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How do you guys store engines?

n8in8or

n8in8or

I never met a project I didn’t like
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I have a few 6.5s I’m going to be tearing down, inspecting and then storing soon. The way I’ve been storing V8 engines for about 10 years now is: I disassemble them to the short block, oil the surfaces, double bag it in heavy gauge bags and then make a skid that cradles the mains. Final thing is strap the block to the skid so I can move it around with a 2 wheel cart without it falling off. (I don’t have any pics of this at the moment, but wanted to ask while I was thinking of it). The heads I oil and stand on end on a shelf. The intake and any other parts like front cover, tin, etc, go in plastic totes.

I’m just wondering if anyone else has found something that they like to do that works well for them and maybe has an idea I haven’t thought of. Thanks for any thoughts!
 
www.cosmolinedirect.com

Cosmoline "Creeper" Coat (Water-Displacing)

Cosmoline "Creeper" Coat actually raises water off wet metal to coat the entire surface with a long-lasting, rust-inhibiting film. The polar attraction for metal makes our "Creeper" Coat 'creep' across the metal's surface, spreading over a large area. Great Protection & Super Easy to Apply.
www.cosmolinedirect.com www.cosmolinedirect.com
 
Twisted Steel Performance said:
www.cosmolinedirect.com

Cosmoline "Creeper" Coat (Water-Displacing)

Cosmoline "Creeper" Coat actually raises water off wet metal to coat the entire surface with a long-lasting, rust-inhibiting film. The polar attraction for metal makes our "Creeper" Coat 'creep' across the metal's surface, spreading over a large area. Great Protection & Super Easy to Apply.
www.cosmolinedirect.com www.cosmolinedirect.com
Click to expand...
I believe that is what the SKS' and other Soviet rifles were stored in. Not that I would know.
 
Here’s some follow up. I got all of my spare engines torn down, dug out my existing spare parts and then organized everything in totes of various sizes. I started with a bunch of large totes, but soon realized that they were a waste of space because if they were filled to the top with heavy parts they’d be too heavy to move and if they were left just partially filled then there was a lot of wasted space on the shelf. I found some 5 gallon totes that work great for most parts that I really like, and if one of those gets full then I just start a new tote.

Here are some pics:

These are the cradles I made for the blocks/short blocks. I made them out of 2x4s and 1x4s for the bottom skids.

14CE85CC-7BCF-4735-8298-6D41C94E884E.jpegFA45973D-01E4-4355-82F0-A8F62F55AE1B.jpeg

I looked up cosmoline and found a spray product by CRC that was highly rated so I got a few cans of this to protect parts from rust.

CRC SP-400 Corrosion Inhibitor, 10 oz Aerosol Can, Dark Amber https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P1HKKM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0HMaEbGBA6X8V

I double-bagged the blocks in 3 mil thick contractor grade garbage bags and then used a strap to hold them to the cradle. In this configuration I can move these around with my big 2-wheel cart. I write on the cradle any important info about what’s hiding in the bag so I can easily find the one I’m looking for in the future


3CB87871-36AE-4C89-BFB0-1601F7894997.jpeg3D79766F-061A-413C-AE10-E64051AE6CFE.jpeg

Once those were done I moved on to organizing the rest of the parts. I tried to organize parts in a way that made sense to me and allowed for easy expansion in the future as I get more parts - I have a lot of engines to build in the future so I need to get a nice sized stash of parts built up.


CADFCCBD-63EC-48C7-AB6B-8CF2ACF6154D.jpeg

Here’s one example I figured out: pistons and rods. I found that a piston and rod assembly would fit nicely in an Amazon padded envelope. Then I found that 12 gallon totes from Lowes could exactly fit 16 piston and rods. It worked out well because they were protected from each other, yet packed densely so there wasn’t any wasted space.

1132BD8A-9F9D-427C-BAE7-A334C92E899B.jpeg
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Then once it was all sorted I stood back and admired the end result. Yes, I plan on a lot of builds in the future - both for testing with @Rockabillyrat and for truck builds.

67FA1B56-638A-4E8D-B358-D6F821FD68C8.jpeg142F71A8-C138-4D60-85CD-DCAB649C65E8.jpegF1379C5F-2A53-4F32-BA7E-881AF4628F08.jpegE7CFDAF9-E412-44F9-8FA6-389598FC5285.jpeg1405AD8D-A733-4D9A-BAD4-CFBB5D0358A5.jpegFB2D7672-1BCC-4F7F-8E65-6C8FA29CD68E.jpeg


And then it all got moved into the back of the barn on the shelves. Now I can get back to working on projects again.

E0805424-09C7-4FCE-A7E4-E1F809CFD04A.jpeg
 
ak diesel driver said:
Whew I was starting to think your shop was going to be too full to work in. LoL
Click to expand...

It’s been that way for a couple months now, but I’m making a concerted effort to get things reorganized and get rid of other oarts I’ll probably never end up using.

MrMarty51 said:
WOW, what a nice supply of components.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I feel pretty good with where I am with this so far, but I’m always keeping an eye out for more.
 
red said:
If you have the equipment to move them the containers that the military uses for spare engines are a good option. Fully sealed, stackable, lets the engine remain assembled. But they weigh as much as the engine does
Click to expand...
I have one of those containers, but I’m not really equipped to move one of those around right now - it’s too much weight for my loader tractor. Maybe once the skid steer is working....
 
Dear Nate,

I think you have a problem. Counseling may need to be in your future.

There is a great counselor in Toledo that may be able to help you. PM for the address.

P.S. bring all your parts with you.

:D



Seriously that is a great collection and I believe that I would need to be single for something like that.

I think I see a pattern.
 
I would disagree on the military engine containers, If he had long blocks or complete engines then ok, but they take up too much space. I think he has an efficient mini warehouse built there. Labeling shelf numbers and do a excel spreadsheet of inventory is about all that is missing.
 
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