Searched and couldnt really find a good answer, but anyway I have an older (1974) 302 with the auto C4 still hooked up. Going to put it in my 1950 Ford. Anyway, its out of the car but seems to be seized/stuck. I cant crank it over by hand, but before I get too crazy with it, does it matter that the tranny is still hooked up? I took the starter off already but same thing. So does tranny need to be off, or should I just start getting ready to pour mm oil in the plugs and try it in a week? Condition wise it was stored dry and mouse free, still has oil and tranny fluid so I know its not a complete wreck (yet)..<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Trans on or off should make no difference. You start the engine in park/neutral. If you don't hook up a neutral start switch the engine will start in gear (guess how I know). If the torque converter is stuck somehow this would make a difference. Piston rings are probably glued to the cylinders. Good luck and best wishes. Matt
Do you know any history on the motor, ie, when was the last time it ran ? Pull all the plugs and leave them out, pour your favorite penetrant into each spark plug hole until they won't take any more, and let it sit overnight. Next day put a breaker bar on the crank bolt and gently try to move it one way and then the other. Usually this problem is the rings rusting into the bores and it is surprising how little it takes to freeze up a motor. You may have to keep doing that for a few days, and I am sure someone on here will have their favorite mixture to suggest you use. Don
I like to pour couple of ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil into each cylinder and then wrap a rag around an air nozzle and give it a blast so that its spread around well in the cylinder. Helps to insure that rings get coated thoroughly. And rather than cause further damage like to wait at least 48 hours maybe repeating the process a second time before even considering trying to turn it over. Patience is your best friend with a stuck motor.
take an old sparkplug and remove the entire porcelain piece...weld on a 1/8" pipe coupling onto the top side of the plug housing...now screw a 1/8" threaded zerk fitting into the threaded hole on top....thread the entire gizmo into a sparkplug hole using a cylinder with both valves closed.....attach your grease gun and pump....will bust loose any stuck engine....make sure the piston is before TDC....I used the power grease gun at the garage...worked like a charm.
Good advice. While I have an engine out I always change the oil pump, clean out the oil pan, and replace the timing chain. It is so much easier to do those things while the motor is out than after it is back in the car, and those parts seem to have a way of biting you if you don't change them. It is also a good idea to change the rear and front seals at the same time. Don
You're taking some poetic license when you say "will bust loose any stuck engine" I assume? Sometimes an engine is stuck so tight that the only way to resurrect them is through the use of blunt force to the point of piston destruction.
Engine will turn regardless of trans on or off or what gear its in, manual or auto. Was engine running when pulled? Penetrating lube in cylinders is always good but pull covers and pour fresh oil over valve train and let sit 48 hours then move crank back and forth till free. good luck.
Used marvel mystery oil, let sit two days an now turns over easily. Will still pull it apart but I'm pretty relieved it turns over. Thanks for all the advise!
Good to hear not much trouble to get it free. Chances are the rings were rusted to cylinder wall. You may have slight oil burning when it gets all running in the car, as the pits can hold a small amount of oil. Won't be a reliability issue, but might use some oil.
One of those things you will never know short of popping the heads off.... If it loosened up quickly, it may just have been gummed up more than anything. Bob
This came to me reading this...I thought it would aply.When I was trying to unstick my desoto 330.Stuck beyond repair.A machinist told me to be very careful when driving pistons out with force,he has cracked bores by beating on pistons. Another guy I know used a home tool made from a hole saw.he cuts pistons out by drilling down to ring,picking each ring out individually and redrilling till all rings are removed.Once rings are gone piston comes out free with minimal force. My 2c
That is possible but not necessarily true, if stuck that bad you can break the grip from the cylinder wall to the point where the engine might run but still have the rings stuck in the grooves. If that is the case it will wear the cylinders very quickly. Hopefully it was more gummed up than anything.
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