Anyone have a coating( can be a home homemade concoction) that can be applied to machined parts for 2+ years storage, other than cosmoline? Its such a mess. I've tried WD40 and hydraulic fluid and it seems to work well for smaller parts that can be bagged and tagged. Blocks and heads are something else. Anyone have a HD plastic parts bag that lasts after you applied some oil or grease. Seems to break down the plastic over a short period of time.

I used motorcycle chain wax. Sprays on like w-d then thickens like cosmoline.

Rattle can paint works. Just spray the entire block. When you get around to building the engine the shop will most likely tank it first anyway.

JB80 is pretty robust. Keeping the stuff in a controlled environment, rather than a damp, humid, uninsulated building makes all the difference in the world. I cut corners other places to have my building insulated and climate controlled when we built it, since I have a lot of material and bare metal around. Best move ever, no rust issues unless I've been repeatedly handling something with sweaty hands.

We used LPS3 and some of their other products in the steel mill

I use the same stuff.. its a quality product.. as it drys it gets thick like wax.. stays on for a LONG
time unless you take it off

I live in Florida and have dealt with this problem my entire life. My parts are in a building that is not climate controlled. Here, WD40 is useless.

A great spray product is Fluid Film, I can get it at Lowe’s and the auto parts stores. Another product that may even be better is LPS number 3 premier rust inhibitor. A local hardware store used to carry it but now I have to order it from the internet.

The best product may be VCI corrosion inhibiting paper. In 2000, I bought a set of Mopar cast iron Max Wedge heads. One head stayed in the box rapped in the VCI paper. I took the VCI paper from the other head for another project. That head was keep in it’s box and was sprayed regularly with WD40. Today, the head rapped in VCI paper looks exactly like the day I bought it 19 years ago, even though the paper has deteriorated. The cast iron is a light grey and the machined surfaces are shiny. The head that has been regularly sprayed with WD40 is dark and has a very light layer of rust.

In 2002, I bought a Mopar mega block. I kept it in it’s VCI paper and just put a bag over it. Seventeen years later, it looks like the day I bought it.

Really can't add much to what's been said other than use a product that is designed for the purpose. Regular grease, oil, and WD40 may work for the short term but will fail in any non-desert type climate. LPS3 and the special papers work well and we used to use them to protect machined parts that cost upwards of $10,000 each. There are special treated plastic bags used in the firearms industry for storing guns long term that work well too.

Me too on my engine parts for storing them, it is used on aircraft parts all the time also

I really liked using it as it did a great job and was easy to clean off.