engine care

Intlwaters

Help Support Intlwaters:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

moparbarn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
7,930
after trying a variety of after run procedures & oil combinations over the years, here is what is working the best for me. i don't flush with wd-40 or any oil in the traditional manner. no matter what i did, i had bearing issues on occasion. now i take straight methanol & byron's 95% synthetic/5% castor, mixed at 33% oil. i put that in a separate tank ( i use a 6 oz. sullivan), & after running, i hook up the lines from my afterrun tank to the pipe & carb & run the engine on the bench for a few minutes. you will need to richen it up a good bit to keep temps down, as that much oil creates more heat. you will also prolly need to keep an igniter on it to keep the plug lit. run at a fast idle, & keep an eye on temp, fatten as needed to control temps. my thoughts are that by running the engine, you build heat & rpm to completely remove any moisture & nitro. i feel that running gets the oil more places than just spinning with a starter, plus more run time & heat also works it in more places than a starter would. after i shut it down, i open the carb, pull the plug, put the piston down to bdc, & let it cool. all the methanol will evaporate almost immediately, leaving just oil & plenty of it. i have been doing this for the past 2 seasons, & have eliminated any bearing issues so far...... another plus is you have an oil that normally is used in fuel, so no need to blow it out before the next fire up, & also no chance of some additive attacking orings or seals. some folks will say "but i loose my needle setting". get a boris meter, or close it down, counting the turns to when it seats. reset the needle to the setting you recorded last, & run it. works for me, mixed up 1 quart beginning of the season, still have close to 1/2 left, so it doesn't take much. for me, it turns out to be cheaper than wd-40 & after run oil brew for a season. that is for 3 .21's at 5 races, 4 .21's at 2 more, plus teasting. your comsumption may vary :rolleyes: ..........
 
let me start by saying this can be a very helpful thread... c-mon guy's post your after run oiling habits,,,this can bring great happiness to newbies...

proper engine care is critical to engine life...now,, that being said,, there are many ways to go about this,,, pick the way thats easiest for you,,but take great care in after run oiling and your engine will have a happier healthier life...

here is my method,,, now its not for everyone,,,but it has worked very well for me...

i personaly use atf (automatic transmission fluid) either dexron mercon or type FA... its readily available at auto parts stores and just a quart will last you a good amount of time... (been using the same quart for a whole season)... transmission fluid has anti corrosion agents in it,,and will not attack orings..

after im done running for the day i will start the engine and let it warm up on the stand,,, let it get to temp,,then shut the engine down.... i then remove the plug and roll the engine to bottom dead center and let the excess fuel in the case steam out like robin stated...then i remove the fuel line and loop it back to the tank...

i then give the engine 10 drops of atf down the plug hole,,and about 4 down the carb... when putting the drops in the carb,, i close the barrel of the carb,, 1 or 2 drops on the closed barrel,, open the barrel and spin the crank so the intake window is closed,, 3 to 4 drops on the closed crank...

i then tip the engine so as the collet is pointing at the ground,, this just lets the atf fill the rear bearing and it will start to work its way down the crank bore...

boat is returned to the stand,,, i then turn the engine over with the starter with a rag over the plug hole... if you look at what comes out after the first initial blow out,,, it will be a pepto bismol color... this is like this because of left over nitro/methanol/water......note the color cause its important...

now more atf down the carb,,and down the cylinder... turn it over with the starter,, note the color of the atf that comes out the plug hole agian...

this process must be repeated till the atf comes out as clean as it went in.....when its clean re-install the plug...

on your next outing,,,, pull the plug,,, hook up your fuel line... put your finger over the carb,,, use the starter till you can see fuel enter the carb..(you should see it through the fuel line)... put a rag over the plug hole and use the starter to blow out the left over atf... this may have to be repeated once or twice depending on how much atf is left in the engine.... i personaly like to leave a good amount in the case between outings...

install the plug and fire the engine... on the first start i like to just hand tighten the plug... when it fires i then tighten the plug....

this again is my oiling habit,,, and it has worked for me for a very long time....

if my engines are stored for the winter they are essentialy pickled in atf and stored away.... im a mechanic for a living,,,the reason i choose atf is because of the way it preserves the inside of a transmission... even the oldest,,, nastiest tranny,,,with the nastiest fluid you have ever seen,, the aluminum and components inside are clean.... (aside from all the clutch material)...lol.... but none the less the preservation properties in atf is astonishing.....

thanks for reading,,,, Alden cost
 
Alden, I like your post as it's very informative though one thing caught my eye. Not sure I would use the FA type ATF, if I remember right it's made for the older Ford trannys that needed a non-friction modified fluid. I would stick with the latest versions of Dextrom or Mercon as they have the best anticorrosion agents and are "slicker" than FA, giving them better "first start" lubrication.

