Stuck motor

[2xcrash]

My 54 I just got won't turn over. New battery, wires look ok, and the lights work. The first time I tried it my neg terminal melted at the connection to the wires. Reclamped the wires tried again. The fan moved about 4 inches. and the starter was trying but no go. The truck was sitting for about 2 years. Its a 460 motor but I don't know what its out of.... What should I do next????? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Unkl Ian]

Pull all the plugs and try to turn it over by hand.
If you force it,you could crack a ring.

[jalopy43]

Pull all the sparkplugs out.Shoot a lot of PB Blaster in all the cylinders. With a breaker bar,or flywheel wrench try to rock the engine over a little at a time.What did the oil look like? was there water in the pan? If it still does not move,at least drop the pan and check for broken stuff!!! Save your money for a rebuild,or 'nother engine. Throw an engine pull party,the fun is just starting!! Glenn

[2xcrash]

The oil was black and had a gas smell to it. It seemed thinned out. I'm finishing putting in a pool. I think when it's done I might just throw that party, maybe chop my 50 shoebox's top too. Some B.B.Q.and people can bring their family http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Boy the neighbors are going to love me!!!

[jalopy43]

Black,thin,gas smelling oil? Could have been running rich,or the rings were wore out letting gas and blowby slip past them,washing the cylinder walls dry. Then the 2 years sitting, the rings rusted to the cylinder walls,hence.. the frozen condition. Penetrating oil in the cylinders,carefully turning it over,hoping you dont break a ring,you may get away with it. However if the walls are pitted badly,it will smoke like a frieghttrain!, then your neighbors will REALLY love you! Like I said the fun is just starting! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Glenn

[HRH]

Crash, 1st thing make sure if the motor has a negative or positive ground, that might be the reason for the terminal wire burning out. I presume it still has the straight six in it. To free up rings, I'll usually use kerosene or marvel mystery oil, just pour in and let it sit over night. Is it 6volt or 12 volt? Give a little more info on the motor and maybe we can help you out.

[Oilcan Harry]

Pull the plugs and be sure it doesn't have a cylinder full of water.

[2xcrash]

[ QUOTE ]
Its a 460 motor but I don't know what its out of.... What should I do next????? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]Thanks for the heads up though. I made that mistake on my 50 shoebox (FNG http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif) fried my lights and my starter relay. If this thing doesn't break free What eng/trans combo do you think would work well for a daily driver that will tow a trailer.

[mybeatupford]

i say you just give me the car n motor n everything and just get rid of the whole problem for you hehe http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[2studedude]

I've used diesel or #2 stove oil (same) to free stuck engines. Just depends on how much time you have and how unwilling you really are to pull the engine out. Many times you have to pull the head and the pan anyway to work on the hole(s) that are stuck. Just reefing on the balancer bolt with a breaker is only asking for a stripped or broken bolt.

Minimum soak time has been 2 to 4 weeks, but I have gone as long as a year if I thought I wanted to try to keep the pistons.

2stude

[2xcrash]

I'm not too attached to the motor and trans. I'm always leary of stuff I've gotten from strangers. I was thinking of the chevy 350/350 eng/trans swap, but I just cant bring myself to put chevy into ford. I'll pull the plugs today and start sokin down the motor. If it stays stuck I'll pass the stuff to someone who is more experanced at eng work.

[hollywud]

You could always use my father-in-laws favorite idea........cant get it to turn.......drain all the oil and fill the sombitch full a diesel fuel!

[Flat Ernie]

As previously mentioned, pull the plugs, shoot plenty of your favorite penetrating oil (WD40, PB Blaster, LPS#1, Kroil, etc) down the plug holes & work the crank back & forth by hand. The preferred method is with a flywheel turner, but you might get by with a breaker bar on the crank bolt (be careful).

If you can get it to rock back & forth, you'll likely get it free. But if you can only move it a little, it may be worth an overnight (or 2 or 7) soak. My favorite mixture is 75% diesel or kerosene + 25% ATF.

Concentrate on the cyls first. If an overnight or two won't get you much further than 1/4 turn on the rocking, fill the whole damn engine up - crankcase, intake, etc. Let it soak some more - maybe a week on the outside. It'll be messy as hell, but usually it'll come free.

If it doesn't come free after that, it prolly isn't worth fooling with. In any event, if you have to soak it more than a day, you probably have at least one cylinder that will be much worse off than the rest...but it may get you on the road and that's always a good thing.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Digger_Dave]

[ QUOTE ]
As previously mentioned, pull the plugs, shoot plenty of your favorite penetrating oil (WD40, PB Blaster, LPS#1, Kroil, etc) down the plug holes & work the crank back & forth by hand. The preferred method is with a flywheel turner, but you might get by with a breaker bar on the crank bolt (be careful). http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I was going through some old notes last night.

