My pace of building has slowed significantly. My question is, how long could a motor sit after rebuild? It is still apart, but easier to store in its complete state. It’s a Cad 390, and is basically stock. It’s going to be awhile before it’s ready to be put in service. I thought of assembling it and just turning it over once a month after pressuring the oil system. It may be a couple years before I’m ready. Any thoughts? Dave Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If it were me I’d oil up all the parts and leave it unassembled. Especially for it’s going to be years before it’s going to run. One reason would be if your using a new cam that hasn’t been broken in yet the brake in line can dissipate and it’s hard to reapply. If you really want to assemble then maybe leave rocker arms off so not to load the cam and lifters. This will also keep the cylinders sealed up and lessen the chances of things getting in there. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
you dont have your location in your profile, so we can only guess what climate you live in. If you live where I do, and have my shop, you would just leave the parts sitting on the shelf for a few years, then clean and assemble it. But if you live where it's damp, you need to be very proactive about rust control, whether it's apart or assembled.
My longest is several yrs on parts by soaking them in spray grease and penetration oil and putting each part into a heavy trash bag. Block,crank, heads etc. they sat that way for several yrs with no problem. Put it together and drove it with no problem. Last i heard over 130,000 miles and never had a valve cover off.
I built my 327/350 hp engine over thirty years ago, still on the stand, my biggest fear is related to the camshaft break-in lube. I probably should put a tag on it for whover may inherit it not to install it until new lube is put on the cam lobes.
No problem,,,won’t hurt a thing. Lube it good and don’t worry,,,just keep the moisture away. But,,,put the spark plugs in it,,,,,or at least seal off the plug holes. A lot of moisture can enter through there. And I mean seal it will real plugs of some kind,,,not just barely do it. Tommy
Thanks for the replies. I live in north Texas, west of Ft. Worth. We get humid hot and humid cold. Followed by dry as hell. My inclination was to leave it apart. But I thought I’d ask. The motor was previously rebuilt, and sat 45 years. Stuck worse than I’ve ever dealt with before. I’ll let it sit apart in oil. Thanks again, Dave Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Leave it unassembled until you are ready for it ...grease and oil all the parts and store them some where its dry .To many people rebuild the engine -transmission first ...I had to do a flathead clutch recently because it had been sitting for 15 years ...rust stuck to flywheel ... same car replace all the wheel cylinders stuck with rust.....
I vote with all the others, leave it apart. I live in a mild humid climate in the winter, and a warm slightly humid climate in the summer. and I have never had problems this way. I have a friend (Ford guy), with a couple of big money 427 FE big blocks and a couple of Shelby small blocks (two in cars that aren't being driven, and two on stands). He had me weld up a rod that fits down the distributor hole, so that he could oil the engine by running the oil pump using a drill, before rotating the engines. Then he squirts a spray of oil of each cylinder before turning the engine over. I know it sounds extreme, but he has never had any problem doing it this way. Bob
When I was 17, I rebuilt a T-400 trans and stored it in my bedroom. My Mom never said a word. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Dave - my block - a 1964/65 273 mopar original to my car - was left bare from the vat cleaning with new cam bearings in about 1982.....then the next owner got the car - bare block kept sitting until I got it in 2017. As for the standard bore block - it will now go maybe 40 over to clean up - just saying - I'd rather put one together and run it on a stand - then leave a bunch of nice parts sitting around. Another note - I'm in Dallas and new to my shop of two years - I - FREAKED out when I walked in mid-winter and saw even my storage cabinets sweating drops of water off of them - not to mention my engine blocks....lord help me.......
I need to work faster, and not have stuff sitting around so long. Bottom line. Dave Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Some flatties that I rebuilt sat around for 5-6 years. When I knew that was going to be the case I used lots of assembly grease on moving parts (excepting the cam lobes if it was new one) and bagged it in plastic. Phil
I lost a 4.3 Chevy V6 block a few years ago. Fresh bored .030, I oiled it up and put it in a garbage bag and tied it up. Bag got a hole torn in it somehow, oil dripped off, moisture got in and rusted the fresh cylinders. I should have used grease in hindsight, but I figured since it was in a bag no moisture could get to it. Wrong. Wasn't worth boring again when I opened the bag. It was stored in my carport, never had a drop of rain hit it.
That sucks. Cosmoline might work for long term storage of freshly machined parts. Paint may never stick to to block again, though. Dave Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I like to get engines trans etc. assembled as soon as possible and all assemblies mocked up after a couple of years its hard to remember what goes where parts can get lost, especially if your shop resembles the cluster f---, catastrophe I call a shop, some of my project parts sat around for years before being assembled. lets see, where did I put those pieces so they would't get lost? Who the hell knows?
I recall a warehouse that had a number of "new" rebuilt engines in it. By the looks of them they had been there for years. The place had some broken windows, and I'm sure rain got in there. I've often wondered if they were any good. I personally have an engine that I rebuilt about 15 years ago. Still sitting and waiting. I'll open it up and take a long hard look at it before I attempt to start it. And I wonder about the valve springs, being open for so long. They must lose some height, in my way of thinking. Of course the cam pre-lube has to be history by now too. That's what happens when what it was going in, no longer exists.
Consider all the motors we’ve seen over the years that sat out in a field for years. Then some guy comes along and gets it started. But they were prob well worn and had a lot of blow by, gummed up loose pistons. Not freshly machined parts. Dave Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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