[HemmiGremmie]

Hello.
Heres my question. It will be a little while after my Hemi teardown before the rebuild. So Im wondering what is some methods you guys N gals use for storing parts? For instance. I thought about putting my bearings in marked individual lock tight sandwich bags. Markem with a sharpie, seal em tight and individual, that way I can reuse em. Sound good? Maybe the cam in a long bread bag or something? Should I let em in dry or use some oil on em, so they dont rust any? How about piston N rings storage? Does it matter about lifters if the engine was never fired? Thanks all, Im done winding off. HG

[MHenricks]

I'm curious, why would want to reuse the bearings.

I'm doing the same thing while I rebuild a dirt bike for my son, I used zip loc bags, it seems to work well. I would use lite oil on some parts to prevent rust. Also, for the bigger parts you might get a plastic tub or two for storing large parts, these will keep your shop or work area cleaner.

[engineguy]

The zip lock sandwich bags or freezer bags work real good for engine parts. Wipe them off with a lent free rag and put a thin layer of motor oil on the parts. I generally wrap the part with paper towel before putting into the bag. This will help absorb and condensation that might get into the bag. Like MH says, you can get those large plastic tubs pretty inexpensively at Wal-Mart and helps keep things clean and dry. Extreme changes in temperature are the worst possible conditions for parts. As an example, I once lived in Houston, TX; put some parts in the attic at home and after a year or so they were covered with rust. The humidity in the air, along with the temp changes in the attic had caused condensation inside the boxes. Hope all this helps you.

[4 Jaw Chuck]

Engine storage spray is a wax like substance once it dries and works wonderfully. I was part of a study at an aircraft rebuilder years ago and we tested different methods of storage for rebuilt aircraft components. If you are going to store stuff in ziplocks buy the heavy duty bags and eliminate all the air you can, any air will contain moisture. Those vacuum sealers for the kitchen work well. Do not use WD-40, it absorbs moisture from the air since it is hygroscopic. Use only mineral oil for storing parts too, the detergents in multigrade oils are hygroscopic. A good plan is to bag everything coated in wax sealer and then store in a plastic tub with a lid, spread dessicant on the bottom of the tub. Kitty litter is OK but silica dessicant is the best. You would be surprised how much moisture can infiltrate a plastic bag.

The best method we determined was wax coated parts sealed in a sealed steel can, figures...the old timers have been doing it that way since before World War II, the only difference was they used cosmoline for coating the parts. The more things change the more they stay the same.

Of course this is for long term storage, 1 year or more.

[Halloweenking]

I've used shrink wrap, but I used to have acces to a machine. Or you could buy one of those TV infomercial vacume packers and use them, just don't let the lady of the house see you do it I used my friends wife vacume packer, lobbed some oil on and vacume packed the sucker and wrote a little note tellin me what it is/what its for. Not sure if it really wors all that well, but I sealed all my motorcycle engine parts in it and they stayed nice and fresh for about 6 months. The best thing I thought about it was you can cut the bags any size you want. Not sure if it is the best idea just because it worked for me, doesn't mean it will or should be done again. Sure hope she never reads this...

HK

[HemmiGremmie]

Thanks for the tips everyone.
Im wanting to reuse the bearings because there brand new. They were installed in the motor, but it was never fired over. Plus, being a 354 Hemi, there real expensive. HG

[willys36@aol.com]

Hmmmm . . . . So you guys don't recommend my method of throwing the whole mess in a medium size Mayflower cardboard moving box, locking the flaps shut, and shoving it under my work bench for 6 months? Here in Bakersfield we never herd of any of that rust stuff. We get uncomfortable when the humidity gets up to 15%!

[4 Jaw Chuck]

Forgot to mention that method Willy, it's the method I use. Sometimes I even put them on a shelf! High tech! :p

[willys36@aol.com]

Yeh, I try the shelf method too but I use those sheetmetal Z shelf brackets and 1x12s and they only hold two or 3 cylinder heads B4 they collapse and dump everything back on the floor where my box method puts them anyway.

[ August 30, 2002: Message edited by: willys36@aol.com ]</p>

[4 Jaw Chuck]

I noticed that too, sometimes low tech is better! :p