Any tips on storing a used LSx?
 

In the next few weeks I hope to start dismantling the car to remount the shell on the rotisserie and start prepping it for painting. When I installed the LS1 it hadn’t run for 2 ½ years and the injectors needed cleaning which wasn’t cheap. Any suggestions on how I should store the injectors – and any other items, eg. fuel tank, lines, etc. – so they will be okay in 12 months? Make that 18 months or maybe even… Thanks.

Mate I use garbage bags on my stuff, cheap as chips,large enough to cover just about anything, and if they're not big enough you go to the next size.
Brilliant for storing stripped engines etc.

Storing/Winterizing an Engine, Gas Tank, etc.
 

A tip from the Sprint Car community...Use Marvel Mystery Oil. It mixes well with gasoline to burn /flush out when you re-fire the engine. It will leave no residue or foul the spark plugs. WD40 will leave a waxie residue and does not clean out as well when you re-fire the engine

Pull the injectors, Squirt them with some in the fuel rail connection and the nozzel then re-install them. Spray some down any metal line and seal the line with a bag, tape plug, etc. I suggest that you pull the block coolant drains on the engine and leave them out. Also pull the rocker arms and spark plugs, squirt some marvel into the cylanders and rotate the engine over at least once to coat the cylander walls. Re-install the spark plugs and leave the rockers out. This will prevent corrosion/rust in the cylanders and keep the valve springs from getting weak. You can put some in the gas tank, slosh it around, then put it in a plastic bag.

You also should seal up all breathers, etc. that will let any moisture/allow condensation to protect the engine internals.

Change your engine oil just before you re-fire the engine the first time. This will flush out any marvel that has weeped past the rings and drain out any condensation (water) from the engine.

I have used this process for storing/winterizing engines for many years

If you can't find any marvel you can use Automatic Transmission Fluid (non-synthetic) instead but you will want to clean it out of the fuel system with some carburator or brake cleaner before fireing the engine.

My first impulse was to recommend a dumpster, but I reconsidered and concluded it was a great complement that the bow tie guys are are asking opinions from the Cobra guys on what to do with their engines.

Touché … I’m pleased to see literacy challenged Cobra people responding to this tread, I take it as a compliment. Now if you could just manage to actually state something relevant to the topic you might just make a tiny step forward on the evolutionary road.

Rog246 & Bill H - many thanks.

So harsh Peter.

I'm surprised no one said on the end of a chain at the bottom of the ocean. This is a Cobra forum after all. :p

And your trying to turn a Datsun 260z into a Ferrari..... %/
Gee Pete get over yourself and take abit of a dig :rolleyes:

Cheers

Oops... Apologies if my response was considered over-the-top, I intended to give no more than I got.

Peter, because Bill has already answered your question and because you're a good sport, I couldn't resist a glass houses dig regarding the fact that this thread has a tyre pattern... ;)

Ouch! - I will tread more lightly in future.

It's all good Peter!

Bill - if you're still following this thread, is it worth turning over the engine on a weekly/monthly basis with the Marvel oil in the cylinders, or is just a revolution or two enough when you first coat the cylinders?

With the rockers removed to take the pressure off the springs, as long as the rings don't seize in the bore I've often wondered if there is any value in rotating the engine regularly.

Cheers,

This works on Ford engines:

Engine Storage Treatment protects from corrosive agents., Cortec Corp.

My recommendation for you is to check with the bow tie websites to see what they are using ;-)

I put a couple of "good running" small blocks into some old Holdens back in the day - sourced cheap from a local wrecker who imported them from the States. They had a simple engine stand/dolly on the floor that they bolted the block to, a small fuel tank and a set of headers attached. Before handing my money over I used to run the engine for a short while (without cooling system) to check for any major problems.

Since you will have everything out of the car for the rotisserie job, would it be practical to make something similar and just run it briefly every month or so?

I have a trolley stand which allows me to lift the car on and off the engine and gearbox so I might consider that approach. Not prepping the engine too much might motivate me to keep the digit out while the build is in this phase!

On a serious note, If I'm storing an engine for some time here are a few things I do.

Remove the rocker covers and back off al the rockers. Having a valve spring compressed permanently for a long time will make it loose tension eventually. Backing all the rockers off means the springs will all be relaxed.

Remove the plugs and give the cylinders a good spray with CRC or WD40. Turn the motor over and spray a couple more times and replace the plugs. You want the cylinder bores to have a goad coating so they don't rust.

Drain the coolant

If there are no exhaust manifolds on there, sparay the exhaust ports with a bit of CRC and then tape them closed with some gaffer tape. Same goes for the intake ports if there is no manifold.

Tape or close up any openings to oil galleries or intake manifold. You don't want any gunk or creepy crawlies getting in there.

Cheers

I have nothing to add for storage. However, when you come to start it up again, remove the sump and clean it. My LS3 is a 2009 and has had brand new oil in since then. When i took the sump off to modify it there was a sludge that had settled in the bottom of the sump. I was concerned when i first saw it, but i think it is just the oil settling out over time.