Preventing rust on engine hardware without paint

[reginaldobaker]

I recently pulled the injectors on my inboard diesel for cleaning and inspection. It seems pretty standard to paint the outside of an engine to prevent corrosion and the injectors/related hardware were no exception.
One thing I noticed was that some bolts/nuts on the fuel system/injectors etc were difficult to remove due to the paint on threads. Was also worried about paint chips entering the injectors/fuel lines/engine block. It also seems standard on engines to use non-corrosion resistant materials (plain steel) - in other applications galv/stainless steel hardware could be used.

Is there a way, other than painting the steel, to help with corrosion resistance? I thought maybe a type of machine oil or something on exposed threads/nuts could be appropriate but also don't want to compromise holding strength - and this doesn't seem very effective.

I am not against painting the engine and components but that seems like a long term rust prevention method rather than for something that may be altered/removed again in the near-ish term.

Cheers

 

[gabriel]

Any oil really. I’ve use ballistol gun oil since I already have it laying around and it comes in a handy aerosolized form. Gun oils also specifically made to keep rust of firearms which are often just blued steel. Remington makes a similar product called rem oil which I’ve bought ant wallmart. Also, lanolin grease such as lanocote is another which should be in a sailors toolbox anyways. There’s also cosmoline which is very heavy. All of them need to be reapplied periodically except maybe cosmoline as it’s meant for long term rust prevention. My 02.

 

[Kenneth K]

I've had good luck with this stuff, especially on the back half of the engine on parts that occasionally get splashed with saltwater from the prop shaft gland. It's lanolin-based, probably similar to Lanocote.

 

[bsangs]

I've had good luck with this stuff, especially on the back half of the engine on parts that occasionally get splashed with saltwater from the prop shaft gland. It's lanolin-based, probably similar to Lanocote.

View attachment 47549

That a spray, or a paste? You just apply directly to the engine parts?

 

[Kenneth K]

I have the small can with the brush-on-cap. Looks like there is also a spray on version.

 

[frick]

wd 40 "Silver Can" and a Rag

 

[reginaldobaker]

Good to know there are aerosol options, was thinking about using a brush but spray is just less pieces. Thanks for the recommendations all this should get me going.

my big concern was using a penetrating lubricant like pb blast (since that’s all I had on hand) would end up allowing the nuts to back off.

 

[ConchyDug]

CrossionX in one of it's several flavors and it's an aerosol, the marine version is the thickest. LPS 1 I believe is a waxy coating that's in an aerosol can. These above items are commonly used on rotorcraft that operate over saltwater environments. Injectors should probably go back in with some kind of anti seize on them... a little goes a long way. Tefgel is pretty amazing stuff for dissimilar metal applications but I'm not sure on it's heat resistant properties. Lanocote is pretty old school whale blubber smelling stuff I think it turns to a liquid when it's heated, but dang it stinks.