is anyways, it's just a POS Camaro with a big engine" lol

Yeah I remember seeing that article in hotrod. I was like holy *****, theres no telling what kinda money you would have if you turned all them cars to original and sold everything else seperately. Original parts from muscle cars = $$

notch22 · Aug 13, 2006

I was thinking of taping off the oil fill opening and the exhaust ports on the heads and then put it in a bag. Hopefully that will keep it safe.

PR_wingman · Aug 13, 2006

Original Owner said:
Absolutely. If you can circulate oil through the system (you'll have to spin the lube element fairly quickly to do this - let me know how you intend to do this - I'm curious) it would keep the internals coated.

Summit sells a rod so you can lube the motor, you have to remove the distributer insert the rod and use a drill to spin the rod, oil will circulate around the motor thats it

notch22 · Aug 13, 2006

Hmmmm, well that is certainly worth looking into.

Mavrick · Aug 13, 2006

A motor can sit for years.. don't worry about it. Keep it covered from rain and out of the snow. You'll be fine. Before you turn it over, squirt some oil into each cylinder.

It's not a bad idea to prime the motor before firing it (years from now). It is easy.. remove the distributor and use a 1/4" socket on a strong drill to spin the oil pump driveshaft.

How long can an engine sit?

notch22

Member

Original Owner

New Member

RacEoHolic330

I like to dress like a pretty girl

notch22

Member

Original Owner

New Member

Bill88Stang

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

RacEoHolic330

I like to dress like a pretty girl

notch22

Member

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

fidstang

New Member

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

feifong

New Member

R2D2

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

90_Red_LX

Member

notch22

Member

PR_wingman

New Member

notch22

Member

Mavrick

Similar threads

How long can an engine sit?

Member

New Member

I like to dress like a pretty girl

Member

New Member

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

I like to dress like a pretty girl

Member

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

New Member

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

New Member

R2D2

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

Member

Member

New Member

Member

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency