Long Term engine storage

[Muley]

I have purchased an EV engine that I intend to use in a "project" sometime, but that sometime might be measured in years

Could someone offer advice on long term storage with the engine out of the bike ? I know it's probably a good idea to put some oil in the plug holes and turn the crank over a few times, but what kind of oil, how much, etc. ? Are there any other things to do that would help prevent corrosion and future troubles ?

How about the sump ? Should it be removed and the whole underside flushed out first and then some type of lube be applied under the pistons, on the crank, etc.?

I assume the whole engine should then be covered with fabric of some kind to keep dirt and insects out and still be able to "breathe".

TIA

 

[GTM®]

- Drain oil & refill with fresh.
- One tablespoon of fresh engine oil or spray oil (i.e. WD40) in the cylinders. Turn the engine several times to spread the oil. Replace the plugs.
- Cover is up to you, but most important is plugging the intake/exhaust tracts to fend from dirt and anything that craws or scurries.

Are the throttle body/injectors part of the storage?

 

[Muley]

Todd asked:

Are the throttle body/injectors part of the storage?

Yes, indeed. Forgot those come with it.

 

[Muley]

- Drain oil & refill with fresh.

If the engine is out of the bike and obviously can't be run, what good would putting oil back in it do ? Won't it just drain down into the oil sump without coating anything important ?

 

[Geoff]

I would guess not many people have done this, so all answers are more or less guess work based on limited experience.

In the 1970's I had a small motor boat that we laid up in the winter but it stayed in the water - ie a hostile salty environment. I live in the UK, so in any event this is a damp winter environment. It was powered by a converted ford car engine. Four cylinder side valve mostly cast iron construction. (I think from a ford 100e, a UK model).

We used to put about 10ml of two stroke oil in each cylinder through the plug hole, then hand crank the engine once or twice to spread it. The idea of using two stroke oil was that it would burn off most cleanly when we re-started.
When we re-started in the summer we used to squirt large amounts of WD40 into each cylinder and hand crank again to attempt to wash through oil traces. You had to crank a lot, and keep the plugs out for some time to clear the WD40 fumes, to avoid huge over fueling with the WD40 gas air mix in the cylinders.

I think the idea of changing the oil is right. Clean oil must be best. Though I doubt standard Moto Guzzi engine oil is the absolute best. I would talk to the technical guys at one of the oil companies and ask them. I would choose a small company, such as Rock Oil, as they are likely to have more interest in their customers. This is not an oil solution to run the bike, it is to protect the engine.

I would consider sealing the engine in a plastic bag, together with huge amounts of Silica Gel. But I would try to find some advice on this.

Definitely condensation is the big threat. This will be best avoided if the engine is kept as warm as possible and at a constant temperature. Not the bathroom or the kitchen. Probably not the garage. Almost certainly not the shed. Maybe the bedroom or the cellar.

Hope this adds food for thought
Geoff

 

[Muley]

Back in the dark ages, I used a product called Marvel Mystery Oil. It smelled like wintergreen and was supposed to be suitable for adding to gas and even crankcases, I believe. I also recall it was recommended to put in the spark plug holes prior to winter storage. Since it was meant to add to gasoline, it might be similar to two stroke oil in burn off rate when the engine is initially started after storage. I would think that a liberal dousing of the bores, above and below the pistons, and then spraying something like WD-40 on the aluminum engine case might prevent corrosion, but storage in a plastic bag ???? That seems to be inviting moisture problems.

OTOH, if money was no object, perhaps immersing the entire engine in a good synthetic oil would preserve it indefinitely

 

[Geoff]

The plastic bag idea (coupled with loads of Silica Gel) is a copy cat of a product often advertised for whole bike storage. This is clearly a huge bag that the whole bike sits in. You then draw out all possible air with a domestic vacumn cleaner. The bag is advertised as containing moisture absorbing chemicals (ie silica gel) and that it will over winter a bike in perfect condition. I've never tried it, but it must be worth investigating in this context. Might be worth talking to Silica Gel suppliers.

Good luck

 

[SgtCrump]

They make those "vacuum bags" big enough to hold a pile of comforters, so I would think you could stick your motor in there, after spraying it with light oil, like WD40, and then suck the air out wiith the vacuum. The bag would just collapse around the motor, and it would be like shrink wrap.

 

[WayneOrwig]

When I was flying RC airplanes, I needed to 'winterize' the motors. One magazine did a long term test of various oils, including special made oils for winterizing. In the end they found the WD40 did as good or better at preventing rust. BUT, because it turns into a hard goo, you need to reapply the WD40 as a cleaner before you try to turn it over.

I think I would:
Drain oil (get out any water etc).
Refill it with the cheapest stuff I could.
WD40 everything I could.
Plug all the holes.
Bag it with some desiccant.