Question first: Anyone have any ideas how I can soak the valves in a flathead with the heads on to get them loose? OK, rest of the story is here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=509049 Working on getting the engine running and besides a couple of small setbacks it seems like a bought a very good engine. First surprise was that someone (recently it looks like) took one of the distributor covers and left it of, letting water into the engine, probably about a gallon in the pan, no problem, the sludge and 5 gallons of oil kept it nice and clean in there. But that distributor is gone, will need to be rebuild. Second surprise was when I opened the engine up. I took out the valley pan to expose the valves and the engine is NEW on the inside, I've got paperwork that the engine was rebuild in 1979 and I don't think driven much since then.. well that seems to be true. But, some of the valves are stuck, and I really don't want to take the heads of because a gasket set will set me back $650+.. you can see one of the hanging valves in the second picture, the second from the left. You can reach the top of the valves through the spark plug holes, so I pounded on them a little bit with a wooden dowel, but this one won't move, also have some that are stuck closed and won't move up. So; anyone have any ideas how I can soak the valves in a flathead with the heads on to get them loose?
I would spray a bunch of PBB around all of them, wait a day or two and then very carefully turn the engine over by hand and hopefully, it will unstick. BUT don't go hard forcing it or you might ruin the cam?? Otherwise, I don't know? Can you remove the valve spring so that you can get a little more tapping room?? And use a hard aluminum or brass punch/chisel here, not steel on steel. pdq67
Lots of threads on how to free up rusted/stuck parts. PB blaster, Cocacola, etc. Lots of guys here swear by a mix of automatic trans fluid and acetone. Maybe spray often with that until free? Possibly a little heat?...within reason.
Been spraying it with PB blaster and hitting them with a wooden dowel and a mallet, just so I don't ruin the valves. This is not about de-rusting, can't find any rust on any of the parts, they are just frozen in place from sitting to long (maybe old oil?) Problem is getting the pb blaster or other solvent to the valves without taking the heads off.. if I figure that one out I know I can get them unstuck.. Just got about 3 done, but it takes a lot of banging (wooden dowel and mallet) and two valves don't want to move at all. I'll keep soaking them as much as I can, and see where I end up. ps.. I use PB Blaster and ATF mix for most other parts, works wonders.
It appears the problem child's lifter is stuck in the casting. If so, it looks like you have good access to the problem. I think you on the right track, just remember they did not freeze up overnight. Patience, Grasshopper! Bill
This should work for you too. I topped the engine FULL, until it would not hold a drop more, of diesel oil and Marvel Mystery Oil. I let it sit for a full week. Then I drained it, put an oil change in it, pulled the cam covers, gently pried the valves to insure they were not still stuck. All moved OK, put the car in gear and gently rocked it with the cam covers off. Once it appeared everything was moving OK I turned it on the starter, without the coil hooked up. After getting good oil pressure I hooked up the coil. Car fired right up, blue smoke for about two minutes, then it cleaned up and ran great. I doubt you are going to get sufficient penetration from spaying anything on the valves. I expect you need to seal the engine back up and FILL it with a solvent solution as I did.
That is probably what I need to do to.. but that will be a LOT of solvent.. So far I've got 3 gallons of oil in there and the pan isn't full yet. the engine is actually buttoned up, just would have to plug the dipstick hole and I can fill it up all the way, I think it will hold about 14 gallons. The only thing off the engine is the valley pan (plate between the left and right intake and exhaust manifolds) on top of the engine, valves sit below that.
A lot of commercial solvents are nothing more than kerosene and a light oil. I think you could leave the motor oil in there and add something that penetrates well. Diesel is now $3.00 a gallon around here, not sure what else might be available cheaper. When I was younger we used whatever was handy, often stale gasoline.
You could try a LITTLE heat on the valve guide and the lifter guide. Years ago where I worked we had little 2 cyl flatheads that were only run in the summer, we stored them outside and when it was time to get them running, half of them would have a stuck valve or two. Sometimes a few minutes of running would get them unstuck. But sometimes it got serious. Oil, penetrating oil, prying and banging, cussing, more penetrating oil and finnaly heat. It was always the valve guides stuck to the valve stems on the engines I worked on. But you may have the lifter stuck on yours. No reason to take the head off.
Success!! spraying with PB blaster and ATF over a period of a couple of days and tapping with the dowel/mallet combo did it. The engine now turns over. I've got 2 stuck intake valves in cylinder 10 and 12, but I'm sure they'll get loose soon enough, if nothing else maybe once the engine runs and heats up some. Planning to get some temp wiring up and get her started soon ;-)
Still working on getting the engine started. The valves are mostly loose, and I'm sure the last one will get there when I fire this thing up. I rewired it, put a temporary electrical fuel pump, pressure regulator and filter on, serviced the starter and tried to start it on Monday morning. Gas blew out of the driver side carb at only 3psi, checked the carb and the float bowl is gone, metal fatigue the copper fuel line and BIG glass bowl filter hung off the float bowl and over time the metal has given up.. Not repairable and a replacement carb is $$$. So I decided to make a 4 brl "manifold" for the seagrave (Pierce Arrow) engine, just finished the basic fabrication, need to clean it up before I try it out. I think this will be the setup I'll run (assuming the engine is good) before I go a little more exotic. The way I made the intake on top of the original carb mounts should allow me to run the original dual aircleaners (with an adapter) as I wanted to keep the original look.
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