I just got my FE block back from the machine shop last night. (Never going to use that shop again, but that's another story. ) I can't use it right away, so last night I oiled it down with 30 weight oil and put a plastic bag over it, but I'm concerned it will run off eventually. So is there something similar to cosmoline that I can use that is not so hard to remove when the time comes? Or is there a better way to store it?
I like to use white lithium grease in the spray can. It works well and it sticks to anything. Your local automotiveshop will have on the shelf. Cleans up with typical brake cleaner.
ZEPreserve. It's aerosol clingy oil that wicks into the iron and absolutely stops rust as long as the block is plastic bagged.
Oil works good on all the machined surfaces. GOODSON sells an aerosol product. Indoor/outdoor that works VERY well.. Mike Machine shop monkey
What about Gibbs Brand for the non-machined surfaces? I've read on here that it is pretty good stuff...
55 gallon drum and used motor oil, no bag needed and will keep indefinately, and then you can use the oil in the oil burning stove to keep your tools warm in winter
i used wd40 on a fresh bored 327 and put the block inside a trash bag then flipped it 180 degrees and aplied a second garbage bag that was 1976 the project changed directions...fast forward to 2000 i unwrapped that block and found perfect unrusted metal i wiped the bores out with tranny fluid and the bores looked shinny and fresh .
don't listen to the guy in Nevada telling you how to keep shit from rusting! they don't have any moisture in the air at all. once I got a 396 block that had been sprayed with white grease and stored in a shed in the rustbelt, it was pretty rusty when I got it. How about finding some cosmoline? then it could be stored for a long time, and come out nice and spiffy when you are ready to use it
I use "Rust-Lick". Buy it at Travers Tool Supply. Put it in a spray bottle, shoot the parts, wrap'em up and store them. Not super log-term, but I've had stuff stored a couple of years that still aren't showing any rust. It's the stuff they use on machine shop equipment to stop it from rusting. Ya' know, like a milling machine table, ways of a lathe, etc..
LPS3 will keep machined parts rust free for 2yr's outside! It sprays on from an airosol and drys to a waxy film, washes off with mineral spirits(Varsol)
Aircraft supply stores will have something called Para-al-ketone (or something like that) very similar to cosmolene. Otherwise, as someone mentioned, find some chain wax at a motorcycle place - especially one that caters to dirt bikers. LPS#3 will work too - goes on thick & stays - expensive though.
Castle products makes a spray called Endura that has worked well for me on engine parts that are going to be sitting for extended periods. It dries to a sticky consistency and doesn't evaporate.
I was a little leary of white lithium grease before, and you just confirmed my fears. I'm leaning toward using cosmoline on the machined surfaces and plain old oil on the cast surfaces. Simple and relatively cheap. PS - Does anyone know anything about an aerosol product Amsoil makes that dries to a waxy film? I can't find it on their site.
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