One of my customers was flooded from Harvey. He didn't live in a flood pain and had never had water near his house so no flood insurance. Now we have to put his project on the back burner for a while. I have the engine rebuilt with all fresh parts and a couple of hours could have it buttoned up and ready to break in the cam. My question is do I break it in now and then put it in storage for up to six months while he rebuilds his house, or do I prep and store it and break it in when we get back to work on his truck? Whichever I do, please offer suggestions on how to prep for storage in either scenario. The engine has assembly line on bearings and seals and the white comp cams break in compound on all cam lobes and lifter surfaces. Initial valve adjustment had been done but no oil is added yet. Thanks for any input and advice from similar situations.
I'm by no means an expert, but if you are close to having the engine ready to run, I would get it running. First.....if I've built an engine, I'd like to hear it run and know I did a good job. Second.....it sounds like decisions might need to be made about the future of the project ever being completed. It would sure be easier to long term store or even sell the project if the issue of the engine rebuild was handled. Third......the customer may actually need some positive feedback in his life and need to be a little motivated about finishing the project by knowing the "heart is beating". I would run the engine in and do all the normal break-in stuff that you would normally do. I have built lots of engines, but there are people lots smarter than me about all the break-in specifics. For storage, I always like to get the engine up to normal operating temps and then drown/drench the carb, intake passages, valve stems/guides, cylinder walls, rings by using a squirt can with a good mix of engine oil/trans fluid. Simply run up to 1500 approx. and squirt lots of oil until almost killing the engine and then eventually do enough to finally kill the engine. Good luck and hope others can chime in.
I really do not think it will make much difference either way but I would vote to not start it up. When an engine runs it produces harmful acids and other contaminants which blow by the rings (especially on a cold engine) and mix into the crankcase. While they may be somewhat diluted and neutralized by the oil additives it is still better not to fire it. On the other hand starting it will distribute a protective film of oil on every surface which may retard corrosion. I think I would spray the inside of the valve cover and valve train and inside the tappet side cover with Crown Rust Preventative Mist or Crown Tool and Die Saver then seal it up at all openings - breathers, etc. I once bought a '46 pickup that had a freshly rebuilt, un-fired engine (460 Ford) then put in a barn for ten years. I disassembled the engine and saw very little evidence of damage. PS: I love those 300 sixes - I use them in several rods n racers like my avatar junk. Best kept secret in drag racing!
One more thing: Back off the rocker arms so none of the valves remain open and none of the valve springs remain fully compressed, especially if it has high rate springs in it. Good luck.
6 months is nothing button it up tight. loosen the valves and let it set. break it in later. Whatever you do make it mouse proof. Mice in the bottom end is not your best situation.
I would not start it, but would fill with some oil and rotate the engine on the stand to fully cover the inside with oil. This would cut down on surface rust forming without the harmful acidic problems of starting it up. Seal everything and document the location of any plug that is out of site. Also keep the records with the engine of work done and what still needs to be done. I had to rebuild a Pontiac engine because the body shop wet sanded the car without the Trans Am scoop in place. Water ran right in to the carb and destroyed 6 of the cylinder bores. The engine/car sat for 10 years with water in it and no one ever new it!
Thanks to everyone for all the responses. It will be stored in a standard issue storage unit. I have rented there for years and the owner employs numerous anti rodent measures like traps, repellent, and cats. I will back off the rockers and mist the insides as suggested. I'll tape off all openings. This is my third Ford 300 and I have built other engines so the excitement of the startup can wait. My customer is dedicated to finishing, but his home has to come first. I'm pretty sure it won't be more than six months or so. @THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER you have been an inspiration for my love of these engines. I have read many of your builds and comments here and on other boards.
Once the engine is oiled, I'd still be most concerned about rodents. I'd bolt on the intake/exhaust manifold, water pump, etc, to minimize points of entry. Then roll up some small rolls of 1/4" hardware cloth and shove it tightly in the remaining openings before duct taping over them. Place it on a stand and wrap it. I sure like Tractorguy's point about a moral victory in hearing the engine run.
