storing engines

[littlegearl]

been thinking over the weekend and have got some BIG ideas into my head...

basically i am tempted to perform an engine sway (something i really didn't want to do to keep the car original) in the quest for performance but ultimately don't want to chuck the old engine away

despite being 25 years old its done less than 70k the block is in good order and its just had a new performance cylinder head put on so this is not something i want to loose...

i have the space/friends with space to store my old block but was wondering how to do it? (being completely new to engine swap teritory) - obviously i don't want to leave it gathering dust in the corner of the garage but what do i do?

some sort of vacuum seal?
dust/shite free box?

any advice greatly appreciated!!!

[GavinPearson]

Before removing the engine I'd buy the thickest "Magnatec" oil you can get and change the oil and filter. Fill with Magnatec to at least allow the bores to remain coated while you store. Clean everything with Gunk before you remove the engine.

Once the engine is removed I'd take the plugs out, fill the cylinders with oil and refit the plugs. I'd top the engine up with cheap clean oil.

Spray WD40 all over the engine and wrap it in clingfilm like a mummy. It won't get rusty or dirty now.

All you need to do when refiting the engine is remove the plugs and turn the engine over by hand to get the bulk of the oil out, then crank on the starter with the plugs out to lose the rest of the oil.

Comment: messy but very effective.

[deltaf]

Then put it in a big airtight bag, and suck all the air out of it with a vacuum cleaner to seal it.
Store it in a crate, off the floor.

[BogBeast]

Drain the water out of the jacket (if it has drain plugs)

I would hand turn the engine every now and again to keep evrything moving..

[wedg1e]

Put a kilo of silica gel in with the engine, and dry it out in the oven once a month. I have some 1Kg bags of silica gel in the garage, by way of coincidence...

Store the engine at a constant temperature and humidity, and arrange for Group 4 Security to patrol the airtight storage facility to ensure that rats don't get in and eat your distributor cap.

Contact all the classic car magazines and have them run a feature on your engine, then take bids for when you eventually bring it out of storage (probably when you retire, in say 2053).

Full of useful advice, I'm not.

Ian

[pete C]

Lots of boat owners, me included, prepare their engines for winter lay-up [or longer] by using a "foging oil". You can buy this from most marine outlets
and full instructions are included.
Basically, just prior to switching the engine off for the last time, you introduce a measured amount of foging oil into the air intake[take the filter out first]and all the combustion area internals of the engine are coated with a corrosion inhibitor. If the right amount of oil is used the engine should then stop on it's own due to fouled plugs. Next time you need to run the engine just change the plugs and engine oil and it should start OK. There will be lots
of smoke initially due to the foging oil burning out.