Hey there. Just wondering if anybody has ever heard of using iodine to unseize an engine? A few years back, a dude with a 65 Buick Wildcat that he picked up from a wrecker put iodine down the cylinders and a few days later she broke loose. The worst part about this is, that I could have bought it from him for 300 bones but wasn't home when he was desperate to sell By the way it was a 2 door hardtop with a big block...story of my life If anyone has any idea what I could do, please let me know. It's a 235 out of my 57 Chev...turned over about 3 years ago, but now, nothin! Thanx
I used the search function last night on this very same topic and read for about a hour on different ways to unseize an engine. You really need to go there first. Remedies were anything from Coca cola to high pressure grease. It was fascinating reading.
Dump some wd-40, ATF, and PB Blaster down each cylinder and let it sit for a few days. Then leave the plugs out and put a breaker bar on the front crank bolt and give it a push. I''ve unstuck a couple engines this way. Once it breaks loose, turn it over by hand a few times and then throw a battery in it. Dump some more in the cylinders and crank it with the plugs out by using the starter. After that, throw the plugs in and see if it'll start. Yeah there are better (more correct) ways to do it, but this will work. Bill
If you know it turned a few years ago, and it hasn't managed to somehow get water inside it, it shouldn't be that difficult to free up. However, while you'll always hear stories about how someone unstuck a seized engine and then ran it across the country and back with no problems, once an engine has seized, I'd at least pop the head(s) off it and replace the rings if I was at all serious about using it, especially on something as simple as a 235--you should be able to rering it in an afternoon.
The "Crease's dad" method of un-seizing an engine. Unfortunately, It's gotta be in the car. 1) Pour a crap load of Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder. 2) Let engine sit for 24 hours 3) Put car in first gear 4) Push the clutch in 5) Drag that puppy along behind a really ratty looking pickup using 12 feet of chain and the pipe from your 6 year old sons swing set. 6) Get'er goin about 35 - 40 mph and pop the clutch This has worked several times, but 27 years later I am still pissed about my swing set.
I have only seen two penatrating oils that really work. one is enforce I buy at napa. the other is made by john deere. I just spray a bunch in the cylinders and start working it back and forth. or trying to work it back and forth.
It's not Diesel alone, it's Diesel mixed with water. Unsticks most anything............unless you've been bowling with slugs.
merval mystrier oil..works great..i have used it on a 60 comet that sat since 1976that was seized and also a 39 chevy with a 327 sbc that sat since 1972..let it set for 3 or 4 days then turn it by hand..works great..
I've had good luck with a mixture of 10W40 and Liquid Wrench soaking a week or two. The 10W40 works better than the Liquid Wrench, but it evaporates relatively quickly, so the Liquid Wrench is doing most of the soaking. Re-wet the cylinders every two or three days. Be patient or you'll break rings even when trying to turn by hand if it hasn't soaked long enough. I know folks that swear by PB Blaster, but I've never had it break anything loose that I've used it on. The old-timers tell me that kerosene is the best thing to use for this, but I haven't tried it. They also tell me that the only active ingredient in Marvel Mystery Oil is kerosene.
I'll 3rd the Marvel Mystery Oil. use a lot, and let it sit. When you get ready to turn the motor over even by hand, throw a shitty blanket or something over it, or you will have a HUGE mess to clean up.
When I bought my '31 Plymouth, the original 4 cyl engine in it hadn't run since 1953 and was seized up. It had sat in a barn all those years and was full of chicken crap and wasp nests. I poured some ATF in through the spark plug holes and then it sat around for about a year. I figured that engine was hosed, but what the hell. Later on, I was selling the old transmission to a guy and when I went to unbolt the clutch plate, the engine turned over -- easily! It was amazing. It turned over so easily, it probably would have run if I'd poured some gas in it. The guy decided to buy the engine from me at that point too. ATF has a lot of detergent in it, so maybe that's what does the trick. That stuff called "Gibb's Brand" that works pretty well as a penetrating oil is pink. I wonder if ATF is one of the magic ingredients in that stuff.
Iodine? I guess it would help if your seized engine has a skinned knee. If iodine stings too much, you can try Mercurochrome.
I'm trying to unstick the 235 in my 53 chevy as we speak. I've been soaking it in diesel for about a month now with no luck. From what I've heard diesel is slow. Seems I've got proof. My cousin says he's used a product called Fluid Film with some success. Had it in my engine for 4 days now with one re-apply. Heading out to the garage to see what I get shortly. Nieghbourhood mechanic told me to try soaking in ATF (and to run a little in my oil to clean up the rings once it's broke free and running).
I'll 4th the Marvel Mystery Oil my old man used it and I too used it several times thru-out the years. Everybody had a can of MMO sitting around!
There was a big discussion on this a while back and DOT brake fluid was suggested. I filled every cylinder in my '52 Ford with it and it's been soaking all winter. Gonna pull it around with a chain and pop the clutch this spring to see if it worked. We'll see.
I used MMO and ATF on an engine that had been sitting for a while. Worked for me, but smoked like hell when it started
I'll 5th the Marvel Mystery Oil. I used to do the coca-cola thing until they changed the original formula, then we switched to MMO.
omc power tune-use it just like any of the other suggestions-let it soak it works on motors that have been on the bottom of lakes for extended stays.
all the suggestions using atf,kroil,diesel,pb blaster..... are all great idea's mainly go have to be patient! good luck.
If soaking doesn't work and the motor is out of the car flip it over and pull the pan.Get yourself a block of dry ice(frozen CO2) and chip it up real good then dump the chips into the upside down pistons.Hopefully the extreme cold will contract the pistons enough to roll the motor over with a breaker bar. Oh Yea-be careful when handling the dry ice....use good gloves!
Marvel mystery oil once again. One way to cheat the time process is using a torch to warm up the block, let it cool, repeat. The heating and cooling action will help wick the penetrating oil into the "stuck". Just don't get it too hot and screw stuff up. Good Luck
LOL,,,,I am amazed at all the crap people use for this "stuck engine" deal. It really depends on the definition of stuck. Now, in my case, I used damn near all the shit listed here to no avail. I said fuck it, got a four pound sledge and a very large round bar and beat the shit out of the piston(s) from the bottom. Finally, after days of soaking and beating I got 7 of em out. The last one brought part of the cylinder wall and the right corner of the block with it. I nearly shit. One very fucked up and rare MEL block.......LOL
Another vote for MMO. That sht does everything! I'd leave her sit for at least a weekleast a week then try the chain and pop the clutch method if she's still locked up. But expect that you may ruin the rings in the process, no matter what you try. Jan
Marvel Mystery Oil works great. Had a outboard motor that locked up when my dads boat sunk in the bay, filled up the cylanders with the stuff over a month or so kept adding more oil and flushing it out, eventualy it freeed up
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