storing engine for a short while?
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Senior Member
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 554
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From: Martinsburg,WV
Car: '02 T/A
Engine: LS1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.23
storing engine for a short while?
Finally picked up my engine from the machine shop and it's on my stand in the garage. Is there anything special I should do for a few weeks until it's ready to be dropped in my car? It just has the crank installed and I have to put the pistons/rods in. Right now it has a plastic bag around it. Just curious if I should put oil in the cylinders or anything like that?
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From: Bowdon, GA.
Car: 1988 Camaro
Engine: 355, 10.34:1, 249/252 @.050", IK200
Transmission: TH-400, 3500 stall 9.5" converter
Axle/Gears: Ford 9", detroit locker, 3.89 gears
Re: storing engine for a short while?
Did you install the crank or did the shop?
What was done to the engine at the machine shop?
If it was hot tank cleaned (bare metal), the outside needs to be painted
If it had any machining done (bore, hone, decked, etc) it needs to be washed
When I get a block back from the shop here is what I do.
Wash the whole thing with warm water and mild soap, scrub the cylinder walls down, use engine brushes, bottle brushes in all holes, chase all threaded holes, wash again with soap/water... Use a white cotton rag in the cylinders, rub the cylinders, if my rag comes out with ANYTHING other than clean white, I wash the cylinders again until no gray or black gets on my rag.
At that point it's clean enough.. Then blow dry with my air compressor the whole engine, all the holes, threads, everything.
Now I use cardboard cutouts, old timing cover, painters tape, etc to mask over the decks, lifter valley, timing chain cover area, etc... Mask off all gasket surfaces, and machined areas..
Then using high temp engine paint. (I like dupli color engine paints) I prime and paint all of the outside of block..
Once dry, remove the maskings/cardboard, etc...
If engine is to be built with in the next week or so, I pour ATF onto a clean, soft lint free rag and wide each cylinder down with it. Then with a thin oil like 3 in 1 oil in a spray bottle or a spray lubricant like motorkote all purpose, PB blaster, etc I spray down the timing chain area, over bottom of engine, main caps, etc (the crankshaft in your case), lifter valley, etc.
Then bag it back up in an engine bag (like yours came in from the machine shop) that has no holes in it . Twist end of bag together and put a twist tie or zip tie around it to hold it closed.
If it's gonna sit for more than a couple of weeks, I will use a lighter weight engine oil rubbed down on all of the cylinders, and all over the whole machined, non painted parts of engine, then bag it up the same way.
Once the engine is fully built, using assemyle lube on bearings, journals, alittle ATF on cylinder walls as you install pistons, moly lube on cam lobes, dist. gear, etc..
I'll pour alittle engine oil in the lifter valley, and alittle over each head.. Button it up with all the tin, tape over the exhaust ports, sender ports, etc.. Then it can be bagged up and sit for a year or more and will be fine.
In fact the last one I done for my own use sat on the stand fully built for over 2 years before I dropped it in and fired it up. Dropped her in, wired up, exhaust on, pre oiled, stabbed in the dizzy, and fired right up.
What was done to the engine at the machine shop?
If it was hot tank cleaned (bare metal), the outside needs to be painted
If it had any machining done (bore, hone, decked, etc) it needs to be washed
When I get a block back from the shop here is what I do.
Wash the whole thing with warm water and mild soap, scrub the cylinder walls down, use engine brushes, bottle brushes in all holes, chase all threaded holes, wash again with soap/water... Use a white cotton rag in the cylinders, rub the cylinders, if my rag comes out with ANYTHING other than clean white, I wash the cylinders again until no gray or black gets on my rag.
At that point it's clean enough.. Then blow dry with my air compressor the whole engine, all the holes, threads, everything.
Now I use cardboard cutouts, old timing cover, painters tape, etc to mask over the decks, lifter valley, timing chain cover area, etc... Mask off all gasket surfaces, and machined areas..
Then using high temp engine paint. (I like dupli color engine paints) I prime and paint all of the outside of block..
Once dry, remove the maskings/cardboard, etc...
If engine is to be built with in the next week or so, I pour ATF onto a clean, soft lint free rag and wide each cylinder down with it. Then with a thin oil like 3 in 1 oil in a spray bottle or a spray lubricant like motorkote all purpose, PB blaster, etc I spray down the timing chain area, over bottom of engine, main caps, etc (the crankshaft in your case), lifter valley, etc.
Then bag it back up in an engine bag (like yours came in from the machine shop) that has no holes in it . Twist end of bag together and put a twist tie or zip tie around it to hold it closed.
If it's gonna sit for more than a couple of weeks, I will use a lighter weight engine oil rubbed down on all of the cylinders, and all over the whole machined, non painted parts of engine, then bag it up the same way.
Once the engine is fully built, using assemyle lube on bearings, journals, alittle ATF on cylinder walls as you install pistons, moly lube on cam lobes, dist. gear, etc..
I'll pour alittle engine oil in the lifter valley, and alittle over each head.. Button it up with all the tin, tape over the exhaust ports, sender ports, etc.. Then it can be bagged up and sit for a year or more and will be fine.
