Storing a used engine not fitted into a vehicle

[Webley1991]

I recently acquired a used engine for my every day car (not a Land Rover product). I thought it would be handy to keep it for spares as some of them are getting difficult to find as the car is quite old now.

I am told that it is running as it stands now. Is there anything I should do to it to prepare it for storage? It could be sitting around for a while. It will be stored inside in a dry but unheated building.

As far as I know it was stored outside for a few months before I got it.

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Turboman]

I recently acquired a used engine for my every day car (not a Land Rover product). I thought it would be handy to keep it for spares as some of them are getting difficult to find as the car is quite old now.

I am told that it is running as it stands now. Is there anything I should do to it to prepare it for storage? It could be sitting around for a while. It will be stored inside in a dry but unheated building.

As far as I know it was stored outside for a few months before I got it.

Thanks for any replies.

Remove the plugs, if it is petrol, pour a little clean engine oil into the cylinders, wind it over a few times, and replace the plugs. If it is a diesel, do the same using the glow plug holes or fuel injector ports to insert the oil.
Then keep it as clean and dry as possible.

 

[kevstar]

Use fogging oil spray into the boars then wrap it up in pallet wrap & its good for 6 months then
turn it over a few times & do it again

 

[flat]

Also don’t trust storing it on a tyre on a pallet for a long time, eventually the pallet will collapse and it will fall over and crack your manifold.

Use solid blocks of wood to support it and strap it down.

Ask me how I know.....

 

[Kev12]

Id also give it a spray over with wd or similar every month or so and cover it with a sheet to keep dust off

 

[Freelaner]

Spray it with oil. WD40 will do nothing.

 

[Webley1991]

Thanks for the replies.

It is on a pallet at the moment. However I did stack wooden blocks under the point where the weight is sitting as I knew that the pallet wouldn't hold the weight forever.

I do have some fogging oil so can spray the cylinders with that.

I am wondering about bolting it to a stand like the photo below so it can be moved around easily. I may remove the sump and valve cover to see what state the top and bottom end are in.

Once it was on the stand I could also wheel it outside and give it a wash down with degreaser, after blocking everything off of course.

 

[Kev12]

Spray it with oil. WD40 will do nothing.

Nonsense. I spray my off road bikes with it after a wash and it does leave an oily film despite what other people say. OK it wont last forever but a month quite happily

 

[flat]

Nonsense. I spray my off road bikes with it after a wash and it does leave an oily film despite what other people say. OK it wont last forever but a month quite happily

I have used wd40 to protect tools for years, it’s good at repelling moisture to stop rust etc, I use it for that but not anything else tbh

 

[Freelaner]

Ok then maybe not nothing but in this application a fine mist of engine oil over it is far cheaper and more effective than wd40.