Storing a newly rebuilt engine

[bob hughes]

I once met a lady who owned a Marcos and she dumped her engine into a drum of diesel. She was an Architect on my project. Not sure if she ever got it working again as we parted company when I moved on. I can not see what harm could be done, it is an oil after all and you would need just to clean the waterways out. UNLESS some rust deposits got loose then it would be a strip down.



Bob

 

[Randy Forbes]

I am curious, why is the engine one of the last things for a total restoration? Because it might sit for a long time and rust internally and you don't know how long it is going to sit? Because if you don't finish it you are going to sell it at a major loss and the engine is another sunk cost you won't get back? Just curious.

Both of those scenarios are plausible.

Another is that rebuilding an engine is pretty much a known quantity; you can get a pretty straightforward estimate on what a complete overhaul will run. Granted, over time, parts and machine-shop labor is more likely to go up than down, but it might also prove to be that better deals on piston sets, bearings, etc., etc. can be had by keeping ones eyes open. All that leaves more budget-money available for the unknowns of chassis/body restoration, rather than spending a big portion of your budget for something you can't benefit from for what may turn out to be years.

Stalled restorations: I can only speak for what would be attractive to me, but I'm hardly unique in my thinking. I would, by far, be more interested in taking up where someone left off, if the body and chassis were already done. If only the engine/xmsn were built, and ALL the susp. bits, interior trim kits and patch panels were bought, I'd pass it right up, knowing the heavy lifting still lies ahead. I don't know about anyone else, but I couldn't take the word of someone saying the engine was ready without looking inside it myself, so at a minimum, that's a wasted set of gaskets.

Again, these are just some of the things going through my head, doesn't amount to a hill of beans to anyone else.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Only slightly OT: CamGuard is highly-regarded in the aviation community; I just learned they have and additive designed for older/classic cars that aren't driven often. I'm generally opposed to throwing extra stuff in the crankcase, but this may have some merit. Thoughts?

NFI: https://aslcamguard.com/products-2/automotive/

 

[roscoe]

Just a note to those who may not know this when seeing the "FAA accepted" icon on a product. That is very different from something that says "FAA approved". It is often a nebulous distinction in that FAA approval essentially means the FAA has done their own engineering or research. FAA acceptance, can mean a variety of different things. In the case of this additive you have no clue from their ad as to what this is based on. At the least it means that the manufacturer has written a letter ( I'm inserting my own language here for clairity) citing industry standards or FAA advisory material that backs them up and a few people at the FAA wrote back and said " this looks OK , we won't violate you for using it in certificated aircraft but if your engine blows up and kills someone and we investigate, you'd better be able to show it wasn't your product that caused it". I am sure this product will do no harm. I like to believe it might do some measurable good. I do add ZDDP to my oil changes. But it probably comes down to how frequently you drive, whether you live in a hot humid place, and how well your engine was put together as opposed to using anynavailable additive. Shades of Slick 50, the PTFE additive that came and went, although I realize this is different.

 

[Healey Nut]

My two cents here .
My block for the Tri-Carb is at the machine shop now .
It will get the low end built in the early new year then get stored until I get the head done .
I will also put the gearbox on and test fit it into my Jule superstructure so I can mark where the rear mounts land etc .
Once the head is on and fully assembled it will get painted and internals will get oil fogged everywhere it will reach then it will be stored until the rest is ready with occasional hand turning . It wont even get test run as I dont have a test stand and no intention of building one ....I guess it comes down to how much faith you have in who builds your engine .....in my case I only have to yell at myself .
And lets face it they are not complicated engines and pretty indistructable .

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Just a note to those who may not know this when seeing the "FAA accepted" icon on a product. That is very different from something that says "FAA approved". It is often a nebulous distinction in that FAA approval essentially means the FAA has done their own engineering or research. FAA acceptance, can mean a variety of different things. In the case of this additive you have no clue from their ad as to what this is based on. At the least it means that the manufacturer has written a letter ( I'm inserting my own language here for clairity) citing industry standards or FAA advisory material that backs them up and a few people at the FAA wrote back and said " this looks OK , we won't violate you for using it in certificated aircraft but if your engine blows up and kills someone and we investigate, you'd better be able to show it wasn't your product that caused it". I am sure this product will do no harm. I like to believe it might do some measurable good. I do add ZDDP to my oil changes. But it probably comes down to how frequently you drive, whether you live in a hot humid place, and how well your engine was put together as opposed to using anynavailable additive. Shades of Slick 50, the PTFE additive that came and went, although I realize this is different.

That's why I posted a link to the AUTOMOTIVE version of the product. I've heard quite a few A&Ps speak highly of the aviation product, for cam protection, mostly. Like I said, I'm generally averse to adding magic elixirs to oil or gas, but something formulated specifically for engines that sit for long periods might be worthwhile. FWIW, I don't add fuel preservatives to gas and have never had a problem attributed to 'stale' fuel.