In fact the last one I done for my own use sat on the stand fully built for over 2 years before I dropped it in and fired it up. Dropped her in, wired up, exhaust on, pre oiled, stabbed in the dizzy, and fired right up.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 554
Likes: 6
From: Martinsburg,WV
Car: '02 T/A
Engine: LS1
Transmission: 4l60e
Axle/Gears: 3.23
Re: storing engine for a short while?
Did you install the crank or did the shop?
What was done to the engine at the machine shop?
If it was hot tank cleaned (bare metal), the outside needs to be painted
If it had any machining done (bore, hone, decked, etc) it needs to be washed
When I get a block back from the shop here is what I do.
Wash the whole thing with warm water and mild soap, scrub the cylinder walls down, use engine brushes, bottle brushes in all holes, chase all threaded holes, wash again with soap/water... Use a white cotton rag in the cylinders, rub the cylinders, if my rag comes out with ANYTHING other than clean white, I wash the cylinders again until no gray or black gets on my rag.
At that point it's clean enough.. Then blow dry with my air compressor the whole engine, all the holes, threads, everything.
Now I use cardboard cutouts, old timing cover, painters tape, etc to mask over the decks, lifter valley, timing chain cover area, etc... Mask off all gasket surfaces, and machined areas..
Then using high temp engine paint. (I like dupli color engine paints) I prime and paint all of the outside of block..
Once dry, remove the maskings/cardboard, etc...
If engine is to be built with in the next week or so, I pour ATF onto a clean, soft lint free rag and wide each cylinder down with it. Then with a thin oil like 3 in 1 oil in a spray bottle or a spray lubricant like motorkote all purpose, PB blaster, etc I spray down the timing chain area, over bottom of engine, main caps, etc (the crankshaft in your case), lifter valley, etc.
Then bag it back up in an engine bag (like yours came in from the machine shop) that has no holes in it . Twist end of bag together and put a twist tie or zip tie around it to hold it closed.
If it's gonna sit for more than a couple of weeks, I will use a lighter weight engine oil rubbed down on all of the cylinders, and all over the whole machined, non painted parts of engine, then bag it up the same way.
Once the engine is fully built, using assemyle lube on bearings, journals, alittle ATF on cylinder walls as you install pistons, moly lube on cam lobes, dist. gear, etc..
I'll pour alittle engine oil in the lifter valley, and alittle over each head.. Button it up with all the tin, tape over the exhaust ports, sender ports, etc.. Then it can be bagged up and sit for a year or more and will be fine.
In fact the last one I done for my own use sat on the stand fully built for over 2 years before I dropped it in and fired it up. Dropped her in, wired up, exhaust on, pre oiled, stabbed in the dizzy, and fired right up.
What was done to the engine at the machine shop?
If it was hot tank cleaned (bare metal), the outside needs to be painted
If it had any machining done (bore, hone, decked, etc) it needs to be washed
When I get a block back from the shop here is what I do.
Wash the whole thing with warm water and mild soap, scrub the cylinder walls down, use engine brushes, bottle brushes in all holes, chase all threaded holes, wash again with soap/water... Use a white cotton rag in the cylinders, rub the cylinders, if my rag comes out with ANYTHING other than clean white, I wash the cylinders again until no gray or black gets on my rag.
At that point it's clean enough.. Then blow dry with my air compressor the whole engine, all the holes, threads, everything.
Now I use cardboard cutouts, old timing cover, painters tape, etc to mask over the decks, lifter valley, timing chain cover area, etc... Mask off all gasket surfaces, and machined areas..
Then using high temp engine paint. (I like dupli color engine paints) I prime and paint all of the outside of block..
Once dry, remove the maskings/cardboard, etc...
If engine is to be built with in the next week or so, I pour ATF onto a clean, soft lint free rag and wide each cylinder down with it. Then with a thin oil like 3 in 1 oil in a spray bottle or a spray lubricant like motorkote all purpose, PB blaster, etc I spray down the timing chain area, over bottom of engine, main caps, etc (the crankshaft in your case), lifter valley, etc.
Then bag it back up in an engine bag (like yours came in from the machine shop) that has no holes in it . Twist end of bag together and put a twist tie or zip tie around it to hold it closed.
If it's gonna sit for more than a couple of weeks, I will use a lighter weight engine oil rubbed down on all of the cylinders, and all over the whole machined, non painted parts of engine, then bag it up the same way.
Once the engine is fully built, using assemyle lube on bearings, journals, alittle ATF on cylinder walls as you install pistons, moly lube on cam lobes, dist. gear, etc..
I'll pour alittle engine oil in the lifter valley, and alittle over each head.. Button it up with all the tin, tape over the exhaust ports, sender ports, etc.. Then it can be bagged up and sit for a year or more and will be fine.
In fact the last one I done for my own use sat on the stand fully built for over 2 years before I dropped it in and fired it up. Dropped her in, wired up, exhaust on, pre oiled, stabbed in the dizzy, and fired right up.
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