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Long term S54 storage.

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    Long term S54 storage.

    Have you ever stored an engine long term? I have an extra S54 engine that was running just fine about 2 months ago - pulled from the car, on the engine stand. What is the best preparation I can do to the engine to store for an unknown duration of time? I’m not sure what the best fluids to use or secrets for long term storage are. Do I need to remove spark plugs and slap some oil in there? What kind of fluids are needed? I plan to vacuum seal the engine for final storage.
    Attached Files

    #2
    Remove belts
    Remove accessories if they are still on there (weight)
    Remove coolant, flush with distilled water and dry with compressed air
    Drain oil and remove filter
    Oil valve train
    Add small amount of oil to cylinders or spray with fogging oil
    Cover engine with large bag to seal it
    Store indoors if possible
    Rotate crank every few months

    Mainly though, it just needs to be drained and sealed.

    Comment


      #3
      I’m not sure if sealing the engine is the best idea. Engine builders never completely seal freshly worked on engine parts bc the moisture in the bag condenses and forms water, then rusts the parts. It the parts are brand new, coated with oil, and bagged in an air conditioned environment (low humidity) maybe the that would be good. The bag also makes it less convenient to rotate the motor on occasion.

      Definitely fog the cylinders at multiple points in the rotation of the crankshaft. The valve seats flash rust the quickest normally as they’ve had a steady wash of gas on them. Coat those valve seats with oil asap.

      Other than that the above seems like good ideas.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by tlow98 View Post
        I’m not sure if sealing the engine is the best idea. Engine builders never completely seal freshly worked on engine parts bc the moisture in the bag condenses and forms water, then rusts the parts. It the parts are brand new, coated with oil, and bagged in an air conditioned environment (low humidity) maybe the that would be good. The bag also makes it less convenient to rotate the motor on occasion.

        Definitely fog the cylinders at multiple points in the rotation of the crankshaft. The valve seats flash rust the quickest normally as they’ve had a steady wash of gas on them. Coat those valve seats with oil asap.

        Other than that the above seems like good ideas.
        Could you place a bag over the engine and pull a vacuum on it?

        Comment


          #5
          Could get a large amount of dessicant to put in the bag to absorb any residual moisture/condensation

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by bigjae46 View Post

            Could you place a bag over the engine and pull a vacuum on it?
            yeah, I’d certainly cover it, but be careful in the garage with big humidity swings. Large metal parts sweat easily in bags.

            Comment


              #7
              better yet, let me hang on to it for you and i'll putt it around town every once in a while to keep things fresh for you. 😂
              /// 2004 SG/IR - Build Thread

              Comment


                #8
                I would remove the cams to release all valve springs tension, coat cams with gear oil, dump a ton of thick gear oil in each cylinder, then manually rotate crank a few turns to coat the cylinder walls and the excess oil coating the valves and valve seats, not install plugs for moisture venting, brush oil on the valve stems through intake and exhaust ports. Seal with bag, not touching again for 100 years and no rust like a bottle of fine Cognac.

                Last edited by sapote; 09-05-2023, 11:11 AM.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Thank you for the input everyone!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by bigjae46 View Post

                    Could you place a bag over the engine and pull a vacuum on it?
                    Depends on the bag construction and polymers used. Most bags aren't able to 100% stop moisture. MVTR is a useful metric for determining the level of moisture transmission over a period of time.

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