38 reasons to seal up stored engines

[Phil Waterman]

Started getting ready to run the engine I pulled from my Pattern 13 C60S on the test stand. This is the original engine from the truck that I took out to install a 261 engine. Boy did I get a surprise. When I pulled this 216 engine out I put all the parts back on it to keep all the original parts together. Did the normal bit of pouring oil into each of the cylinders, taped up all the opening, accept one. You guessed it the chipmunks found the one I had forgotten to seal, the exhaust header. The engine had been sitting on one of my engine test stands since it was removed so the exhaust flange was about a foot off the floor but the little stinker climbed up manifold past the manifold heat riser flap and out the exhaust manifold to insert acorns into each of the exhaust valve ports.

During the engine swap I had removed the two piece exhaust manifold to use on the new engine going into the truck. At that time I bolted in its place loosely a standard 216 exhaust manifold with out a gasket. Well to day when I started getting ready to run the engine I unbolted the manifold to insert the gasket and what did I see? Acorns lots of acorns, thirty eight of them in fact stuffed into each exhaust port. Along with the acorns were about two table spoons of Decon mouse and rat poison pellets. The poison may explain why the critter never came back for the acorns.

Moral of the story tape up, stuff, cover, or plug any opening into an engine which you intend to reuse or start later.