Robin, that is a new one on me. Most prefer to use Corrosion X or WD-40 as was stated in your post, though I've never been a fan of WD-40 for that use. Sounds like one to experiment with to see what happens. Have you tried straight castor or Klotz after your engine cools to pickle your engine for the winter?

Great options to try guys :)
 
after a day of racing and im ready to put the engines away what i normally do is the folowing;

get the engine back to Operation Temp shut it off as stated by the guys.. i run WD40 to blow the engine out then i use Corrosion X and blow the engine out again i use a mixture of marvel mistery oil and engine oil treatment blow it thru the engine unmount lubricate the engine again and store it until the next race..

everyone does it different thats just the way i do it..

julian
 
I don't have any data on this but I think that the WD 40 leads to bearing failure. I used to use it and had to replace bearings more frequently.

I truly thinkg that whether you use ATF, 10w30 or much just about any type of quality lube, the most important things are, one run the engine out of fuel by pulling the fuel like. (watch the rpm) Two, use ALOT of oil. I pour it down the carb heavy and spin with a starter till no more comes out the plug,, then I do the same thing 2 more times. This promises to flush the fuel and water out and leaves a nice coat of lubricant.

Next time I run I pretty much flood the engine with fuel, pull the plug and spin over till it stop spraying fuel from the plug,.. replace the plug, hit the starter and it fires right up..

works for me.
 
I figured this would be a good place to put this type of idea that I've seen being used by various people.
 
I know some other people that run methanol and oil through their engines at the end of the day. It does get the engine warm enough and will clean out all the left over fuel. They seem to like this process and one of the fellows is a BMW Master Mechanic, so I would guess he knows more about it than I do.

The point I want to make is the number of people that do not take care of their engines, then have to send them to someone for repairs. You would not believe the condition of some of these poor engines.

Often these are the same people that talk about how bad one engine or another is. I shudder everytime I receive a package from certain folks.

Take a few minutes, respect the needs of your investment, and clean out your engines before throwing them into the back of your pickup to bounce around until the next race.

Al Hobbs
 
I figured this would be a good place to put this type of idea that I've seen being used by various people.

Aeromarine sells something like this, I think they call it a blow plug. Basically a fitting that has the same size thread as your glow plug.

I use one to after run my boats, I love it. Hook it up, pour as much oil as you want through your engine while turning it over with the starter and it doesn't make a mess. I don't like dumping oil all over the ground either so I took an old pickle jar, screwed another fitting to the top and hooked the fuel line to it. When the jar is full I dispose of it properly.

blow plug.jpg
 
Don't use WD-40 in an engine that has a silicon ramp in the crank such as a Novarossi 35+. I run all the fuel out of my engines, then douse them liberally with air tool oil, spin them out and repeat several times. Then flood the case with air tool oil and squirt a little in the cylinder. A little shot of Corrosion X in the water jacket and viola. I put the plug back in the cylinder loose and close the throttle barrel. I also spin the engine out completely before trying to run it again.
 
I figured this would be a good place to put this type of idea that I've seen being used by various people.

Aeromarine sells something like this, I think they call it a blow plug. Basically a fitting that has the same size thread as your glow plug.

I use one to after run my boats, I love it. Hook it up, pour as much oil as you want through your engine while turning it over with the starter and it doesn't make a mess. I don't like dumping oil all over the ground either so I took an old pickle jar, screwed another fitting to the top and hooked the fuel line to it. When the jar is full I dispose of it properly.
Fred at Lawless makes a similar item.
 
Those are so easy to make yourself even a cave man can do it, take a dead plug and drill a 1/8" hole through the bottom and take a piece of 1/8" K&S brass tube and lightly tap it in the plug. It press fits in the plug and wont go no where, then add your desired length of fuel line and catch tank and your good to go, works awesome!!!

Photo0434.jpg
 
My experiences.

ATF lifts the silicone ramps in NR cranks.

WD40 ruins Phenolic bearing retainers. Is fine with Polyamide though.

Klotz synthetic is not reccomended as a flushing oil.

Most Aussies run their engines on the bench on 20% degummed castor oil / 80% methanol after racing is done, then flush ATF or hydraulic fluid thru the motor.
 
