55 gallon barrels with a full removable top with a band to clamp it down usually aren't that hard to find. If I still worked at the old Seneca plant (Tree top) in Prosser I could get you a truck load of them. You could set a bare block that was oiled up or short block one in and stick in a couple desiccant packs and seal the lid on and it should be good for years. I wish I had hauled some home to keep my magazines in when I was moving around back then.
Yep. I just sold a 62 413 Chrysler short block that my brother rebuilt in 1964 and placed in 55-gallon barrel of oil (in the barrel since 1964). It was in perfect shape but of course needed to be cleaned up before going any further.
My brother did one 327 short block in HS, it sat until close to 7 years wrapped up in the garage. He painted it with MMO, inside and out. Wrapped it in an old bed sheet, double bagged it in black plastic. It sat in the corner of a dry garage. We took it out and it had zero rust on it, totally clean. He goes to put a set of rebuilt heads on it on the stand and at one point turns it on the stand... glass beads pour out of one of the exhaust ports. That was a learning experience. Lucky none got into the bores or valley.
Putting it in a tightly sealed bag is not a very good idea. Keeping it in a loose bag lets it breath. Smear the thing with grease and oil and store it in a place with fairly constant temperature. The cooler the better. I have cranks, cams and a whole bunch of other parts in my storage shed with no treatment at all and no rust after years of storage. Temp and ventilation is key. Loose bag to keep the dust off.
Condensation is very bad down here near the Gulf Coast in sub-tropic conditions. Storing outside, I use white lithium grease for storage on a stand, no bagging. Joe
I have several cranks that have been turned that I keep in my basement. My current go to rust inhibitor is crc 3-36 There stood up with a clear crank bag over the top open at the bottom. I have a dehumidifier that runs when needed and there in the warmer part of the basement. I keep the humidity around 50-55% and never have problems. And as I said before I keep an eye on stuff. Plenty of stories of guys going to get there engine out to find it’s a ball of rust.
I had my 350 on the garage floor, on a dolly for 31 years. It was fogged with MMO before it was stored, as in all the ports taped up and a tarp placed over it. Aside from mice pool and shell hulls, it was clean inside.
I save all the rust inhibitor paper that new truck parts come wrapped in at work and stuff the bare blocks with it, then cover it with a plastic bag lightly tied. https://www.mcmaster.com/rust-inhibiting-paper/
Most plastics are permeable to water vapor, so it's best to make sure your block is completely covered with an anti-rust agent.
WD-40 Spray & Stay Gel Lubricant. I completely saturated 2 bare cylinder heads that had been stripped to bare metal. I put them in my garage cabinet several years ago, and they still look like they did on day #1. I did not put them in bags. I will put them in bags for ease of handling before taking them to machinist-builder. I think this is much more practical than some of the suggestions I've read.
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