How to keep cast iron cyl head from rusting during storage?

I bought a cast iron cyl head, it had been hot tanked by the seller so it is bare metal. I need to put it on the shelf for a while, won't be working on it for a few months, don't want it to rust. I figure I need to put it in a big plastic bag, what should I put on the metal?

 

GIBBS oil, wd-40 too.

 

napa SELLS SOME COATING IN A CAN FOR BOATS AND MARINE.....WD40 WONT LAST LONG......

 

A couple applications of LPS 3 works pretty well. Putting the part in a sealed bag helps more. Putting a desiccant in the bag helps even more. Don't let the desiccant lay against the part because it can actually cause localized rusting.

 

How about spraying it with motorcycle chain lube? It's sticky and I have a couple cans in the garage.

 

No special oils needed (wd40 is useless for almost everything including as a lubricant of which it is not).

Use Furniture polish. Pledge goes on greasy and although it is meant to be hand rubbed/polished you can just spray it on cast/steel and it will coat everything with a durable protective coating.
It doesn't attract dust like all oils do. In fact, it will actually shed dust as the wax creates a non porous and very smooth surface that dust cannot adhere to.
Use gun wash to clean the surface if/when you need to paint and install.

This is an old machinists trick from way back as it works very well on machined surfaces like cylinder walls and gasket surfaces and the price is right.



Also,
for any welders out there, spray pledge on your welding lens and/or helmet. Pledge will repel most spatter, dust and smoke helping to keep you seeing your weld puddle while increasing the life of your lens and hood.
It also works great on grinding shields.



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Depends on the climate I guess (by "climate" I mean where the heads are being stored ... inside or outside) I worry that storing them/it in a plastic bag could promote condensation (think greenhouse). I have numerous (and I mean NUMEROUS) cylinder heads in my basement, been there for years and never had a problem with rust. I do run a dehumidifier whenever the furnace isn't running though. I have coated them with nothing ... cranks are down there too, also not coated, and I just used one of the cranks a couple months ago with no issues. If you are serious about being "a couple months" I wouldn't bother with anything myself, but if you insist the chain lube sounds like something I would try. I know a guy that built a steel box so he could store a 455 Pontiac engine block that would be totally submersed in oil ... that too me it total overkill but hey, it's your choice right. Keep in mind, this is my opinion ... actual results may vary .

 

Get a can of Boeshield T-9 from Sears or a marine supply house......Spray the head with the Boeshield and forget about it.........Great stuff and that's what it was developed for........

www.boeshield.com


Ken

 

Google " cosmoline " , pronounced- cosmo leene, last for years, impervious to most anything that your garage or shop will ever be exposed to. Most products even have a MIL spec rating. I quarantee the results. BDM.

 

Take it into the house and put it in a closet.

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I've stored them for several months in the garage without rust problems. I spray with WD40 and put them in plastic trash bags. If it's going to be a long time, I re-spray every few months.