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Triumph TR6 - dehydrator or desiccant plugs

Anyone ever use so called Dehydrator or Desiccant plugs in their stored engine to reduce or prevent corrosion from moisture? Prices vary from $4.38 to ~$15.00 USD and I'm wondering if the investment is worth the cost. My overhauled/rebuilt engine will be stored for several months. Comments?? Thanks.
db
Doug Baker

Hey Doug, mines has seen oil in almost 8 years +
DON KELLY

So Don, do ye think, it may be rusting together??
db
Doug Baker

Nope every once in a while I shoot WD in er and turn it over. It was recommended to me NOT to put oil in it. Oil attracts moisture
DON KELLY

Er...Don, I'm told that WD-40 is corrosive!!! If so, are you sure you want to introduce such a product onto your pristine piston?
db
Doug Baker

Just a we bit in the sparky hole to lube the piston,it's also a water displacer
DON KELLY

WD-40 is a "Water displacer" and it's good for drying out ignition sytems...not the liquid Duct tape everyone thinks it is. My engine in my car sat for 11 years in a garage with out having some magic fluid supplied to it and it runs just fine...I highly doubt a couple months are going to have some dramatic effect on it. If the engine was assembled with Assembly lube it should be fine for that length of time if not longer. Brake fluid attracts water but I'm not convinced other oils do. Any exposed metal surface I want to protect from the elements I put a light coat of white lithium grease over it and wipe it dry later. If oil in an engine attracks water I'm doomed because all mine in the drievway have it in them and it's pouring out! By the way my 74 that sat for 11 years with the oil in it...after I ran it for a 100 or miles or so with just changing the fluid after 11 years....looked like new bearings/caps/crank surfaces when I pulled the pan to check the TW's.
JT White

Hello,

WD-40 has a light oils (read solvent) & sticky stuff in it: lanolin. The worst thing to apply as lubricant.

Jean G.
J. G. Catford

Two things NOT in my garage...WD-40 and Vice Grips. Won't buy'em, use'em or have'em
JT White

Doug

I don;t think the desiccant will add any new life or benefit. For 20 years I have been oiling my Spitfire and for the past 6 years my TR6 for the 5 months of off season storage. There seems to be no worse for wear. I don't think I would use WD 40 but if Don is having success maybe its OK.

JT- not even a set of vise grips for emergency to hold things (mufflers, tail pipe, etc) that fall the car as you are driving along or to hold "CAR IN TOW" sign to the bumper? ;-)
Michael Petryschuk

Nope...watched my Dad shred nuts etc with them growing up. I'm 48 and been restoring, wrenching and flying/fixing aircraft, cars and motorcycles since I was a teenager...have never held a pair in my hands. WD-40 was invented and labled as a water displacer formula 40, NOT A LUBRICANT....it has a zillion uses...about .09 less then a zillion are wrong and have a more suited product for their needs.....never owned that stuff either.
JT White

Was told by my builder to do it and since all the top end has lube and the pistons are lubed or oiled with something . If I am hosed I'll just build it again .It's only money
DON KELLY

JT, I'm with you about vise grips (mostly) but I do have several pairs including some really small ones I got as stocking stuffers at Christmas. There are some tasks that are just made easier with the portable vise so I use them, but sparingly and NEVER on a nut that I expect to salvage.
db
Doug Baker

I have vise grips but use them mostly for holding steel together prior to welding. I use them on nuts only when the nut is wrecked and will be replaced anyway. This is last ditch before I pull out the oxy-acetylene torch and cut the thing off.
Michael Petryschuk

Just to amplify JT's comments:

WD-40 stands for "Water Displacer Formula # 40" It was designed to displace water from engines after being literally "flooded" in a hurricane. The owner of the company that made it noticed the workers were taking it home and started marketing it. The guy just died last year and there were a couple of articles about this.

If you want to try the desiccant, go over to one of the hobby/craft stores and get as much as you want. They use it to dry flowers. Put it in a cotton bag and you're good to go. Don't think it is of any use, though. Just too big a volume.

Gene
Gene Fluder

This thread was discussed between 04/02/2011 and 27/02/2011

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