Technical anyone tried CLR to unstick a frozen short block?

CLR works well to unclog heater cores, in my experience.

 

Yep the missus swears by it ^^^^ and it works. I mix it with oil usually ATF if I got it just because I do.

 

If all of the above potions fail then drill a mess of big holes through the tops of the pistons close
to the cylinder walls and behind the rings. Add a bit of heat if ya like. Should spin.....

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or I could just aim a small nuclear warhead at it...Sweet jesus Seb! Its a '70 351 Windsor, Kinda nice if there was actually something left.
To be fair, I havent been clear enough, I have no doubt I can get it unstuck, if I pull the trans off, remove the crank, and hammer the pistons loose.
The idea is to get the****embled short block to turn over, so I can turn the crank and access the converter bolts, and remove the trans from the back without damage.

 

Bought a can of***** last summer called "Nuts Off ", seemed to be good penetrating oil. I don't know if it will work for what you want to do, but it brings a lot of comments just sitting on the shelf in the garage.

 

Ill update this, I gave one bank a second application of atf/acetone yesterday, and it looks like it might have worked on that side. I will try to turn it again this morning, and if it wont turn, Ill roll it 90 so the other bank is facing up, and try some CLR on that side, I will report back as to what happens. I'm willing to experiment a bit, Im in no great rush to get this thing apart, it will just go in the stash, and probably be used for trading stock or sold.

 

Since you got Nothing to loose, here is something to try, as a case study:

Orange juice, aminoacid works

Drain un clocker, kaotic soda works

Or wood wedge under the crank with one of those truck style ratched straps around, and then water the wood. Its how they split stone Block ad old querys in denmark: they just used wedges in a crack, beat on twice a day, water it when you have the time.

And last but not least, fire down belove. Remove pan, start a small campfire under the mill, and keep in burning for at least 20 minuts, leave so much gap under the mill that it don't catch fire. And beat the piston out with a BFH.

If it dosent come after some beating, cold water on the piston does wonders.
It commonly used on old tractors and farm equiptment. Proven to work!

Other then that Cola, torch, molasses and industrial Citrus acid in 10-12 pund back does a nice job on rust in general

 

O.K., guess it's the usual for me: Yep, story time.

Coupla years ago, my friend Frank (retired Game Warden and charter member of the 'Valve Burners', Merced) came over and saw my nice 12:1 TRWs with rings stuck in the lands, a gift from a 'low-maintenance' type that figured they were just junk.

Frank said, "The farmers around here have a perfect solution for this very thing. (rusty steel next to aluminum) "Mix 2 parts diesel to 1 part WD40 and soak 'em, it'll free 'em right up."
I got 2 gallons of diesel, and 1 gallon of WD, Walmart provided a 14" X 30" plastic tub, 6" deep.
Pistons had rods attached, so I laid 'em like 69696969.

Left 'em in for a week,... Man! They were shiny, the rings had shed the rust, (not that I'd use the rings!)
but everything was soooo clean!
I removed the rings, blew the pistons off good, then...so they wouldn't oxydize, placed 'em back in the miracle solution, they could only get better, at this rate.

Musta got sidetracked, 'cause one day (about 7 or 8 months later) I pulled the tub out from under the bench.
The solution had thickened, and the slugs looked (and felt) like they were packed in cosmoline! I'm talkin' 3/16" thick! And kind of a yellowish-golden hue...
Grrrrr..... Berryman B-12 Chemtool (carb cleaner) was only $55, and after soaking 2 at a time, they were clean again.
Great stuff...Just don't forget it for months.

 

Got annoyed and yanked the trans off the back, its an FMX, so I pulled the trans/bellhousing bolts out one at a time, screwed some long 5/8 bolts in there, and slid it back on the bolts till the input shaft was out of the converter, didn't damage the converter or input shaft, and its a little easier to manipulate now. I'll give it a couple more days, and if it doesn't free up, I'll drop the pan and main/rod caps, pull the crank, and beat them out with a 2x4 and a BFH. Great story Mike, if it really turns out to be stubborn********, I'll try that.

 

Never had a motor with all the pistons stuck. But have had a few with a couple stuck. I have had luck by cleaning the cylinder the best I can with whatever works ( scraper, screwdriver, wire brush). And than pour lots of boiling water in. It's worked for me more than once.

 

Falcongeorge.

I have never had much luck with the 2X4 BFH plus I have always worried about possibly stressing the cylinder walls. What has worked for me is, once you get the crank out, take an air hammer on low pressure and with the pointy tool work your way around the pistons above the ring land. Than apply a little more pressure to the center of the slug. Repeat as necessary. If you break through the piston top then move on to the rod small end. It might be more efficient to weld a slug of 1 inch or so to the hammer tool to spread the load but I haven't had to do it. Go slow they will come out. Good Luck.

Mike.

 

They aren't all stuck, I think theres probably 4? 3 on one bank, one on the other I think? It can always be a bit hard to tell until you can get it to roll a bit. I will try the boiling water, that sounds good.

 

Done the ice water, boiling water trick. Shop vac helps on that one.

Diesel soak, and 2 man team works, 1 on the beaker bar, 1 on a 2x4 and a hammer, not trying to break anything, just rocking it and whack the piston heads

 

JB80 from Justice Brothers works great on rust.

 

One more, dry ice on piston tops..There two 351's here in the woods by me if you need more..probably stuck as good as yours as the valve covers are rusted through..

 

heaven forbid. No, this steaming turd came to me as part of a package deal, I plan to get rid of it, probably as trading stock. Besides, I have a nice '71 4v 4 bolt main std bore Cleveland core here as part of the same package, why would I want the Windsor? I'll sell the turd of a Windsor to some avid Car Craft reader...

 

phosphoric acid and water 50/50.P.A.is available at Home Cheapo .basically metal prep,like ospho.

 

If you can get your hands on kroil it works like a charm.

 

I was told by someone at a junk yard to use ammonia I filled the cylinders and let it sit overnight .came in the next day and I was able to turn the engine .

 

Oxalic acid may be the ticket for removing rust with perhaps some dish soap to make it creep better. AAA Supply House for taxidermists in Calgary & it may be available closer to you.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/tech-using-oxalic-acid-to-remove-rust.248198/
http://www.nsra.org.uk/newforum/showthread.php?16115-Dr-Timo-s-amazing-one-hour-acid-rust-bath!

My friends had a 1935 oldsmobile that was seized when I was in highschool around 1966. The head was pulled, penetrating oil applied and a birch firewood log. They put the birch log in the cylinders and hit the log with a big hammer, moving from cylinder to cylinder & it eventually came free. Then they drove it for a while to tear to up a field.
Good luck with your quest.