Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best Way to Pickle a Motor?

Bought a newly rebuilt 496 big block for my airboat. Dyno at 615 but will have to replace the cam to get the power curve in the right area. IE it might be 2 years until I get around to modifying it all and putting it on...

Has oil in the pan from the dyno run.

Tape off every water opening with something? Duct tape?

And put Marvel Mystery oil filling up each cylinder and replace the spark plugs?

Intake is also open IE no carb.

I have it on a rolling stand since December in the barn with a big plastic bag over it but open at the bottom basically.

All input welcome! While I got a deal on this motor, I also don't want to find it junk when I get around to swapping things on the airboat later on.

Thanks, Jeff

Sounds like you have it pretty well covered Jeff. Les

Yeah but I"m not a motor head and not sure.....

Clinch the plastic bag up tight on the bottom to keep the mud daubers out too? But that could allow it to sweat.....

You can use a piece of wire mesh to keep the dirt daubers out, thats what I would do, top off the motor with Marvel, and I mean top it off. Just remember you need to drain it.

Oh man!

You're gonna wait two years?? I couldn't resist. I'd have that baby on and running by the weekend, just to hear it roar!

Periodically spin the engine over to prevent any stuck rings and to deture any rust. Filling the cylinders with Marvel is a good idea. Shouldn't have to wory about sweating if you just tape over the intake. I wouldn't use the plastic bag, as that would make it sweat. Remember to take out the spark plugs when spinning the engine over. Let the excess Marvel spill out of the spark plug holes and then fill again. I would reccomend spinning the engine over at the crank about once a month. I've got a '67 327 on an engine stand that has been there for 15yrs. Will get to it one day. Same routine as above. Although I've let it go for a few months now with out adding the Marvel.



Clyde

When I pickle my snowmachine engines for the summer I use fogging oil and I don't have to run the engine until i'm ready to use the sled. Same when I had my riverboat. Nice thing about fogging oil is I don't have to drain it out and can start the motor up and let it burn off. I don't know if you can do that with a car engine but it's worth looking into.

We do it every year with marine engines which are glorified car motors...

When you say top it off..... exactly how much is that? I was thinking leave the oil in the pan, and fill the cylinders with MMO. put the plugs in and sit.

Then pull plugs and how do I deal with the mess of the MMO coming out when I turn it by hand, or just say a bit up and down only?

I"ve also heard start at the intake and pour diesel in the motor until its full and about to come out of the intake...

LIke the idea about mesh wire!

I'll have to drag it back out and work on this weekend to protect it.

As to not getting it on ..... I've got a 500 hp supposed, 454 on there right now so its not like I"m without a toy.... that has fair power.. IT just doesn't like tall hills, lots of sand etc.... or climbing uphill from a stop.... but half inch of water and or wet mud and it'll go anywhere.

I've always used fogging oil on my marine and automobile engines that won't be used for a while, whether it be over the winter or long term. We used the same technique when storing horizontally-opposed or radial piston aircraft engines.
I once fogged a 351M Ford engine in a pickup that was left outside in the pasture; I think it sat there for over 10 years before I got around to that project. I borrowed the borescope from the hangar and it was pristine as the day I built it- one good look-over and I fired it up. Marvel has its uses, but to be honest, this is the first I've heard of it being used in quantity for pickling piston engines.

levrluvr, were you able to just start the engine right up without having to clean the fogging oil out? I'm just curious how it burns up in a 4 cycle motor.

Still reading here... will take the average consensus.... fogging oil has its following it seems like.

Fogging oil has the same properties as MMO. It doesn't run off, congeal or dry out after a period of time. Starbrite also has a oil additive for marine engines to use when pickiling a motor. Add it to the oil and run the engine, it keeps a film on all the internal engine parts preventing it from rusting. I would't fill the cylinder with oil, just squirt a few oz's down the plug hole and turn the crank every few months.

So you are saying either one then?

I can't run this motor as I don't have a spare radiator, no carb etc..... so all I can do is hand turn it.

I've always been able to fire them right up, whether it be an Evinrude, supercharged Chevrolet racing engines in a Cigarette, or a Pratt& Whitney 18 cylinder radial aircraft engine. Fogging oil has a 'cling' to it that will not sag off the cylinder walls, and in many cases, the engine is actually stored by 'flooding' the intake while the engine is running, then disabling the ignition and rotating through with the starter for a short period with more fog in the intake. Some mfg's suggest a couple of teaspoonfuls of oil in each cylinder, however I've never followed that on anything other than two-strokes (especially outboards).

Most engine and car mfg's make good fogging oils; the outboard company's stuff is quite good, as well as Gold Eagle, which is the company that makes the Sta-Bil line of products.

I certainly don't see any problem with flooding the engine with Marvel- it has so many uses in the real world it's impossible to name them all. I don't see any harm in using it. However, for ease of maintenance and speeding up the 'unpickling' process, the use of fogging oil, along with sound fuel system maintenance (either using stabilizers or complete drainage) has always been a procedure adequate for engine manufacturers, and one I have followed myself. The OP may find his method easier, and so may someone else that has an engine that is uninstalled and the ability to start or turn the engine over is limited.
Jim

Jeff if you can't run it a few oz's of MMO down the plug hole will work. Mercruiser makes a good fogging oil that you can spray in. We figured one of it's components is MMO...

This reminds me of a true story. One of my best friends worked at his father's auto parts store. His father was a believer in MMO and, to put it mildly, was a tad eccentric. On a trip to the beach with the family his dad walked up and asked my friend William's wife if she were putting Coppertone on for tanning. She replied that she was and was puzzled when her FIL (Speed) remarked, "That stuff'll ruin your skin!" She noticed that Speed was glistening like new money so she asked him, "What are you using?" Speed grinned at her and announced, "Marvel Mystery Oil!" so I guess that it does have many uses.

Kinda like WD-40. Seems like someone is always talking about spraying WD on lures to attract fish. They'll always say it isn't dangerous, it's made with fish oil.

I kill monster cockroaches at work with WD-40...

I know of at least one application for MMO in aviation, where chemicals are very regulated and approval for their use is subject to FAA scrutiny. It is used to lubricate fuel control, prop governor and reversing linkage on Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engines installed on Beechcraft Super KingAir aircraft.

Nobody knows what is in the stuff, and I know a few folks that put it in their diesel fuel, although its benefits in that application have been proven to be quite minimal in comparison to other proven diesel lubricity additives.

I had no idea it would work as a tanning oil- you learn something new every day.....

For diesel, I've read many reports, and now use 2 stroke outboard oil, one ounce per gallon, though the wally world brand was about the best, but of course either its not made anymore or our local store doesn't carry it...... but I digress.

I'm thinking I may well get some fogging oil. Funny I don't know anyone that runs their motors in the winter here, most are deer hunting, but I don't know anyone that fogs eitehr. I have an 84 yamaha 15 hp outboard thats still going strong, original everything including no new carb kit yet, but cleaned a few times. Never been fogged and runs mostly March/Sept only.