I have a majorly seized old W engine that I bought. I have tried disassembly of the bottom end. Even the wrist pins are seized in the piston so I can not get the crank out. I did get 2 pistons out. I filled the edge of the top side of the piston with vaseline and flipped the engine over and sprayed liberal amounts of penetrating oil down the cylinders.. Of course a week later and a good size hammer and drift knocked 2 pistons out. So the question is...Is there an "easy" way of getting the pistons out. I can not seem to "persuade" any more pistons out.For example drilling or pounding holes in them? I am a bit scared to crack a cylinder. Again these are heavily rusted bores.
My buddy drilled most of the piston out then knocked the rest out. If you keep hitting the piston without drilling you can crack the block
If white vinegar don't do it, try letting Coca-Cola sit in it- the Phosphoric acid in it will eat that sheeit right up!
Muriatic acid dissolves aluminum in seconds. Does not harm steel. I use it to clean aluminum out of clogged burs and tools. Back-fill a piston with it, and watch it disappear!
When I was a kid I watched my old man pour coke in the cylinders, thought that was funny but the next morning the pistons were laying on the ground.
One more question. Got the same problem with one of mine. Pistons are out now, but i´m concerned about rusted Lifter bores. Anyone tried to sleeve them? I mean on a rusted engine like this you have to bore and hone annyways, do the Mainbearing bores and maybe zero deck it. But you can´t buy oversize lifters so you can´t just bore and hone the lifterbores without sleeving them, right? Pistons are aluminum and melting point is much lower than cast iron. I had the same problem with my 348. I just took a welding torch and melted the Piston. Some people were allready trying the hard hammmer method and hammered so hard that the piston collapsed and there was a big hole in it, but it still sticking and wouldn´t go out. So i thought can´t do much wrongh here... I didn´t check the block for cracks yet.
NITRO...man you must won't that engine bad. i mean considering the condition. personaly i think it's more trouble then worth the effort. but GOOD LUCK my h.a.m.b. brother...POP.
Well I got some Muriatic acid. I dumped it into the cylinders. It bubbled violently,turned grey and stunk like H*ll ! So far the pistons are not moving. I am going to let it soak longer. I am concerned about the acid on the cast iron.....will it have any ill effects on it? I am trying to save this 348 block as it is my worst one (I think). If I can save this one then I am all set on the others. I do not normally spend this kind of effort on a engine to get it apart....but these are getting really tough to find
I soak 'em in wd 40 and drive out the pistons with a block of wood, just did it with a 283, and the bore wasnt to bad exept in a couple spots, so i'm gunna hone and rering it and go.
I think mine is further rusted than that....I have been giving it some lovin with a bfh and a large drift.....Not hitting too hard though. This motor was stored outside in the back of an open bus without heads...so she is well stuck!
The acid won't harm the iron. Sounds like this block is going to need sleeves if its rusted that bad.
I have seen sleeved lifter bores but it's rare and expensive. maybe you could look into lifters from some different engine that are slightly bigger. On my 32 Plymouth I went to International Harverster lifters that were .002 bigger.
Great idea on the lifters. How did you find the oversized ones? Would Napa have a book on lifter specs? Anyway else to find them? Thanks for that information.
Well next day I have off I will have to try round #2 with the muriatic acid. It seems so far to have eaten 1/2 way through the side wall of the piston. The crank is feeling a bit looser which must be from the wrist pins letting up their death grip. This engine might end up being a waste but I think its only fair to give it a shot since they go for so much money. I have 4 of these so far. This one is the worst...so i figured I would save this one first. Hey at least I get a Steel crank out of it! And no the avatar is not my engine....mine probably isn't too far off though.
Just read the post on evaporust or white vinegar put evaporust in the search Good luck keep us posted
Well I started to drill out the piston pin area to weaken the grip on the connecting rod so I can lift the crank out. And now I know why the factory piston is so heavy.....I found a plate of steel in the pin boss area... This may also explain my problem of the piston and rod siezed in position . Still tinkering little at a time. It's great when there is no rush.
Cool that you don´t just quit. I´ve got three of those w engines, you can expect how rare they are in germany if you ´hardly can find one in US!! One of mine is a 409 marine engine with high perf. casting numbers from 61!!(But yes it has the notches) I´m starting with the baddest, too. The previous owner had it sitting out side, too without valve covers and manifold. Laughed at me and thought he ripped me off tgaking 250 Eur for it, but that was worth it only for the Oilpan and Timing chain cover that I need for my other engines and even if I can´t rebuild it I still have a cool looking Block for display But I´ll try!! My crank is rusted very bad, guess I´ll go with aftermarket complete Rotating assembly, maybe stroke it...? But first check the block out very carefully, who knows how bad the vandals that tright to get the pistons out before me hurt the block and if my heat treatment was to bad for it, too However, much cooler to save this engine than just throwing it in the garbage!! Thanks RichFox for the useful information, thought about that, too. But no idea how to find out wich lifter would work so far. No place at the internet where the needed informations can be found...no place to go to ask for them or measure myself. Fuckin´germany, things are not just laying around everywhere here!!
Veterinary iodine works on a dry block, before you put any oil on it. Just eats up rust. 318 Dodge lifters are bigger than Chevy, and about the same length. Some builders use them with wild cam grinds to allow a higher cam lobe.
Thanks for the tip with the lifters!! Ähm, what 318 are you talking bout Is the 60ish 318 Poly meant or later 70ish 318 SmallBlock? Got the dimensions for some Lifters if anybody needs those... .......................................................Outside Diameter Chevy 348..............................................0,842 in. Mopar Smallblock/BigBlock 318-440 .............0,904 in. Ford Merc Lincoln 289-429.........................0,874 if there´s something wrong with that somebody correct me... Don´t have the length, though, but i guess that can be corrected with different length pushrods if needed... Don´t have dimensions at all for 318 poly? I Think it´s different than other Mopar, right? @nitronova: Hope you don´t mind that I highjack your thread...i think this might be useful for you and for others, too?
Race engines run bronze-bushed lifter bores all the time. On a 348, it shouldn't be any more difficult or expensive for a machine shop to do it than it is for a small block or big block Chevy. And hell, it might pick up a horsepower or two! Well, probably not two... -Brad
NITRO...YOU just ruined that engine with ACID, and that's FOR SURE AND CERTAIN! that action was your application to the NUT HOUSE...POP.
The electrolosis process with a battery charger. water and washing soda would have been easier and cheaper.Seems like a lot of work for a boat anchor motor to me,348s look cool and I've owned one but hardly anything to get worked up over.oh well sometimes its a fun challenge to try.
The Jalopy Journal
