Help with submerged nitro engines in water
 

I walked outside yesterday after the pouring rain and found a plastic crate filled with water. Inside the crate I found approximately 20 of my aircraft nitromethane engines submerged within the crate. They were there, underwater, for about three days. I pulled them out. The crank and carburetor still turned w/o issue on all engines. Most of these engines were new or fresh rebuilds. I submerged them again in a bucket with about 3 to 4 gallons of castor/synthetic nitro fuel. They all look and turn fine. ? What’s my next step after the nitro fuel soak ?
i was told to wipe them down with a rag and add a few drops of after-run oil into them. Not ATF or MMO. Any suggestions? I pulled the back plates off about 1/2 of them and removed all glow plugs.
—- yes I know I shouldn’t have let this happen.

Open them up, blow them out with compressed air, warm in an oven to about 150 deg F and then dunk them in ATF . Hang up to drip dry. There are plenty of other methods but that is where I would start.

The fuel itself is corrosive, synthetic oil will attract and hold moisture, it is a poor rust preventative and in many ways a better promoter of rusting.

I know it would take some time, but after your nitro fuel bath, I would give each a little running time before putting away.

when it comes to the guts of an engine I'm a clean freak for sure. I would do as the guys above said, but first I would remove the plugs and back plates and sprayed them out too-good with WD 40 because WD is a water displacer.

Jim

If you can find a K-Mart their air-tool oil is the best low cost after run oil around. Perhaps the Sears brand is the same stuff. After run oil, or it's equivalent, is not supposed to eat the seals.

Whenever we dunk the float planes we run them for a minute or so. A bit time consuming as was mentioned, but it will get the water out of the bearings. I would use the air hose first. I am assuming the water was clean.

+1 on wd-40 I would buy a gallon and just soak the engines for a few days...I wouldn't recommend ATF because it would cause the seals to swell.

hummm, I guess that would be because the O-rings are made for Alcohol,,,, I never thought about that. I guess I will be changing to air tool oil. something more to spend money on.

Jim

WD 40 is pretty much the same as kerosene or diesel fuel. It would save you from buying the WD 40. I would remove the carb first if there are rubber seals if you go that route.