Crate Motors

[Corvette95]

What is your opinion on new crate motor storage? I was thinking about filling them ALL THE WAY up with oil to prevent corrosion . . I already take the plugs out every other month and spin it over by hand . . . do you think the extra oil would help or cause problems?

[marc.madmax]

Arent they assembled with assembly lube? since that and the fact that they should be sealed from humidity and sunlight (black shrink wrap and dessicant) they should be fine for quite some time. Keeping the rubber seals away from the environment will be more important than the oil film inside the beast. Besides before you finally run the motor you are going to pressurize the oil system prior to starting.

[rkreigh]

I thought about doing the same thing. just fill the whole thing up. as long as you let it drain for a long time and the oil didn't gunk up it would probably work. I know the military uses something called cosmoline. and there are a number of storage oils that should cling to the surfaces to prevent rust. all the 95 zr1s had "2 year old" crate motors. I think keeping the engine bagged with a desicant to keep water out of the air would be really all you need. I store some blocks that way and they stay rust free. give it a try!!

[tomtom72]

I agree with marc.madmax. The only addition that I would respectfully add to the list of precautions would be a can or two of storage spray into the cylinders thru the plug holes.

When i worked at a boatyard we used to use a product called T9 Boshield. I think it was a CRC product...but my memory maybe incorrect. In any event after fogging out gas motors with MMoil down the carb the last thing was to r&r all the plugs and spray the bores & turn the motor after each bore was sprayed. The product dried to a semi-solid film to seal metal against moisture. The sales point was that after it dried it was not running off of the walls and as long as you didn't rotate the motor the stuff would be there till spring start up. We even used it to protect exposed electrical connections, throttle and gear cables with exposed ends. I would check at a marine supply store and see what's being used now. JMHO.

Tom

[Corvette95]

thanks for the tips, they are in a climate controlled room, so I guess I might get some of the marine fog and try that and just keep rotating the engine every few months....I guess they are 13 years old now and look new, something must be working right

[marc.madmax]

The climate controlled room is still not removing the oxygen, so if I where you don't worry so much about rotating the crank, in fact the fact that you are rotating is doesn't sound like a smart idea. Think about this, the assembly lube that is creating the film that you are squeezing away by rotating the assembly. at some point of all this movement you will lose that film between the metal parts. I would worry about the rubber components that are being attacked by oxygen and oxidizing. If this is a display type of engine, the critical worries should be keeping the rubber and plastic from deterioration. The metal is not going to weld itself together, at least not for quite some time and not without help.

If you don't believe me no prob, contact some of the engine builders like Bill Mitchell, Kaase, Dick Landy, etal. and query them as to what you are doing.

Best to You!

[flyin ryan]

don't drive yourself crazy over this. there is no one good way to store an engine...period. rust, corrosion, moisture, bearing's sitting in one position to long, some valve spring's at max lift, most of them not, ring's sitting in the same position in the bore , and on it goes. i'll tell you the best way to store an engine, take it apart, then clean every part, then put it away in boxes. i didn't say it was easy, suck's for the most part but...