Gents, appreciate some feedback, looks as if courtesy of our Great Uncle, I will be spending some quality time in a land far away starting in July. Being that I wouldn't be able to get my motor installed and running until May, rather than start the car break in the motor and let it sit for a year, I am going to leave the engine out of the car, finish the body, and store the motor.

I'm thinking of prepping the moto with a squirt of light oil in each cyl, spray on the intake/exhaust valves, and case/flywheel with a light coat of WD40, tape some desiccant bags over the spark plug holes (moisture out of cyls, fill a stocking with a pound of rice and wrap the thing in cellophane for a year.

Any thoughts on the wisdom or lack of it in my plan? Putting the project on hold is a bummer, but all is good.

Other than putting in light oil in the crankcase (or the rebuild oil in there if it's a thin viscosity) & putting spark plugs in the holes to keep mice from chewing their way in past those silica packets you mentioned & nesting inside the cylinders (it can happen) - I think that's a good plan you laid out. Others may have other opinions.

But to the real reason for my post - is to wish you a safe deployment & return home, & best wishes for your friends & family left behind. Our son & 4 nephews have deployed since the mid-2000's, & our son may go again later this year, so we know the drill & the waiting game.

Best!
Tom
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Tell us about your storage (Heated Dry)? I would use something much heaver that WD40 although cosmoline is probably too heavy. Same thing for your cylinders and I would spray/pour a generous amount and cycle the engine over a few times to coat all the walls generously. Rice might attract rodents so I would steer clear of that. They sell desiccant in large enough quantity that it would be ideal. In fact I have about a quart of the crystals you can have. You just have to bake them to reactivate it.

David

Thank you for your Service! it is appreciated!

Thank you for your service to our country. Bless you and be safe.

Moisture and humidity are the enemy.
A heated space helps.
A well done double garbage bag tied off tight will help a lot.

The rest of your plan included..
thank you for taking up the call for all of us.

Rich

The garage is not heated but it is insulated and dry, and I was thinking of leaving it on the engine stand and in long block form with fan housing attached, but I can also set it on top of my parts washer cabinet. I want to keep it off the floor and away from any moisture, but think letting it hang that long is probably not a good idea.

Will definitely nix the rice (what was I thinking) and will wrap the thing airtight in that saran wrap stuff with the anti moisture stuff.

Thanks guys, let me tell you it is my pleasure, and I love what I do and who I do it with and what I do it for. I've had 4 years home, which has been great, as I spent much of my time from 2001-2012 in hot dry places. This wont be back to the middle east, but in another interesting place we are doing great things.

When I restored my Triumph TR back in 2004 - 2009, I followed an advise similar to this:

Engine Storing. The guy who wrote this covers all aspects, I think. Including the suggestion to store the engine upside down...

I didn't built the tent & lamp gizmo thoug, but my car's engine was stored in a dry and heated workshop. When I installed my TRs engine it ran - and still runs flawlessly. I got the LPS oil from a machine shop affiliated with a local airfield.

And... for what you're about to do professionally: stay safe!

Menno

I wouldn't leave it hang off the engine stand for a year. Too much weight on the mounting bolts. It could distort the case. Also I would opt to leave the tin off. Less likely a mouse will make a home on the engine if there is less of a pre-fab construction for them.

I have a quart can of desiccant you can have if you want it. Hell I will even ship it for free. You will have to bake it to reactivate it. Blue is dry red means it has absorbed enough moisture.

Send me a PM if your interested.

David