Projects engine unsticking question

i saved an old studebaker 1957 silverhawk engine from a poor car that fell apart when moved had sat for a long time hood was closed air cleaner was on it , got it home pulled a spark plug top of the piston was covered with a crystal orange like powder ? is this old degraded gas turned to varnish ? should i flush it out of the cylinder with diesel before i fill the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and let it set for awhile ?

 

wouldn't hurt

 

I would use a 50/50 ATF/acetone mixture. If that doesn't do it, it ain't happening.

 

agree with parklane, i unstuck a 390 last week that had sat out side with no carb under a tarp for 15 years with the 50/50 mix. filled the cylinders and within 2 days it had worked its way through every cylinder, turned over with out much trouble. i was freakin amazed.

 

i would pull the heads, no point distroying the pistons if theres rust on the walls.

 

I bought the same thing. "Running when pulled from a rusty hulk" It was not frozen but it had other issues.



Pretty clean inside for it's age.



As I was s****ing the block, the s****er poked a hole in the paper thin freeze plugs uncovering an unbelievable amount of rust inside the block. I should have taken a picture of the pile of rust on the floor after digging it all out. I'd recommend replacing the freeze plugs and checking for built up rust in the block. Now is the time to find any problems.
I ended up pulling the heads. It's not all bad news...



All cleaned up and painted. I'm glad that I tore it down to the block and heads. It runs like a champ now with new freeze plugs and a gasket set.

I once inadvertently pumped a running good used Chevy engine full of water. The engine froze up while the frame was being built and the drive train painted. A year later it took a week or so of soaking and prying on the lower pulley bolts with a 2X4 before it started to move. Only a little at a time at first, back and forth. The **** that came out of the plug holes (water and penetrating oil) made a hell of a mess. It was close to starting so I gave it a whirl.

I drove it for several years before selling it so just because it is currently stuck, it doesn't mean that it is junk. I was sure my engine was junk but it turned out to do just fine.

I knew how long mine had been stuck and I had nothing to loose. I knew nothing about the Stude motor. I lucked out and made good decisions both times.

Good luck with yours.

 

that engine after its all prettied up sure looks good, good job on that mill tommy

 

got a chance to remove all the spark plugs today , the grey ash like stuff was only in 2 cylinders and theyn were both at tdc , i took a can of dust off compressed air like you use to clean computer s ans blew all the junk out the plug hole ran a coat hanger around top of piston and blasted it till nothing more came out , nothing seemed to be in and other cylinder , i sprayed 2 cans of seafoam penetrating oil and pb blaster in all cylinders and put plugs in and will let it set a few days just to see if it moves , i think the water side is crusty , its a back burner project so i will wait and see if it moves

 

I am doing the same with an old DeSoto hemi, currently. Just curious, why did you not do the ATF/ acetone thing?

 

i like diesel and atf myself , but wanted to try the new super duper seafoam stuff , wasnt cheap at $10.99 a can anyhow , i was wondering if anyone ever tried 3 in 1 oil that stuff is pretty thin and i bet it would creep everywhere past stuck rings , ive also wanted to try gibbs penetrating oil , and i like karno kroil to , good luck with your project ,if worse comes to worse i will have to pull the heads and see what the cylinders look like

 

bought a 3/4 breaker bar and an 1 1/2 " socket to try on the ballancer bolt no movement but all the marvel mystrey oil i dumped down the intake is gone so it seeped past some of the rings , also scored some replacement parts for damaged stuff , 2 mint exhaust manifolds , a 4bbl intake , and a ballancer and pulley , going to try turning it over again soon if it no move , its getting accetone and marvel dose

 

Did this with a tractor that was sitting for decades. It worked, and time is your friend. If it doesn't move, add a little more and wait a little longer. Don't force it. If it doesn't happen in two to three weeks, it aint.

 

I can't ever get the stuff to stay in solution. It always seperates on me in a few minutes. What ATF are you guys using?

 

Got similar issues with Ford Flathead, can turn crank back and forth about 20 degrees with a dead hard stop at each end of the turn. It has sat for over twenty years in a garage previous owner put diesel and atf in all cylinders until full and replaced spark plugs. I have all plugs out and from what i can see (which of course is only the exhaust valve heads) there is no corrosion. Could it be really stuck valves? Should we try pulling the car and dropping the clutch to free it up. Even if it destroys it there is really no loss.

 

before id destroy that flatty id find out whats locking it up by taking it apart , if it turns a little there is a reason why its ability to turn over completely is restricted , and it sounds like a clean mill , dragging it and dropping the clutch is not logical

 

There might be a bunch of crud on one of the piston tops of the flathead that hits the cylinder head just before TDC. You might clear enough of it away by poking in the plug hole with a wire to allow the engine to turn completely over.

I had this happen with a big Briggs engine a while ago.

 

engine still hasnt moved , removed some of the marvel oil from the cylinders mixed up a qt of atf and a qt of acetone topped off the cylinders put the plugs back in poured the rest down the intake and let it sit , if it doesnt move in 3 weeks i will start pulling the engine apart

 

I've used a product called KROIL which I picked up at a shooting supply store. Best darn penetrant I've ever seen. I used to swear by PB Blaster but this stuff is even better.

 

You can buy Kroil products directly from the mfr in Tennessee ( I think that's where they are), just go to their web site here and give them a call....

http://www.kanolabs.com/

My brother turned me on to them, he's in the aircraft industry and swore by the stuff. I use it all the time now, and one other bonus, it smellls pretty good too!

 

yup pop used kroil years ago ,they used it at the mill by the gallon , we use it by the spray can at the power plant , figured ive got the acetone and atf might as well try it if this doesnt budge it dont think its going to move without a tear down

 

its been almost 3 weeks with 50/50 atf acetone in the cylinders , and 2 weeks previous with seafoam penetrating oil , still wont budge i guess the heads need to come off and see what kind of a mess i got myself into this time

 

dont put to much pressure on that 3/4 breaker bar or youll end up digging out a busted ballancer bolt. let the oil do its work.

 

naw im pretty sure i havent been to rough with it , in my youth ive broken enough bolts to learn some restraint , might remove the old transmission , and try moving it from the rear of the crankshaft , if that doesnt budge it , i will perform open cylinder inspection , and go from there

 

yup seems like i read a thread about that , i try not to miss to much reading about anything rusty on the HAMB im surprised the acetone / atf 50/50 didnt free it up .weathers up in the 80s now maybe sitting under the tarp and getting warm will help the mix work through ,

 

There's always the vinegar or mol***es dip.

 

if you want to turn a engine to free it and dont want to break bolts on balancer etc remove the starter and crank on flywheel ring gear with a pry bar or someone elses large screwdriver as you will get a large mechanical advantage that way but this is after using lots of penetrating oil and time for nit to work have patience

 

well guys your going to think im crazy, but if none of those methods work....fill the cylinders up with water, moisture is what stuck it, and is what will unstick it.......ive tried tons of different methods and have had a little luck.....but if everything else fells i use water.......let it sit for a week and take a breaker bar and see what happens........i have saved quite a few motorcycle engines, and car engines over the years.....but everytime im asked i tell them water, and they always think im joking....or just crazy....lol

 

:Kano Kroil is amazing. It'll free up stuff that you would never think would budge, It even cleans lead and copper out of gun barrels! Here is the order I free up frozen motors, 1.wd 40 2. kroil 3. heat 4. explosives

 

KROIL for sure.

 

If it's rusty...oil of wintergreen at your health food store. Lippy