Stuck Engine

drivergo2
drivergo2 Expert Adviser
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Is There A Way To Free Up A Engine That Has Not Been Run For 16 Years, An Guessing Its Stuck. A 262 With Twin H I Think. Thanks John Drivergo2:)

Comments

  • It will take you some time but pull the plugs and pour marvel oil or something of the like down them leave for day then try turning engine over by hand. Pour some more down till you can turn over by hand when you can drain oil put in new stuff and slowly turn over with plugs out when turned over a bit put in plugs and try to fire up with both figures crossed. If that does not work pull the head and see whats what.
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    When I bought my '50 C8 some years ago it was on the back of a tow truck headed directly to the scrap yard. When I got a chance to look at it closely I noticed that the spark plugs were out of it and that it was froze up. I poured a mixture of kerosene and ATF down the plug holes and tried to free it up. I was able to get it rotate counter-clockwise but it would only go clockwise to a certain point and stop with a hollow thud. I figured that because the plugs were missing when I got it somebody before me had tried to free it up as well. I proceeded to take the head off only to find a good sized mouse nest in the number four cylinder. Lots of dirt, fibers, bits of seeds and mouse droppings all resided in the hole. I was puzzled as to how a mouse could get in there. One of the oldtimers at my buddy's shop said that mice will often nest in mufflers and exhaust pipes. (I know that he was right about that as I've seen that happen several times). He also said that mice will migrate up the exhaust pipe and go into a cylinder past an open exhaust valve. That surprised me, but I guess mice aren't claustrophobic. Anyway, apparently whoever owned it before me decided that the way to free up a stuck engine was to tow it down the street, put it in gear and pop the clutch. I surmised that was the case because the top of that number four piston was cracked. When I tore down the engine further, I also found that the number four connecting rod was twisted. Clearly some SOB was too lazy to pull the head off and take a look at what lay beneath. Please don't anyone ever be as lazy as that jerk.
  • bigboy308
    bigboy308 Expert Adviser
    I read somewhere in my motorcycle travels that Olive Oil was excellent for freeing up stuck pistons---I can't vouch for it working, but the post swears that it works great on his BSA twin!! Seems like it "slips" thru almost any nook/cranny/opening. Anyone out there is welcome to try!!
  • I can vouch for the mouse nest in the cylinder. That's what stuck the engine on my Power Wagon. Those little critters sure are corrosive.



    My advice is to try the various mixtures of oil and try to turn it gently. If it doesn't free up, don't force it. Pull the head and valve covers and see what is going on in there. Make sure the valves aren't stuck. If you turn the engine with a valve stuck, you can do more damage than the cost of a head gasket.



    Good Luck

    Steve
  • One of my Jets had a stuck motor. The I got bought it from said it ran about 20 years ago. He said it would run for a couple of minutes then the number 2 plug would pop out. They shut it off put the plug back in, start it up, POP! there it goes again. It had a stripped threads. So they said the hell with it, put it in a shed with a roof but no sides.

    Well after 20 years, and a few familys of raccoons and a condo of mice I bought it. I got it home, poured everything and any thing that every seasoned mech, old guy and Anybody who had turned at least one wrench in there life in it. Brake fluid, atf, kerosene, diesel fuel, marvel mystery, and even coke.

    STILL STUCK! this went on for two or three months, We even decided to be a jerk and drag all over my farm Bent the pefect grill while we pilled it. Guess what? STILL STUCK!!

    Pulled the motor out, tore it down. Had to take about a 5 pound sledge with a piece of wood, and commence to beat the hell out of it!! Well it decided to let go, come right out like it was about 2 sizes too small.

    Well after a few beers we decided to look and see why it was STUCK, What we came up with is that after the plug popped out they must have cranked the engine over several times, thus filling the cylinder full of gas. There was a ring of something very crusty around the piston and in the cylinder wher the piston had stopped.

    I really hope that you can get yours un STUCK without going what I went through with mine!!

    The engine is still on the stand, I decided not to restore this jet, Too rusty, So I found another one, With an un STUCK motor, The other Jet is now a donar car. That is my story and I'm STICKING too it!



    Good Luck, Barry Smedley
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    "condo of mice" -- way funny!
  • SamJ
    SamJ Senior Contributor
    Speaking of mice, I use an aircraft penetrating oil with the unlikely name of "mouse milk." I've never used it to unstick an engine, but the stuff is amazing on stuck bolts, studs, etc. I buy mine right from the manufacturer at http://www.mousemilk.com/, but if you Google "Mouse Milk" you will see other sources. This stuff is really unbelievable...:cool:
  • Bought a 41 hudson with a "stuck" motor. Head was off for who knows how long. It's a six. For three years I soaked the pistons. I used Kroll oil [I'm a very patient guy] while I did various other things on the car. Every month I'd hit the tops with a 2x2. Very little movement. The oil soaked through every piston except one. Worked it back and forth without trying to destroy anything. Finally got the motor all apart and it was a mess. Five areas on the crank and rods were thrashing against each other. Needs much work but I'm still going to rebuild it. Bought another super six to put in until this ones finished. Did I mention I'm patient?
  • have had thee best luck, with diesel lfuell. fill cyls and let set for a day or two, then try turning engine BILL ALBRIGHT
  • If you desire to save the engine it's best to pull the head and pan first off. If the engine has been sitting for a long peroid of time and it has become stuck hard, chances are the vehicle was put away due to major issue. such as a blown head gasket. If that was the case there would have been water/coolant in the pan as well as in at least two cylinders. With exposure to a large amount of liquid this would allow heavy rust to occur between the rings and the cylinder walls and corrosion between the pistons and cylinder.

    What about the valves!? Thay may be stuck as well
    Our Hudsons are no longer $100.00 cars so treat them right!

    Happy Hudsoning

    Fred
  • Hudsy Wudsy
    Hudsy Wudsy Senior Contributor
    Fred Connors wrote:
    If you desire to save the engine it's best to pull the head and pan first off. If the engine has been sitting for a long peroid of time and it has become stuck hard, chances are the vehicle was put away due to major issue. such as a blown head gasket. If that was the case there would have been water/coolant in the pan as well as in at least two cylinders. With exposure to a large amount of liquid this would allow heavy rust to occur between the rings and the cylinder walls and corrosion between the pistons and cylinder.

    What about the valves!? Thay may be stuck as well
    Our Hudsons are no longer $100.00 cars so treat them right!

    Happy Hudsoning

    Fred



    You're absolutely right about some major engine issue being the reason that it was parked in the first place. I currently have a frozen up Wasp which I later discovered had a blown headgasket. I don't know how likely it is to be true, but I fear that there might be enough corrosion in there to break a piston ring or, worse, a ring land on a piston. A reasonable amount of soaking wasn't enough to break it lose when I first got the car so I'm not going to try anything else until I get the head off.
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