The engine is already on the chassis. I was going to do the break in before I put the cab and other sheetmetal on. All of that is at the painter right now anyway. The hardware cloth roll is a great idea and I will put water pump, intake, and exhaust on. It is very satisfying to get a motor started and broken in smoothly, but I think I'll wait with some of the aforementioned rust preventative measures. I haven't even put oil in it or spun the oil pump to pressurize anything.
Mouse motor...heh heh. I burned my flatty in last fall then disassembled the car for paint (still working on that) the motor is sitting quietly on the stand still full of break in oil. I do rotate the assembly once in in a while by hand just to keep things from sitting in one place too long.
We live in a rural area and rodents are commonplace. For reasons un-be-knownst to me, they hate Irish Spring Soap. I shave it into small plastic bowls and place them in various places in the vehicles as well as in the garage including the garage attic. No meices for years.....I did have to buy my wife a new vegetable peeler though.
When I worked in the heavy equipment repair bizz we used to buy Neuss engines from IH, they were manufactured and shipped from Germany and came to us completely covered in cosmoline, inside & out. It took a couple hours of cleaning with solvent to get them cleaned up, but those engines would, and did, sit for years like that. (I've bought old Mosin-Nagant rifles last used in WWII era covered in the stuff too) I would hate to put any more time and money into the project that you may never get paid for.
It never hurts to rotate one every once in a while whether it s broke in or not. The mill in that pic was buttoned up less the heads and stored on its top since about 64 or 5. It was buttoned up tight and the mouse still found its way in there. There was a little mouse rust in the bottom of the cylinder but when I got the nest out of the piston and pulled the rings they were fine, whomever freshened it knew it was in for a long nap and slathered everything in grease. Here is what I have discovered about engines that are broken in and then left to set, often ( not always) the cylinders have lost the initial coating of oil and the bottoms of the cylinders want to catch a little rust. Usually it is just surface rust and will clean right off when you run it but once in a while it will wipe the piston skirts. I think that may be my reasoning behind not breaking one in if its not going to be sued for a while. Often we don't have that choice, we build 'em, drive 'em to find the design flaws and blow 'em apart for finishing. I am not as diligent about finishing one for myself, so once blown apart it may take quite a while. Other guys get after it and they are back together real quick. Anyway enough of my blather, rotating one is a good idea while it is waiting for paint.
I go with not starting it, PnB makes some good arguments above. Ask the builder for a little advice perhaps. I had my old stock car 350 sitting wrapped up for 30 years and dragged it out late in 2015. I had the ports in the heads taped off and dropped the intake and exhaust manifolds in place held by a few bolts. Steel wool in the exhaust manifold flanges. I still had a mouse or so get in and set up camp in the exhaust manifolds and into the lifter valley somehow. No real damage. To do it again, I would use aluminum tape in place of duct tape. The engine still turned easily. Before I took it out of the stock car, I fogged it with MMO, enough to stall it out.
Hmmm...Thinking on that, in the Irish Spring commercial the smiling Irish 'Mick' was using a small pocket knife! My wife's folks are from County Mayo, Ireland...her Grandma loved that commercial, so as a gag gift, I once wrapped a bar of Irish Spring with a small Barlow pocket knife for her birthday. Wife Joey was 'miffed' about such a 'gift', but when we travelled the 120 miles to visit, Nana brought out the Irish Spring bar and whittled off a couple of thin shavings for me...I was 'astonished'! Nana had the 'last laugh', Joey was relieved...
Funny thing, the Govt took sewer rats from NYC, you know those big ugly buggers and break what they called super rats about the size of a miniature dachshund they could crawl through a hole the size of a quarter. My *Olds motor the one that I posted the mouse nest pic was buttoned up tight, no heads the decks taped off the valley pant bolted down tight. same with the oil pan and the little bugger not only got inside but managed to drag fiberglass insulation in there with her/him. If I ever get stranded on a desert island I want to be as clever as a mouse. LOL * them actual damage was minimal not life threatening, but it would have been catastrophic if we fired the motor with it in there. Fortunately the mill landed with a suspicious man.
The Jalopy Journal