Alden, I like your post as it's very informative though one thing caught my eye. Not sure I would use the FA type ATF, if I remember right it's made for the older Ford trannys that needed a non-friction modified fluid. I would stick with the latest versions of Dextrom or Mercon as they have the best anticorrosion agents and are "slicker" than FA, giving them better "first start" lubrication.

Robin, that is a new one on me. Most prefer to use Corrosion X or WD-40 as was stated in your post, though I've never been a fan of WD-40 for that use. Sounds like one to experiment with to see what happens. Have you tried straight castor or Klotz after your engine cools to pickle your engine for the winter?

Great options to try guys :)
no hj, i purposly chose an oil with a low castor content because castor tends to gum up over time. after the last race of the season, i put them on the shelf as is. i haven't had to replace a bearing since i started this procedure 2 seasons ago. no change in anything else, fuel, plug or needle settings. i feel it gets moisture & nitro out better & easier than just using a starter. not just marine engines need good care, i've seen some car & truck engines that were just as corroded from fuel left in them as marine engines with water & fuel.........
 
amen al..ive seen my fair share of poorly maintained engines as well,,,its a very important part of our hobby that is over looked.....

type FA atf gas anti foaming agaents in it,,,so yes its chemicaly slightly different..and yes you are correct,,,its slightly less slippery,its typical for chevy guys to run the fa as it adds a little more bite into the shifts,,,,but does work just as well my friend...

tim you are correct it will seperate silicone from steel over time...thanks for the posts guys,,,good info...

alden
 
Those are so easy to make yourself even a cave man can do it, take a dead plug and drill a 1/8" hole through the bottom and take a piece of 1/8" K&S brass tube and lightly tap it in the plug. It press fits in the plug and wont go no where, then add your desired length of fuel line and catch tank and your good to go, works awesome!!!

View attachment 25111
Dat's what I'm talkin' about.. :p
 
I do not store motors in the boats. They all come out at the end of the day. I do not even wait till I get home to clean them. They start to rust as soon as you pull them from the water. After they are pulled from boat, I take off the back plates and flood the motor with WD40. Hand roll it over. Not over top dead center. Just bouncing back and forth. By spinning it over with a starter and WD40 you are wearing out the fit of the piston. I use WD40 to fit a piston to the sleeve. It does not do a good job of lubricating and will wear it out. It is great for displacing water. After 2 flushing of WD40, I use a CRC product called engine store. Basically a foaming oil that you can spray into the carb of running fullsized outboard for deep storage. I flood the case and roll it over. Put the back plate on and store in the motor bucket. I have had zero bearing failures with technique over the last 15 yrs. It is much more work, but my bearings last longer and the piston fit is always there.

I would have to aggree with Al on people not taking care of their motors. I can't remember how many times I would try and teach some of them to clean there motors better. Half the work was just cleaning up all the rust and corrosion on most motors.

One guy in our district never cleaned his motors at the lake. He always woud drive home and then do them. I saw one of his motors and it was a rust bucket. Some of my motors have a slight oranging to the polished steel areas. That is after 10 yrs of running with the above cleaning method.

Mike
 
i clean them with wd-40 then tranny fluid

after the season is over i put the whole motor in a tub with tranny fluid..

chris
 
I do not store motors in the boats. They all come out at the end of the day. I do not even wait till I get home to clean them. They start to rust as soon as you pull them from the water. After they are pulled from boat, I take off the back plates and flood the motor with WD40. Hand roll it over. Not over top dead center. Just bouncing back and forth. By spinning it over with a starter and WD40 you are wearing out the fit of the piston. I use WD40 to fit a piston to the sleeve. It does not do a good job of lubricating and will wear it out. It is great for displacing water. After 2 flushing of WD40, I use a CRC product called engine store. Basically a foaming oil that you can spray into the carb of running fullsized outboard for deep storage. I flood the case and roll it over. Put the back plate on and store in the motor bucket. I have had zero bearing failures with technique over the last 15 yrs. It is much more work, but my bearings last longer and the piston fit is always there.

I would have to aggree with Al on people not taking care of their motors. I can't remember how many times I would try and teach some of them to clean there motors better. Half the work was just cleaning up all the rust and corrosion on most motors.

One guy in our district never cleaned his motors at the lake. He always woud drive home and then do them. I saw one of his motors and it was a rust bucket. Some of my motors have a slight oranging to the polished steel areas. That is after 10 yrs of running with the above cleaning method.

Mike

Yep Mike,

This is a good way. Makes you inspect the inside of the motor as well.

Robert
 
Back
Top