Preserving parts long term

[Will L.]

Moderators: please move this to most appropriate area, it encompasses all parts, so not sure where.

I have my Hummer that intend to drive until I'm too old. I also have a 1943 Willy's MB given to me by my Dad when he couldn't drive/repair it anymore. Some parts are hard to get for both,others not at all. So as I end up with spares I want to preserve them. How to becomes a problem, and why I'm asking for knowledge. My boys will get these rigs and I want the to be able to drive them not just be a big paperweight.

What do you folks use for things like water pump, brake cylinders, brake boosters, etc. These things are all built with bare metal components that will rust quickly if not treated, but with the seals to deal with as well.

The best thing for anything metal is cosmoline, as long as you can clean it all off afterwards before use. Cosmolinedirect.com.
You basically coat the parts in the appropriate grease/wax from them, wrap it up, and store it in a container. When the time comes, pull it out, wipe off grease. Use cleaners to get it all out. Many are familiar with this from old firearms. Works 99% perfect. The draw back is it is difficult to clean out of hard places.

I spoke to Brad Thompson (great customer service) at cosmoline, and his recommendation is 342 in a non aerosol, applied like a paint coating. They have to throw the legal "made for metal, not seals". The 342 has a solvent in it that after applying you let it air out and the solvent evaporates leaving the protectant. Then wrap it up a few days later. Legally they can't say it's ok for the seals, but he said "at a bbq just talking id tell you it's fine, the solvent isn't soaking the seal for the 40 years".

I can't find a thing anyone makes anything that is any better.

I know silicone spray is for rubber, but what type and how long does it last? How often to reapply?

303 is good for pvc in convertibles, but no way to rub it into seals, and it's main thing is uv protection. All my stuff will be boxed up from any light and oxygen as much as possible since that's what does the most damage. It also helps the vinyl stay flexible, but by stopping outgassing of part of the chemical- covered in some cosmoline can stop it also.

If you have anything that's all metal,ferrous or nonferrous / raw or painted - nothing beats the regular cosmoline. Grease it up, throw it in a labeled ammo can and leave it for the future generations.

I will cosmoline most of the stuff, but things with integrated seals I want to ask around before pulling the trigger on.
I bet Jay Leno has traveled this road, anyone have his number? Haha.

 

[Husker6.5]

From my short stint on the REMF side of things doing Quartermaster and supply operations at places like Sharp Army Depot in Stockton, CA, I would just say cosmoline it. I saw things like complete vehicle motors and helicopter jet engines cosmolined, wrapped in a giant polyethylene bag with most all of the air evacuated, sealed, placed/suspended in a shipping crate, then urethane foamed into place and the lid then attached. Ready for shipment to Army and Marine depots as far away as Korea or the Philippines. Kept those major assemblies protected for years. Yes, all intakes, ports, etc were covered/blocked before coating with cosmoline. Didn't seem to affect any seals, wiring or hoses.

 

[schiker]

I don't know but will second keep it out of UV light, oxygen exchange, and moisture? Then to some extent out of constant big temperature swings especially if there is humidity.

What are opinions of this or similar stuff as a layer under plastic wrap. The only thing I worry about using only plastic wrap is any moisture from temp swings if its not air tight and there is some condensation ????

http://www.zerust.com/packaging-paper

At a tool company we used a wax like hot dip and a product called rust ban. It was just a light oil and some real old stock would sometimes still have some light rust (probably from salt and oils from fingerprints handling it right before dipping it in the wax pot ???? Maybe wiping it down good with a cleaning oil before topping it with cosmoline would be good on something critical????

 

[ak diesel driver]

If it will fit in an ammo can you could use a product like bloxygen (spelling?) It's an aerosol that displaces oxygen, they use it to preserve finishes, paints etc. after you've opened them.

 

[Will L.]

On the fingerprint rust marks, the cosmoline guy told me to put on gloves and clean everything first for that problem, the acids from your skin can degrade things faster. In the 70's GM figured that out on main/rod bearings failing from skin oils contact.

Moisture,uv light, oxygen, in that order are what kills parts. The cosmoline has to coat 100% before wrapping in plastics. The plastic is to ensure nothing gets wiped off during storage. Store anything in plastic, even here where almost no humidity without coating it- and it will rust for sure.

Wax is a hydrocarbon just like grease, oil, fuel. That is one of the problems to overcome in plastics to fuel, you end up with a descent amount of parafin wax. We called it our cancer candles! Haha.
The 342 is their wax material mixed with enough solvent to keep it liquid until applied, the. You let the treated part air out to evaporate the solvent leaving you wax.

What I read about the bloxygen (block oxygen) it's just argon like used for welding aluminum. That's a good idea. When we weld on fuel tanks, you use argon fed into the tank to displace the oxygen. No oxygen=no boom. Coating something 100% keeps all the oxygen off, but that's a good option, until someone opens the container or it leaks. To be safe is need to add a pressure gauge to each container to see it maintains pressure. The argon keeps the paint from hardening, but I wonder if it keeps the seals from outgassing hydrogen and carbon atoms that keep them pliable. If so that would be awesome.

 

[FellowTraveler]

There are UV inhibitors that spray/brush on almost anything needing protection from composite headlights to keep the yellowing/cracking at bay to the sky is the limit.

 

[Twisted Steel Performance]

I have used the cosmoline but it was a liquid in a 5gal bucket, dip & let sit & dry, works great long term...

 

[Husker6.5]

It's sprayable, too. The packing shop at Sharp Depot would spray deuce and a half motors, whatever, with these really big guns that looked like over-sized paint guns attached to really heavy-duty hoses suspended from overhead swivels that were part of a piping and pump system that drew off of 55 gal drums of cosmoline. They had a second set for spraying the urethane foam. Neat system.

 

[Steve83]

I prefer paint. I've come to love Rustoleum Primer/Sealer for steel right after sandblasting - it's amazing how well it works with or without topcoat. For Aluminum, I like Aluminum Cast Coat.

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I haven't worried about any yet, but for seals, I'd use CRC (or some other name-brand) HD silicone spray lube. It doesn't evaporate or age, so it should never need re-application.