Using all of the above... then; "put a breaker bar on the front crank nut, with a piece of pipe over the handle of the breaker bar, jack up the front of the car (this assumes the engine is still in the car) and position the pipe (extention) so it' resting on the ground. Gently lower the car so there is a "load" on the pipe. (and on the breaker bar on the front nut) Go for a cool one (or maybe a couple) and return to see if the engine has turned. Depending on how "stuck" the engine is; the penetrating oil, and resting the car on the pipe should eventually move the engine."

If not; well, you might have a mighty fine "boat anchor!!"

[stealthcruiser]

same here on all the penetrating oil remedies(marvel mystery oil is my favorite),but one thing i do different.
i took a junk spark plug,busted out the porcelain,and welded in a male air nipple.
this allows you to give the cylinders a shot of shop air,provided the valves are closed on that cylinder,and forces the penetrant past the rings in a little more timely fashion.

[2xcrash]

Well sprayed it down with some PB Blaster, but I think on my way home I'll get some disel. My neighbor said the same about using it too. We just split the cost of a wall between us but I told him if he can get a good running motor and install it we'll call it even.... I'll keep ya posted

[atch]

i've never done this, but have heard of it enough times to think that it will work (and there was a thread on it a couple of years back, too. maybe a search will turn it up. oh, sh*t, did i say search? sorry, ryan).

do what cruiser did with the old spark plug, but weld a threaded fitting into it that you can screw a zerk into. find a piston that's somewhere about half way through its downward stroke. put the plug into that hole and remove all the others. use an ordinary hand-held grease gun and fill the cylinder with grease. keep pumping. air compresses. who knows how much pressure can be developed against a piston top? grease won't compress. when the cylinder is full it's full. can't put any more in. a grease gun developes a LOT of pressure. many times over what you can get out of an air compressor. anyway, you can put GOBS of force on the piston with the grease.

btw; the reason that you want a piston half way down is because it will have the crankshaft at about 90 degrees which will put the biggest moment (or lever arm) on it trying to twist it. anywhere on a downward stroke could work, but half way down is the optimum.

let us know what you use and how it turns out.

[briggs&strattonChev]

[ QUOTE ]
did i say search? sorry, ryan

[/ QUOTE ]

am I missing something?

if it has only sat for 2 years it shouldnt be stuck that tight, I know of a 264 nailhead that sat behind a barn since the mid 70's and last summer a guy put a battery and gas in it and it fired up. Of course thats probably kinda rare though, but if your fan moved then it should be able to be wiggled loose. Dont break the crank pulley bolt if you can help it. Its harder, but probably better to pry on the flywheel.

Briggs

[manyolcars]

Hi Steve, I sent you an email. Let me know if you dont get it

[ QUOTE ]
Well sprayed it down with some PB Blaster, but I think on my way home I'll get some disel. My neighbor said the same about using it too. We just split the cost of a wall between us but I told him if he can get a good running motor and install it we'll call it even.... I'll keep ya posted

[/ QUOTE ]

[Rand Man]

Have you eliminated an electrical problem? I've had a poor engine ground melt the negative cable. Bad grounds are pretty common in old cars like ours. I've seen starters going bad that will do the same thing. If you had a manual transmission, you could try the old pull start method. It worked countless times down on the farm. Could be a little embarrassing in town though.

[2xcrash]

IT'S ALIVE http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif The PB Blaster worked, when it started up there was a hellofalotof smoke and that's when I heard that there was no exuast back past the headers. WOW that pissed off the neighbors.... Now I need to find out why I'm not getting fuel to the carb.Gas in the tank but I think the fuel pump isn't working. Is there any way of testing it. If i fill a sports bottle with gas and send a line from it to the carb I can force gas into the carb but it's not picking up suction.... It's a 460 t bird motor with an edelbrock 4 barel (sp) carb...

[plan9]

did you check to see if the gas was bad? gas sitting for 2 yrs in a tank might be the culprit, and could lead to the engine running like crap... you could also have a clogged line if the carb isnt getting fuel... the fuel pump can also be hosed.

im assuming youre getting some gas since it actually ran for a period of time. check the lines going from the fuel pump to the carb, if you get a steady stream of fuel, chances are the carb needs some work... perhaps spray the carb with CARB CLEANER, wait about 15 min and start it up again.