Man this one is stuck......my 54 truck inline 6, I just soaked the pistons in pb buster and it freed them up.......my 54 210 is really stuck.....any suggestions on getting it freed up
The best idea I've seen yet was a hamb'r that used a kerosene torpedo heater pointed at the motor to heat cycle it during the penetrating oil soak.
I've used Coke. No, I didn't DO Coke and then bang on the motor like a monkey! I've poured real Coca Cola into the cylinders and let it work for like a day. Phosphoric acid eats rust, but it also softens aluminum. Coke has Phosphoric Acid in it, but in a concentration that's mild enough not to turn your pistons to mush... and it works. Of course, if you were planning on boring it and getting new pistons anyway... maybe regular full-strength phosphoric acid might b the way to go! LOL! ~Jason
Actually vinegar would be a great choice too, won't hurt the iron cylinders but will turn aluminum to mush in a week or two as it de-rusts the stuck rings. Trust me, I've accidently put aluminum in my vinegar soak bucket before, the little stuff was never seen again. Obviously a poor choice if you're trying to save pistons.
I've used Marvel Mystery oil on a '65 390, a '72 VW, and a '49 John Deere. Each time we poured it into each cylinder, let it soak for a week, and then pulled the vehicle with a chain until the engine freed. Sounds kinda hillbilly, but it worked each time. I've known people to do this for years, haven't heard of anyone losing an engine yet this way. Your results may vary, of course...
I've used deisel fuel, made a bracket, with four 1-1/2" square tube prongs for me to get a long bar into, that bolted onto the front of the crank. Let it soak as long as it needs, keep trying it with the bar every couple of days. Saved a few this way that were seized from sitting
You may need to neutralize vinegar... if you've got the time. mol***es takes about forever, but is good, good stuff. Just pul the plugs, pour it in, and wait... ~Jason
I suppose if you had a 55-gallon drum - a plastic one - you could do electrolysis on it, but that's a ****ty thing to do to aluminum, too... probably best on a bare block. ~Jason
My neighbor makes his own Bio-deisel. I freed up an old Gray Marine engine with it. Worked great and when you are done it makes a great weed killer.
Yeah, I have a buddy who makes some bio "fuel" too, certainly loosens things up, but I wouldn't waste it on a motor
That's the one. Real Coca-Cola. Pepsi won't do it, RC won't do it, Vess or Jolt won't. I've tried all of them. Once, I bought a '68 Pontiac LeMans with a stuck 350 for $50. Coca-Cola'd the cylinders for 24 hours, got the engine to turn with a breakover, poured gas in the carb and put new plugs in. Fired right up, smoked like a ***** for an hour. In another day, I was driving it, a day after that it was gone for $1000. Of course, I always wonder - if Coke will do that to a stuck engine, what the hell is it doing to my stomach?
Diesel fuel Rock the motor back and forth at the flywheel if you can. If there is a lot of we goopy rust you might have to to run a hone the bores too ....... it just takes a while. I brought an olfd Fiat 508 from an A'HOLE in PA once. The PIECE-0-**** poured water in the motor. When I got the motor apart I found it was perfect except for the damage he'd caused. If I'd used any kind of acid The rod and crank bearings would have been damaged
Diesel fuel, 50 years ago my Dad was told that diesel fuel would un-stick a motor, he called BS! 28 years ago I was told that diesel fuel would un-stick a motor, I called BS! 28 years ago I watched my Dad free a siezed motor. My moms friend over heated her AMC while it was low on oil of course (WOMEN) Locked the rascal up tighter than a drum. All plugs out-fill the cyls up and let it sit and top it off. Tapped the starter a few in the Am and in the Pm, with a breaker bar on the balancer-after a week that thing was turning over with a breaker bar, couple more days it was running again. It ran like ****, blew some smoke and real noisy but she got about another 10k mile out of it. Long enough for her to save some bucks for a transplant.
I've always been a big fan of Marvel Mystery Oil. It may take a bit longer than some of the acid ideas, but no damage. Pour it into the spark plug holes. Wait a couple of days and try to turn it. Do that again and again. Within a week or so, it'll usually turn. Keep doing it until it turns freely. Hasn't failed yet.
fill cyl with acetelyn gas. put in spark plug. hook up dist/coil wiring and with a long stick turn dist to fire that cyl. did this once w/ flathead. when i got out of intensive care i used my remaining arm to dismantle motor. worked like a charm... Lefty
coke sounds like the way to go, i aint tried it but i bet it works. Friend of mine gave away a 53 chevy truck with a stuck 235, the guy came after it took the spark plugs out and poured marvel mystery into carb until it was running out of plug holes. He hooked a chain to it, put it in first gear and drug it about 2 miles up the road when he got back the motor was as free as a bird. That was 5 years ago and hes still driving it. that was cool
An old trick is to make a mix 50/50 of Laquer Thinner and Transmission Fluid, soak each cylinder down with the mix and let it soak put a breaker bar on the crank bolt and slowly rock it back and forth and it will free up
I have to agree withthe ATF. I've used it (and witnessed others use it) to unstick all kinds of things from carbs to A blocks. I swear it eats corrosion (or has a high enough detergent concentration to loosen it up.) I've never thinned it before, but that seems like a good idea. Luke P.S. I always use merc/Dex 3. I made the mistake of using type F one time, because it was all that I had on hand, and all it did was stink the place up.
I've used the vinegar before but it was on a short block that was stuck. Just filled each cylinder up and after about a day went back and sprayed some pb blaster in it and was able to rock it back and forth until it unstuck. I also tried the atf on a 428 Pontiac once and guess I didn't let it sit long as I sold the car about a week later and the guy who bought it told me they put a good battery in it and spun the motor over a few weeks later.
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