Storing a new, non-running engine

[Spaceman]

Howdy guys,

I put my turbo engine together mostly in May/June, and I think it's ready to run now except I don't have a propeller yet. Stuff has come up at work this week and I'm going to be deployed next week until May. I've ordered my prop so I should have it by the time I get back, so I think I'll be able to run it pretty quick once I'm home. But, that'll be like a year total from putting the case together until engine running.

Anyway, I have oil sitting in my garage but I haven't put it in the engine yet. Should I fill it and at least crank the starter to get some oil on everything? I can't imagine that would hurt. Anything else I can do before I head out in a few days? Since the engine has already been sitting here for a few months is there anything extra I should do before cranking the starter?

Thanks!

[lutorm]

I don't know what kind of humidity you have but if you're at a place where there's corrosion i would not leave everything uncoated. Around here things are pretty extreme but bare steel will corrode in days.

It will certainly not hurt to fill the engine with oil, but cranking might be hard if the oil cooler isn't plumbed. But just filling the engine with oil, plugging up all holes, and flipping it around on all sides so oil gets out to the heads and onto all bare surfaces would sure make me feel better. The bearings should already be coated with grease from assembly.

And spray some corrosion x into the intake and exhaust ports and plugging then up probably isn't a bad idea either.

But then again, if your humidity is like arizona then you can probably leave it for years without a problem.

[GraemeSmith]

Fogging Oil.

Read all about it here:

https://www.goldeagle.com/tips-tools/fo ... ith%20time.

As you will not be able to introduce it to a running engine - you might need to get a little creative with some long plastic rods on the spray can.

[Area 51%]

Cranking an engine to build oil pressure and distribute the lubricant is not the best way to go. It's a long way to the rockers and takes a lot of cranking.

I built a Rube Goldberg that takes oil from the drain plug-through a drill driven pump-in and out of an oil filter-then back to the engine via the oil pressure port.

Have someone run the drill while you slowly turn the engine over by hand at the prop hub. If you remove the rocker covers, you'll know when you're done as there will be oil dripping off the rockers. In theory, it can take as little as 2 revolutions of the crankshaft if you turn the crank slow enough.

A shot of fogging oil in the spark plug holes before the process coats the cylinder walls and valve seats. As an extra precaution, you might consider removing the pushrods so all the valves are shut to keep rust from forming on the valve faces and seats.

I can send you a picture of the "contraption" if you give me your email.

[Spaceman]

Hmmm that's a pretty good idea. I'll send you my email but I don't have much time to get too creative! I just need to put this thing to bed quick cause I'm out of here in a couple days. Being in the military can be pretty inconvenient for my projects!

I just added oil according to the aerovee manual, and cranked the engine a couple times. It appears to get up to about 14 psi with 8 or 9 seconds of cranking. Seems reasonable to me, does that sound about right?

I'll do the fogging oil next and maybe I'll remove the pushrods, that seems like a good idea and won't take long

[Spaceman]

Oh! I take it back. I cranked it a couple more times to work in the fogging oil and now it gets up to like 60 psi!

[n307tw]

Chris,

You still looking for a prop? I have Prince P-tip sitting in my garage for the Aerovee/Turbo with your name on it. :-)

-Tim

[Spaceman]

Ahh!! Dang I already put my deposit down with Prince a couple months ago! That would have been perfect in like October!!