MG MGB and MGB GT Tech Talk
I'm in the middle of replacing the cylinder head on my 74B.
Now way around it...it will be 3 or 4 days at least before I get the replacement head on.
What should I do to protect the cylinders from rust? I have them covered with a dry towel, but the air here in east Tennessee is really wet right now.
Car is in a covered, 3-sided shed.
Thanks.
Guys, Let me tell you about what I found with WD40 as a gunsmith. It does not do very good as a long term anti rust treatmens. I have had several guns come through my shop that the owners cleaned and sprayed the internals and bore with WD40 and put the gun up until next hunting season. On nearly every one of the guns thus treated, rust was forming by the time fall came around. Because of this I quite using WD 40 on guns entirely. It is designed to disperse moisture, not as long term rust pertection. Engine oil should be used on your bores instead of WD
Engine oil is fine... use a light weight oil. 3 in 1 oil is fine... fogging spray sold by boat stores is fine.
Coat the bores and the exposed top surface of the block... any machined syrface that you can see... wouldnt hurt to put some down the pushrod holes, etc.
Agree with Gerry... WD40 is NOT an oil-based lubricant, and should not be used as such...
I second that. WD-40 is not actually closser to a cleaner.
WD40 will protect the exposed metal just fine for three or four days, that is all that is needed here, we're not talking long term storage.
In the past I have Petroluem Jelly. Works well and doesn't need to be replaced every couple of days. Just clean out when re-assembling the engine.
When doing long term overhauls as a young motor apprentice in the seventies I was taught by a very wise Rolls Royce Mechanic to wipe everything I was going to re-use with a greasy rag, the rag was soaked in regular bearing grease and kept in the grease tin with the top on when not in use. When reassembling the motor or what ever I was building you simply wipe of the grease with a clean rag. This has always worked for me for over thirty years as a mechanic. But I strongly agree with Gerry WD-40 might work as a penetrant very well, but as a long term rust inhibitor... no way.