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So I have this decent q-jet that Lars believes is a good core based on what he can see in pictures. I've had it sitting ignored for quite some time and I'd like to put it back on the shelf for who know how much longer.
Other that stuffing it into a cardboard box, is there anything that should be done, sprayed, waxed, sealed, bagged, open, closed, vacuum packed, ???? to help insure it us more or less the same state down the road when I do need it?
I'll be putting it in my crawlspace with all the other vette parts, concrete floor/walls , semi heated all year around, not open to the outside and doesn't flood or anything
A light spray coat of oil wouldn't hurt a thing and may keep the aluminum and steel oxidation to a minimum. Wrap it in butcher paper, also sprayed with a bit of oil and box it up. Storing it uncoated would probably be fine, but the oil isn't going to harm it and will add an element of moisture protection.
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If it doesnt have fuel in it the seals will dry and crack, but with todays fuels storing it with fuel in it is always a bad idea unless the fuel has a treatment in it. Storing lawn mowers and snowblowers in the off season has taught us a lot of useful information. Some people eschew using them but they do work and the sticky scum left behind from evaporated fuel is hard to dissolve. I've gotten many new pieces of free lawn equipement that just needed a new or rebuilt carb, but the owner just threw away becasue it wouldnt start. Gotta love yuppies.
For very long term storage I would clean it thoroughly, spray it with a penetrating oil that would stick (NOT WD40) and plastic bag it with as much air pressed out as possible. you could even fog the bag. Boat owners around here fog all the cylinders in the winter to keep out corrosion. Then just plan on a new gasket set if its ever brought back into service. Corrosion would be your biggest worry. I would say in a high humidity climate you would have to be more careful about sealing the plasttic and keeping it from sweating and collecting moisture in the summer. In a dry climate its less of a hazard. In Utah my guns never collected surface rust, East coast anything will rust just by being in the atmosphere.
Plastic bag, box and throw it on a shelf. 10 years from now you will have to rebuild it anyway or 20 years down the road you will just throw it away or forget you even have it.
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Originally Posted by Mooser
That's how it's been for the last 5 years or so, but now that I know it's actually "good" I thought I'd see if there was a "better" way...
M
Always a better way. Put it a vacuum bag. But you've seen what a carb looks like after 5 years at your place. I have two carbs sitting in my shed out back for 20 years and no signs of deterioration. The original L-82 QJ and another unknown QJ. But we all know QJ's are the best out there and they won't turn to dust.
I fog the bag as mentioned above.....drain gas too if I know it will be put back in use within, say a year.....after that, to hell with it as you are going through anyway, dried up gaskets always leak.