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Engine rebuilt sitting for 5 month

FireMedic_2009

FireMedic_2009

Well Known Member
I had the engine rebuild was completed at the beginning of Oct. It was stored at a friend’s shop which was air conditioned. In mid Dec I moved the engine to my hangar to install the engine but realized the gear leg bolt holes in the engine mount had an edge distance of 1/16”. So I removed the engine mount and was going to weld tabs on each side of the bolt holes. A friend was going to weld it but has been delayed.

I hope to get the engine mounted and install the wings in 6-8 weeks in order to run the engine. My concern is has rust started to develop on the crank, cam, etc? As far as the cylinders I could remove the plugs and spray oil while rotating the crank. Should I be concerned about rust forming in 6-7 months? Is there anything I can do, short of removing a cylinder and spraying oil inside the case? I live in Tampa where the humidity is high.

Thanks
 
Hopefully the assembly lube on the camshaft is still on it. All other bearing surfaces also should have a straight weight oil/STP mix applied on them during assembly. Florida is a bad place for bare steel. Rotating the assembly will only rub off whatever is on those surfaces, including cylinder bores. Whatever oil was on the cylinders is probably rubbed thin from the assembly process. You can spray fogging oil on the cylinder walls. You can also buy desiccant plugs for the spark plugs and replace/spray fog oil every time they turn purple. You can also hook up a drybot or similar to keep the crank case dry.

I did all this when my engine was down for 3 months after break in. Only difference was I had camguard at that point. You cannot use that as it will not allow your cylinders to break in properly.

I will add that the cylinders that had both their valves closed didn’t have any color change in the desiccant plugs for the whole 3 months of storage.

If you do this it will stop whatever possible corrosion could have started if any has started at all. If it makes you feel better you can borescope the cylinders to see if there is any surface rust. Either way when you start your break in this surface rust (if it exists) will get knocked off. It is what it is at this point.
 
Id put a jug of this in
www.aircraftspruce.com

Phillips 66 Aviation Anti-Rust Oil 20W-50 | Aircraft Spruce

Phillips 66 Aviation Anti-Rust Oil 20W-50 tion Antirust Oil is formulated to help perserve aircraft piston engines during periods of inactivity.
www.aircraftspruce.com www.aircraftspruce.com
Then set the engine upside down for a few minutes every month or so. Also search the web for Lycoming engine storage procedures.
One thing you have going for you is the engine has never been run.
 
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FireMedic_2009 said:
...
I hope to get the engine mounted and install the wings in 6-8 weeks in order to run the engine. My concern is has rust started to develop on the crank, cam, etc? As far as the cylinders I could remove the plugs and spray oil while rotating the crank. Should I be concerned about rust forming in 6-7 months? Is there anything I can do, short of removing a cylinder and spraying oil inside the case? I live in Tampa where the humidity is high.

Thanks
Click to expand...
A few points to hopefully assist:

In relation to installing the wings so as to run the engine; is the aircraft ready to fly? If not then there is no benefit to running the engine (it is actually harmful).

The crank should not be rotated while the engine is stored because that will wipe the preservative oil off of the cam lobes and expose them to air and potential corrosion. thehagg501 suggestion to put oil in and invert the engine is a good idea (so long as you have a way to lift it safely) because that will bathe the camshaft in oil.

The cylinders can be protected by spraying inside the plug holes with LPS-3.
www.aircraftspruce.com

LPS 3 Premier Rust Inhibitor | Aircraft Spruce

LPS 3 Premier Rust Inhibitor LPS 3 Premier Rust Inhibitor is a specially formulated long-term corrosion inhibitor protecting metal parts in inside storage for up to two years.
www.aircraftspruce.com www.aircraftspruce.com

Also check that all engine lines and ports are blocked off or capped.
 
Jetmart said:
Lycoming has specific instructions on preserving an engine for long term storage. Its worth a review.
Click to expand...
Only thing about that is lycoming calls for running the engine after putting the rust inhibiting oil in it. His situation is unique as it is a just assembled engine that has never been started.
 
if it were me, living in fl. i would be concerned enough to rig up some kind of plastic bag enclosing the engine and dehumidifying inside the bag with a set up that was made for doing this to inside the engine. every day is a bad day in florida and if you get the humidity low enough around the engine corrosion stops being an issue. otherwise every day is a killer day with humidity and you are just crossing your fingers.
 
Do you have access to a borescope? If not you can get one on the jungle store for pocket change. See if the cyl walls are starting to rust. We may be getting worried about nothing.
 
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