Storing an engine

[richardf]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

[denboy]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

In the words of the immortal monty python "you lucky lucky bar steward" PS find me a spare

[churchward]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

 

I have seen many different long term storage techniques over the years. In many ways it depends on where you will store it and how dry it is.

 

If it is dry then strong anti-freeze in the water system may not be necessary. Many store engines dry ie drained of water and then ports sealed up with tape a half way house is to put a few pints of neat antifreeze in and then drain and seal it up. Not so easy to do with a large diesel but if you can make sure the anti-freeze gets into all the waterways the better it will help. laying the engine on one side then the other is OK.

 

I would put fresh oil in the sump (although some drain this off too) and hand turn without compression periodically. It is best to seal both inlet and outlet ports. This stops idust, insects, spiders and other criters getting into the internals.

 

In terms of cylinders if you are not likely to want to start the engine or turn it over much then a light oil or a squirt or two of diesel in the cylinders will help. I wouldn't put engine oil in there it will just get messy in the long run and make it more difficult to bring the thing out of moth-balls later.

 

I have also heard of some folk putting some of the silicone oil additives in the sump and running the engine with this for a bit to coat the engines insides then drain the oil off. The theory being that the silicone will adhere to the metal and give you all the anti corrosion and lubrication you need as it sits idle and you turn by hand occasionally.

Edited February 18, 2009 by churchward

[Proper Job]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

Mothballing an engine for any extended period of time can introduce problems when you eventually want to use it in anger. Its not just the bare metal areas such as bearings and bores that have problems. Seals and joints 'dry' out, water pump impellers stick etc. Have you considered storing it in way that it can be periodically run? Its amazing how condensation etc can find its way into a cold engine. If you can run it up to temperature every month it will be a lot better than 'cold' storing it.

 

edited to say: if you know that the engine has been raw water cooled with sea water in a previous life, do not try to dry store the engine. Always - always, keep the waterways wet with an anti corrosion fluid. As Baldock says, neat antifreeze is as good as anything

Edited February 18, 2009 by Proper Job

[churchward]

Mothballing an engine for any extended period of time can introduce problems when you eventually want to use it in anger. Its not just the bare metal areas such as bearings and bores that have problems. Seals and joints 'dry' out, water pump impellers stick etc. Have you considered storing it in way that it can be periodically run? Its amazing how condensation etc can find its way into a cold engine. If you can run it up to temperature every month it will be a lot better than 'cold' storing it.

 

Agreed running the engine up to temperature monthly is the best way. It's what I do with my classic cars that don't get out much in the winter.

[AlanH]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

When I worked for the Royal Engineers diesel engines that were to be put in storage had the sump and fuel tank filled with lanolin and were then turned over without starting them. The lanolin clung to all the surfaces and inhibited rust.

[journeyperson]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

 

I don't know anything about mothballing engines. I don't know anything about Kelvin P4s, but from comments here it is clearly a desirable and sought after piece of machinery. Since you already have one nice example in your boat wouldn't it be better to let someone else buy it to put in their boat so it can be enjoyed rather than hidden in your garage?

Edited February 18, 2009 by journeyperson

[Ex- Member]

I've seen new engines and machinery tightly pallett wrapped, moreover to keep them clean i would imagine. but don't know what other precautions are taken prior to this. Our engine when delivered had been stored it seemed and a thin film of something was all over it. Possibly a WD40 type substance to ward off corrosion. It was just crated though.

[ditchcrawler]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

You can buy a special fluid to put in the fuel system, run through to include filters, pump, injectors. but unfortunately I can't remember who makes/sells it.

When we use to remove gas turbine engines we inhibited them with WD40 but that was for months not years.

Brian

[Eeyore]

I have recently bought a boat with a nice Kelvin P4 - spares are generally considered a bit hard to find and the chance has arisen for me to purchase a newly reconditioned unit at a reasonable cost. So I figure that given I have found the boat that I want to keep 'for ever' - it might be a wise to buy it and park it in the garage for the future.

I have been advised by Baldock that I should fill the watery bits with a good strong mix of anti freeze in order to inhibit any further corrosion, but was wondering what the views are regarding the rest. Any recommendations to stop it siezing up - regular turning over by hand? Oil in the cylinders? Any thoughts about the fuel pump? Just punting about for ideas to be honest, so all recommendations would be welcome.

Cheers

Richard

Found this site; should be something there for you.

Steve