AK71CutlassS

whats the best way to store/preserve a short block . No Oil Pan ..... Kind of oil or preservative? Wrap It up???

MDchanic

Put it in a dry place, off the floor, away from corners, and coat all machined surfaces with thick grease.

- Eric

AK71CutlassS

Its a Built up 455 short block . Dont think thick grease will be fun to get off when im ready to build.

Stevec

Wd40

AK71CutlassS

doesnt hurt the crank/rods???. Do you need to clean off once ready to build?

MDchanic

Take your choice. Oil runs off, grease doesn't.

- Eric

AK71CutlassS

is wd40 ok to leave on once im ready to put oil pan on? or do i need to clean off everything?

Octania

You think rust is EASY to remove?

Grease washes right off and not 100% of it has to be removed.

Spray can of white grease works great
chain oil is stringy and stays on well also
Cosmolene [National Automotive Lines, maybe Amazon]
Tub o grease if you want the hands-on approach.

Seal it well in a large plastic bag with a few packs of desiccant inside.

WD is a poor choice for LONG term [more than a day or three] protection.

MDchanic

Thank you, Chris.

- Eric

coppercutlass

Fwiw I have a 355 short block that's been in my basement for almost 3 years now and I just fogged it with pb blaster , I don't like wd40. Its all apart but if it was together then all you have to worry about is the bores because the assembly lub will take care of the bearing journals . My basemnt see's lots of moisture as the walls are bare and sometimes during the thawing season the walls will bleed . So it really is that simple. Not too much to prevent rust.

RetroRanger

In my experience wd40 actually works very well. If something was exposed to weather I agree it's not the best choice but stored inside and wrapped wd40 is easy and effective. After it sits for a while it forms a film and isn't just the very light oily substance you spray on. I use wd40 on the exposed portions of my tractor cylinders during winter storage, my bike engine, rims and exhaust, and liberally spray my sleds suspension and aluminum parts before storage. All that stuff is either in a shed or covered trailer and sees temp ranges from 0-75f so condensation can really be an issue. It really works great to prevent corrosion . It's not much as a lubricant or penetrant tho.

Octania

Where is this?
We live in a swamp here
condensing conditions most days at some point.

ELY442

I totally agree with that. I use wheel bearing grease. Its thick and wont dry out or crack. Grease is easy to remove but not rust. It may be messy but when you're ready to assemble your block, you'll thank yourself later.

VinMichael

I didnt do anything to mine in has been on an engine stand with garbage bag over it for 2 years now. decks and bore freshly machined. it is fine.

m371961

How long? You say built, you mean tanked, new bearings, rings, cam installed with new bearings chain and gears? What environment will it be stored in? Climate controlled indoor, outdoor building, or outdoors? Will you have regular access to it?
Things are the things to consider when deciding a method.
If you have regular access I would oil everything with heavy oil and rotate, cover with cloth so it breaths and doesn't condensate. If you decide on grease in cylinders and deck surface clean before installing heads.
If stored in worse conditions and for a loooong time, put it in a tub or drum and fill with non- contaminated used engine or trans. oil. Remove let it drip and wipe off.