Storage for glow engines

[Mike Griffin]

If anyone has a picture of how they store their engines , I would appreciate seeing them.  I was thinking about making a plywood chest of some sort with egg crate type compartments for each engine.  Would appreciate seeing anything you all may have come up with.

Thanks

Mike

[John Leidle]

  Hi Mike,  I have on the drawing board to build a display cabinet for my engines& spinners, Kinda like an oversize Spice Rack , hang it up on the wall in the Rec Room. Mostly the idea is to have them available to use , when I have an idea to try another engine I have to dig it out from under the workbench. Not to mention my spinners are everywhere .
   John

[Perry Rose]

Plastic take out trays from a Chinese restaurant. Washing is optional, licking preferred. The tray not the engine. I just remove the engine from the wreck and put it in a tray until the next plane is ready.

[Lester Nicholson]

Clean 'em, oil 'em up, put 'em in a zip-lock bag, and store 'em in a dollar general see-thru storage box.

[billbyles]

If anyone has a picture of how they store their engines , I would appreciate seeing them.  I was thinking about making a plywood chest of some sort with egg crate type compartments for each engine.  Would appreciate seeing anything you all may have come up with.

Thanks

Mike

Hi Mike,

Here's an idea: if you happen to have a RO-Jett .61 with the Brett Buck timing I would be glad to store it in my new Impact and I wouldn't even charge you for doing it!  I'd even pay for the shipping to get it here...

[dennis lipsett]

Anyone who has been in the hobby for awhile is sure to have quite a stash of plugs hidden or stored somewhere in the shop. I always bought plugs by the card and ended up with quite a pile. Two containers full to be exact not counting spark plugs or antiques.
There is nothing special in storing them. I've seen people pull them out of the bottom of drawers loose and open and use them with no apparent problems.
The smart guy always called Fox and bought extra washers. I guess I bought 200 of them at one time. They were cheap and I was boredom buying anyhow.

You know next time I'll have to read the topic title a little closer. Must be getting old. LOL

[FLOYD CARTER]

Displaying engines in an unsealed shelf, or something, doesn't work in my shop.  too much balsa dust, paint overspray, and just plain muck.  Trophies and engines get the cardboard box treatment.

BTW, seems like everyone wants to know how to preserve engines in storage.  It's simple.  My old time spark engines never get gummed up in storage because I run gasoline/oil.  Therefore, use plain old motor oil to lube any engine and then pop into a plastic baggie.

[john gunn]

I clean the motor up as much as possible and then coat it with RISLONE, a George Aldrich recommended product.   I have motors in storage for 10 plus years and they are as free as the day I put then into storage.   This product can be found at any auto supply store.  They are in Ziploc bags.  Works for me.

[Larry Borden]

Which RISLONE do you use? Been loading engines up with 3 in 1 oil.

[john gunn]

I use shaler rislone, had the oil for years.  George Aldrich was right about the rislone, it takes very little to do the job.  Happy flying.

[Larry Borden]

What I meant is there are several RISLONE products. Engine treatment, engine treatment concentrate and several other products. Which of these are used?

[Brett Buck]

Which RISLONE do you use? Been loading engines up with 3 in 1 oil.

   I wouldn't recommend that. It definitely gums up after a while. I use Air Tool Oil, or Singer sewing machine oil. Rislone also works.

    Brett

[Randy Cuberly]

I've been using Remoil (Gun Oil sold by Remington Arms), for at least the past 25 years or so and stored in plastic baggies.  I've taken engines out of the bags after more that 15 years and found them to be exactly as when they were put in.  Still oily and free!
Remoil comes in a spray can and is very easy to apply and by the way works really well on guns also. 

Randy Cuberly

[Dave Harmon]

I used Rislone for awhile but it stunk.
Now I use Castrol synthetic motor oil from Wal-Mart and it works great...and don't stink.
You can also get it from Dave Shadel www.pspec.com
He calls it Ultra-Oil.
It really works and because the oil is similar to the synth oil in R/C fuel....it will not foul the plug at the next session.
It will not lock up the engine after long term storage like castor does.
I use it after each session especially on engines with bearings and for long term storage.
Get the lightest weight.

