The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop lube for a stored engine

I have a lt1 that I'm putting in my '50 3100. The engine hasn't been started for a couple of years and most likely will be another before it's ready to go,(stored in a dry environment). The engine does rotate. What, if any, lube should I put into the cylinders to keep them from seizing up? I assume rotate it afterwards?

Automatic trans fluid works good.
George

They make a "fogging oil" that is is a spray can that you can spray in spark plug holes that coats entire cylinder bore that I like. As with all spray products, hold on to the tube to make sure you don't shoot it into the cylinder bore. https://www.amazon.com/STA-BIL-22001-Fogging-Oil-av/dp/B000H7CKAY

Drain most of the oil out of the pan, and then turn the engine upside down. A friend who ran a salvage yard stored all his take-out engines that way, and other than doing a lot of smoking on startup, he never had a problem with selling engines that spent a lot of time in storage. The residual oil will creep past the piston rings and flood the combustion chambers. Bolt sheet metal or plywood over the intake and exhaust ports or manifolds to prevent humid air from cycling in and out of cylinders with the valves open due to changes in temperature. Those cylinders will rust, unless the airflow is plugged off some way.
Jerry

I've always used WD40 as a cylinder fogger. Probably not a good as a real fogger, but it's always convenient and available, and I've never had a problem with stored motors.

BTW, NEVER wrap an engine in plastic sheeting, visqueen, etc. Air contains moisture; plastic sheet traps it inside the engine. I've known two people who ruined engines that way. One was a Hot Rod magazine project where the builder wrapped his brand-new 351 Cleveland motor in plastic while he finished '29 Roadster; when he installed the engine and tried to start it, it was completely frozen, the cylinders were rusted beyond saving, and he had to get another new engine.

Another option is to loosen up the rocker arm adjustments so all the valves stay closed, after oiling the cylinders through the spark plug holes and replacing the plugs. I bought an Oldsmobile V8 with very low mileage from a salvage yard, only to find that one cylinder had rusted badly enough to require a sleeve. The valves on that cylinder had been open, allowing air in, for about 6 months. Even the rusty cylinder showed virtually no wear, but the rings were rusted solid and the cylinder was badly pitted.
Jerry