How to store engine parts that rust? (block, crank, cams, etc)

coat them in grease, seal in plastic bags to keep dust out. When it comes time to use them, you have to clean them of the grease, but the machined surfaces should be fine. For the much larger block, coat all the bearing surfaces in grease, the piston walls, the head gasket deck and any other machined surface such as the oil filter mount or water line mating surfaces, then put it in a large plastic bag garbage bag to keep dust out (I like the clear yard waste bags myself...the heavy poly ones that can take a little abrasion). Of course, this is easy if you have it on a stand. Bagging it on the floor may be a little tougher.

So like, bearing grease?

cant you just spray WD-40 and then store it?

Not for very long, as it evaporates.

wd-40 is good to clean the parts but not to lub them
i never use wd-40 unless i need to cleanup the tool or parts cuz it does evaporate very fast

why not store it like chemists store volatile substances? immerse it in oil bc its hydrophobic ... water cant get into it to rust it.

I thought about that, but is it ok for the metal to sit in oil?

thats what we're taught to do when we store metals that are easily oxidized. gosh this is my break, im not supposed to be thinking... agh!

if anything, take a small metal part and dip it in oil and watch its progress, if it works out, use it the next time you need to store something

Try a Cryovac machine. It stores anything and everything in a vacuum. Mostly for food irems but it will do the job.

The make table top units.

That... is a cool idea.

honestly coating the bearing surfaces, cylinder walls, head gasket and oil pan surfaces works well my boss stored his Ford 302 parts like that back in the 80's and when we went to use them last year they were all fine, as for the grease i would think any sorta regular grease would work just stay away from white grease...

Get some "Maxi coat" (Loctite brand) in an aerosol can and spray it on your parts. It's like a grease spray that coats the parts then dries to a thin tough layer, not like big gobs of grease. We use it at the machine shop on rust-prone parts that have to sit out in the weather. To remove it just wash it with solvent.

It smells good too.

Cosmoline has to be the best stuff for storage I've seen. The military uses it to store equipment for long periods. I've seen some pretty old stuff that was in great shape because of this stuff. I happen to work for a large government funded R&D facility that is also on a military base. We come across old equipment all the time with this stuff on or in it. It leaves sort of a waxy/oily coating. The Rust Veto product is specifically designed for storage. Here is a link.

http://www.schafco.com/cosmoline.asp

Greased rags (Even petroleum jelly) is good if you cover or wrap them with plastic bag. The rag keeps the greas and oil wicked to the metal and in addition to keeping dust off, the plastic keeps the oil in the rag and not allow it to seep onto the floor or wherever you store it.