parked it just about two years ago for a little rest....always had antifreeze....time for it to move back on the line to use so went to start it up...and - ****skee - she's stuck... one cylinder # 8 ply was wet on the plug - pulled some green stuff with some water out today.... put a little PB Blaster in tonight.....so funny the motor had sat for years went I first got it....and always ran good....guess I lost a head gasket....
Try to get to the flywheel teeth with a screwdriver or a prybar and work it back and forth, a little at a time. Use a shop vac and some small tubing down the plug hole to clean out the cylinder. Use more oil/solvent or whatever your preference. Work it back and forth a llittle at a time. Be prepared to pull the head for a look-see. Dave.
Don't panic just yet. When I was building this I inadvertently pumped the cylinders full of water. When I went to install the distributor almost a year later, it was stuck solid. I was sure it was toast. It took a while but some Marvel Mystery Oil and a 2X4 as a huge lever against the lower front pulley bolts finally broke it loose. You would not believe the **** that came out of the plug holes. It was just about ready to start so I said what have I got to lose? This was taken about a year after it was frozen solid. I drove it for a couple years before I sold it. Yours didn't blow a head gasket while sitting in storage and with antifreeze it should not have cracked. Borrow a cooling system pressure tester to see if it will hold pressure. If it does continue to work it in both directions until it's free and then try to start it. Maybe you will be lucky like me? Don't throw in the towel yet. I felt stupid too but I did not suspect that the PO had used an awl to punch holes in the trunk to get the water out of the trunk and into the gas tank. I saw the holes later but it never entered my mind about the gas tank.
Same thing happened to me with an off topic car. Water ****ed into the gas lines at the same time a rocker stud broke off, thought I'd thrown a rod from the clatter for a moment before it quit.
Probably would help to syphon out the cyl, try MMO as mentioned or ATF in all the cyls and let soak in for a week or 2.
I read elsewhere about an unofficial study recently that determined a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF will break rusted/stuck parts better than anything off the shelf. Good luck, I'm sure you can get it free
thanks all....did get most of it out - ****ed it up into a small cup - it was a mix - first water - then the green anti-freeze... one reason she got a rest is that at idle sometimes I would get a pop...little backfire....and after checking spark related stuff and clearing that...thought I might have a cam going....had'nt checked the clearences as yet....Studes run a solid cam.... Lawrence
it's my green hooded 56....the 49 truck sat often and the 55 Commander sat from 1971 until 2008....both the 49' and 55' left as runners.....
I have a 55 Champion 2dr and a 64 Commander 4dr. Would like to have that 55 Commander. Got any more pictures of it? Dave.
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