Engine long term storage

GrnRanger

GrnRanger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Location
Raleigh
I have a friend who is planning to pull an older model Dakota engine from a parts truck and keep in storage potentially long term (months at least, maybe a couple years). He plans to drain the fluids and wrap it somehow to keep from rusting and corroding.

Any tips on how to flush the water jackets and prevent corrosion while in storage? Any other tips for preping for storage?
 
It it in a temperature controlled environment? If so, for a year or 2 I wouldn't do anything.
 
I've been thinking about this too. Seen many people drain fluids fog cylinders, wrap in oily towels, then seal in plastic.

I've got an aluminum 5.3 that will probably be next year before I get to. I've decided to go @XJsavage method. Leaving fluids in, stuffed a rag in the intake. Its pretty well climate controlled, and its aluminum so...
 
Not climate controlled
He already has the parts truck and wants to scrap what's left. I guess he thinks it's easier to pull the engine he has as a spare and scrap whatever is left rather than finding one if/when he needs it. Don't know his thought process, just trying to help a brother out.
 
The problems I’ve had starting an engine that been stored or just not run for a period of time has been related to the valves that are stored in the open position. So would it make sense to loose all of the valve rocker arms allowing the valves to be closed sealing the combustion chambers? Also would the valve springs store better not fully compressed ?
 
Adjusting all the rockers such that the valves are closed would definitely help with keeping the cylinders sealed, especially if it was a recently run engine (i.e. still clean, and may have some oil residue in the cylinder). The springs are already under pressure even in the closed position, so an open valve (especially for stock springs) doesn't have a tremendous amount of "additional" pressure on the spring (other than the added load of the spring rate over the distance of the valve being open). Being that it is a hydraulic cam, the oil will bleed out of the lifters, causing the valves to close, at least some anyway, reducing some of the spring pressure.

What I'm scratching at here is that it is the cycles of the spring, in terms of miles on the engine, that wear them out much faster than sitting open vs. closed. But it wouldn't hurt anything to adjust the valves closed for storage...as long as it's remembered that they are adjusted that way before restarting the engine after it's pulled out of storage.
 
Vehicles sit for decades in the woods with no prep to store the engine and they can be started and ran many times with no issues. I think your friend is over thinking this a little.
Pull the engine and seal any openings and put out of the weather.
 
I wouldn't be worried about the hard parts at all. ATF in the cylinders, rotate the engine by hand if you remember every 6 months or so, otherwise just start working a couple days/weeks before you need it. My personal 460 has been sitting on my shop floor, exposed for two years (with the exception of a carb cover), and I'm not worried about it. The issue will be seals and gaskets, they'll dry out/rot after a couple years.
 
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