Looking After Engine on Stand

G

geordie

Founding Member

May 10, 2002

576

2

19

Sep 27, 2005

#1

• Sep 27, 2005

• #1

My engine has been on a stand for about six months now. During than time non of the internals were disturbed. My questiion is, what steps if any do I need to take to prevent the engine from binding. Should I put a squirt of oil in each cylinder and rotate the crank once a month?

Opinions please.

 

Tubo(2-bo)

Member

Mar 25, 2004

279

0

16

Ft Walton Beach FL.

Sep 27, 2005

#2

• Sep 27, 2005

• #2

I'd use a little ATF, and pull the engine through. 6mos. probably wont hurt at all, but valve springs left compressed for an extended period of time, can get "tired" and loose strength.

 

Edbert

Founding Member

Jul 13, 2002

3,548

32

109

Austin TX

Sep 27, 2005

#3

• Sep 27, 2005

• #3

I cranked mine by hand a couple of revs, and more than once primed it with a cordless drill.

 

G

geordie

Founding Member

May 10, 2002

576

2

19

Sep 27, 2005

#4

• Sep 27, 2005

• #4

Tubo3 said:

I'd use a little ATF, and pull the engine through

Click to expand...

Do you mean squirt a little ATF into each cylinder and then rotate the crank? Why ATF and not regular oil?

 

F

ForceFed70

That's why they call it "dope"

Founding Member

Dec 6, 1999

4,818

1

69

BC Canada

Sep 27, 2005

#5

• Sep 27, 2005

• #5

Personally, I'd just spray it with something like WD40.

Cranking it 180* every 6 months or so is a good idea.

My car sits for 6 months without running just about every winter...so far no problems.

 

G

geordie

Founding Member

May 10, 2002

576

2

19

Sep 28, 2005

#6

• Sep 28, 2005

• #6

geordie said:

Do you mean squirt a little ATF into each cylinder and then rotate the crank? Why ATF and not regular oil?

Click to expand...

Replies would be welcomed.

 

whwright

Member

Jun 3, 2003

150

0

16

Oklahoma City

Sep 28, 2005

#7

• Sep 28, 2005

• #7

On my Mustang, the rebuilt engine sat on the stand for about 18 months, and then in the car for about 3 months. It fired right up.

On my son's Firebird project, the rebuilt engine sat for a little over a year. It also fired right up.

On both projects I put a little motor oil in each cylinder before cranking the engine.

 

G

geordie

Founding Member

May 10, 2002

576

2

19

Sep 28, 2005

#8

• Sep 28, 2005

• #8

whwright said:

On both projects I put a little motor oil in each cylinder before cranking the engine.

Click to expand...

Thank you

 

Tubo(2-bo)

Member

Mar 25, 2004

279

0

16

Ft Walton Beach FL.

Sep 28, 2005

#9

• Sep 28, 2005

• #9

Sorry Geordie,
Asleep at the wheel.
Yeah ATF(auto trans fluid) Squirted in each cylinder. Why ATF, Its what we used "Pickleing" marine engines for winter storage. We'd fog a half bottle of ATF down the carb, with the engine running, untill we killed it. Certain properties, cant remember what, make it better than regular oil.

 

whwright

Member

Jun 3, 2003

150

0

16

Oklahoma City

Sep 28, 2005

#10

• Sep 28, 2005

• #10

geordie said:

Thank you

Click to expand...

You're welcome.

 

BullittStangV8

Founding Member

Oct 5, 2002

1,104

0

36

NJ

Aug 2, 2006

#11

• Aug 2, 2006

• #11

Guys, my 5.0 longblock is going to be sitting for a while. Currently it sits with no pan, but the heads are on it, and no intake. What should I do to store the engine for the next couple of months while I get my parts together? The only lubricants the engine has in it are wd-40 and assembly lube from putting it all together. Thanks.

 

BullittStangV8

Founding Member

Oct 5, 2002

1,104

0

36

NJ

Aug 2, 2006

#12

• Aug 2, 2006

• #12

anyone?

 

mikec35

Member

Jul 6, 2004

233

2

19

NC

Aug 2, 2006

#13

• Aug 2, 2006

• #13

I would just make sure that all exposed moving components are coated with oil then cover it with plastic so that no air/moisture can get to it.

 

65ShelbyClone

Founding Member

Sep 9, 2000

4,675

38

119

Antelope Valley, SoCal

Aug 2, 2006

#14

• Aug 2, 2006

• #14

I got a can of fogging oil from the autoparts store and sprayed it anywhere that didn't look oily. My engine came as an unassembled kit and it sat in different stages of completeness over the course of probably 18 months. I kept a trashbag over it and checked the surfaces occasionally for rust. Never found any.

 

SoCalCruising

Founding Member

Jul 25, 2000

2,437

0

47

SoCal

Aug 3, 2006

#15

• Aug 3, 2006

• #15

If it will sit for a long while in a sealed plast ic bag, then WD40 (it was origuinally developed to displace moisture) and put a desiccant pack in with the engine to absorb moisture that will condense inside the bag. If you can leave the bag unsealed, you can prolly skip the desiccant. Anyway, that's what I'd do.