John:
If the engine is going to sit for any real length of time I would not
recomend using it as is. To be safe it should be torn down, cleaned and new
rings, bearings, tappets etc installed. Any part which has metal to metal
contact is going to start to bond, without pressurized oil the contact surfaces
will start to deteriorate.
Sure it may turn by hand, but under load the damaged surfaces will wear our
prematurely.
That said, it is very tempting to install an engine "as is" rather than tearing
it down and doing it right.
I've got a bunch of engines that I prepped for "deep storage", most are just
used rebuildable cores but storage holds true for a good condition engine.
The cart can be very basic. For years I used 2X12 planks with castors screwed
to the bottom. Screw a 2X4 on edge to the front edge and an MGB motor will sit
happily on the board with the front of the oil pan resting on the 2 X4. This
is adequate for rolling the motor under shelving and for safer storage a rope
can be tied under the plank and secured on each side of the motor.
I don't think they are on the market yet, but Carl Heideman of Eclectic
Motorworks 616-355-2850 has been making up strap steel carts designed
specifically for storing the B series engine. They mount to the front engine
plate mountings and the sample I saw was very stable.
For long term storage I seperate the head from the block. This removes the
loading on the cam and tappets and also makes the package shorter for storing
under shelving. The heads are also more valuable, and can be used or sold more
easily than a complete unit.
I pull the rear engine plate to make the package narrower and lighter and if it
is a 5M I put a heavy layer of grease on the seal riding surface of the crank.
The water pump comes off and all coolant is mopped out of the pump cavity.
The pumps will not handle storage as the seals dry out, so typically they
cannot be reused after storage anyway. Then I put a thick layer of grease in
the exposed bores and seal the top of the pistons so moisture is not going to
wash down the bores. There is typically enough oil on the bores below the
pistons to provide rust proofing. On later blocks I turn the front tappet
cover upside down so the vent pipe is out of the way. The last step is to make
up a plywood cover for the top of the block which is held in place by a couple
of bolts.
This pretty much protects the short block from any further damage, although
there is still the possibility of the ring to bore contact area becoming
damaged. Before re-assembly I would plan on at least installing new seals,
rings, bearings and honing the cylinder bore.
hope this helps and doesnt' seem too much like overkill. The worst thing that
could happen is to store your engine for a number of years, install it, only to
find it smoking and tearing itself to bits.
Kelvin.
> I figuredthat I would build some type of frame to sit it on
> perhaps with some wheels to move it around and would like
> suggestions on the frame.
>
> Also, I would like recomendations on preserving the engine.
>
> Thanks,
>
> John 68B
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