Saving a rusty seized engine

[miller]

I suppose one could argue that I've a lot to still learn

Nope! That is how you learn. Hands on is X10.

Suggestion, if it hasn't been made, yet. Get a bore measurement, to the thousandths, as accurate as possible, on at least one cylinder. If it's already 60 over, block is scrap anyway. Crank, rods and such might be good.

 

[miller]

Okay...gotta ask. Your trying to get that engine to 'turn', right? To save it, or make it run??

ONLY one way to save that engine. Has to be rebuilt, and rebuildable.
Forget about making it turn. Needs to come out, on a stand, or the floor, and torn down!
Engine, trans OFF, engine up-side-down, pan off. Pull all the rod caps. Then, with a hammer, and piece of wood, knock the pistons out of the bores, through the head surface. The wood on the pistons, not the rods.

You start getting pistons out, yeah, the engine should turn. But, the whole thing needs to be overhauled.

 

[Durandal25]

Okay...gotta ask. Your trying to get that engine to 'turn', right? To save it, or make it run??

ONLY one way to save that engine. Has to be rebuilt, and rebuildable.
Forget about making it turn. Needs to come out, on a stand, or the floor, and torn down!
Engine, trans OFF, engine up-side-down, pan off. Pull all the rod caps. Then, with a hammer, and piece of wood, knock the pistons out of the bores, through the head surface. The wood on the pistons, not the rods.

You start getting pistons out, yeah, the engine should turn. But, the whole thing needs to be overhauled.

....lol. I'm there. Going to start tomorrow.

 

[Durandal25]

I think I should change this post to: " How trying to save a rusty motor breaks your balls."

 

[miller]

Just took a fresh look at your photos...

Crank and rods. Could be part of the reason it won't turn. Rusted. At the crank journals, each 'pair' of side by side rods, looks like some corrosion. Top end of the rods solid rust. Much pitting on those rods, I wouldn't use 'em.

As I said in the PM, is how I'd do it. Crank looks steel (not cast)...maybe saveable.
Block, maybe, if there's enough meat left in the bores.

Another prime example, good reason for a tear down...my 440. No rust, engine turned, blah, blah. Yeah, it sat for awhile. The oil pickup tube screws into the block. When I pulled the tube from my block, the large oil port, from the tube to the oil pump...was almost completely blocked, by a build up of corrosion inside the port!

 

[MCODECUDA]

I just rechecked your pictures and agree that the rods look rusted plus is this a crack in the block?

 

[Don Frelier]

Looks like a casting line to me.
The rust there doesn't look excessive, it's the bores that concern me.
Can you get some good pictures of them?

 

[Durandal25]

I just rechecked your pictures and agree that the rods look rusted plus is this a crack in the block?

View attachment 877381

Casting line

 

[Durandal25]

Looks like a casting line to me.
The rust there doesn't look excessive, it's the bores that concern me.
Can you get some good pictures of them?

The rust in the bores is light powder....comes off with a shop towel. I think the issue is the rings are rusted thick in their grooves. Was thinking of pushing the pistons out one at a time from below and trying the crank until I can get it rotated enough the unbolt the flexplate......pulling engine

 

[Don Frelier]

If you are going to pull the motor, then just pull the whole thing engine & trans.
Pistons have to come out the bottom.
Seems as though if you can get it to move at all, then just put a big bar on it and rotate it.

 

[miller]

trying the crank until I can get it rotated enough the unbolt the flexplate......pulling engine

Don't even worry about that! It's only a 'chance' the flexplate could bent. Don't tell anyone, but I've even straightened the dang thing back!

Once you get enough parts and pieces out of the way, pull the engine/trans together. Simply drop the trans crossmember, shove some plywood under the trans tailshaft, and pull. Trans will drop, as the engine comes up, tailshaft housing easily handled.
Up, and over the radiator support, raise the trans back end up...and all out.

Once on the ground, unbolt the trans, and separate it from the engine. It will slip right out. THEN, you can pull the trans converter. (Could be junk, anyway.)

I would not turn the crank...until you pull all the rod caps, that you can get to, off. Those rods/pistons can, then, be knocked out of the block. Then, you can have an idea what the shape of the crank is in...and a much better chance of getting it to turn.

 

[RPMagoo]

Pour Marvel Mystery Oil in the plug holes. and let it set for a few days, then try to turn it.

 

[Durandal25]

Pour Marvel Mystery Oil in the plug holes. and let it set for a few days, then try to turn it.

...we tried that a while back. Pulled heads ect....

 

[Durandal25]

So the final verdict on this one is, can you save a seized engine......yes.....and no. lol. So, what I found through patience and patient advice is, just about everyone on here was right in one way or another.....
1. Head removal and piston inspection is a must. Period.
2. The rings going to be gummed up and stuck.
3. The wrist pins are going to be frozen hard.
4. On any of these cars that have sat as long as this one, its worth it ten times over to pull and assess original anything...
5. Finding a 1967 $.25 quarter and $.1 71 penny was boss.


....so in the end, this motor is going to the machine shop....but it really does look to be ok and close to standard bore. Crank and bearings look fine.