Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General do "the elements" hurt an engine?

a friend is giving me a duratec engine that has been sitting outside all winter (lots of snow) uncovered. how much will this hurt the engine?

Depends,,, did water get in, did it rust any, electrical connections corrode? I'd say it's useable but will definitely need a little (or a lot) of maintenance. Internals should be fine though.

There is a possibility that water or moisture got inside the engine, causing rust or other corrosion.
Were the openings sealed (The guy could have at least put a large plastic bag over it!)? What was the condition of the engine before storage?
It may warrant doing a little tear down to determine if any damage was done.

I agree, at least check the cylinders and heads for rust.