[john gunn]

the RISLONE is in a yellow container and i.t is labeled engine treatment. 
a guart will last 20 years, do not need much to do the job.

[Larry Borden]

Thanks all for the info.

[proparc]

I used Rislone for awhile but it stunk.
Now I use Castrol synthetic motor oil from Wal-Mart and it works great...and don't stink.

It really works and because the oil is similar to the synth oil in R/C fuel....it will not foul the plug at the next session.

Get the lightest weight.

That's a hot tip.

[Jim Kraft]

Here is how I store my engines that are not in the dresser drawers where I keep most of them. I got these display boxes at Hobby Lobby the craft store for 4 or 5 dollars unfinished. They are glassed in on all but the back. I also use Rislone.

[Curare]

I've been using ATF for years, as I have a seemingly endless supply.

Clean the motor, put a slug in of atf in the ventri and in the glowplug hole and flip it until everything is nice and covered, then put a little on the outside and push it all round the engine with a toothbrush.

After that, into a ziploc back (don't use the 'biodegradable' ones) and back into the engine box or whatever it's getting stored in.



I've pulled motors out of the ziploc bag, fitted them to a model, added a new glow plug, fuel and they've run just as sweetly as when they were stored, 5 years before

[Peter in Fairfax, VA]

I've seen a lot of storage methods, but my favorite procedure is as follows:

0. Find some air tool oil at the hardware/lumber store, as advised by others.  Mineral oil based, it is designed to prevent rust and not gum up.  Do not use typical motor oil that has detergent, as this will rust the engine.  WD-40 is not the very worst choice, though it does gum up over time.

1. Warm the engine in an oven at 225 degrees for a few minutes.  This helps loosen any oil in it and evaporate any possible moisture. A toaster oven from a thrift shop for $10 is a fairly good choice.

2.  Temporarily mount a prop.

3.  For a .40, drop about six drops of oil into the intake.  If the engine happens to have a throttle carb, do this with the carb at idle and work the barrel back and forth.

4.  Flip it over a few times rotating it up and down to help spread oil to the bearings.

5.  Let the engine cool.  Assess the bearings cold.

6.  Oil the crankshaft threads - one drop.  A little oil elsewhere on the exterior, like the steel fasteners and the needle valve, is a good idea.

7.  Wrap the engine in a paper towel, then enclose it in a plastic bag with most of the air evacuated.  The paper towel will serve to absorb moisture.  Do not store the engine directly in foam, as the foam will turn to goo and stain the engine.  Fox engine boxes are notorious for this.

8.  Box the bagged engine in cardboard.  This will slow down UV deterioration.

Peter

[GERALD WIMMER]

Hello
Thanks Peter for your advice on engine storage, I have found as you stated typical motor oil with its detergents does rust the insides and stain the outside case too. I have used Automatic Trans Fluid(ATF) in recent years rather then motor oil to great affect but it does seem to dry out over time.
A lot of my engines are effectively stored on models waiting for that next flight but with ATF loaded in and venturi plugged with a serviette they generally return to action immediately with no starting problems or fouling of the glow plug after a squirt of fuel and and little bit of flipping to clear out the ATF .
Regards Gerald 

[Bootlegger]

  Where can a fellow get new glow plug gaskets today? Thanks

[Geoff Goodworth]

I use auto transmission fluid as an after run oil all the time.

I fill the venturi and flip the engine maybe 10 times.

In most years my Ringmaster only comes out for the fly-a-thon. Standard starting procedure is choke the engine two flips, flip 5 times, connect the battery, flip twice, fly.

If it doesn't start in 3 flips, there is something wrong.

This week, I took my Cardinal out for the first time in perhaps 18 months. Employed the same starting procedure but it took 3 flips before it started.

The auto transmission fluid seems pretty good as a preservative.