I have a ford galaxie 500 and has been sitting for about 23 years and I want to fix it up and I checked the pistons and they are not rusted. any help with this solution well be greatly appreciated
Have you had the valve covers off, and if so, what did you see? Rusted rockers? How did you check the pistons?
If your going to "fix it up" then just rebuild the engine, then you know what you got. Could the seizing be why it been sitting? If you must unseize it, do it pieces at a time, take the heads off and get the rotating assembly turning. Then get the heads freed up (valves).
Did it with a submerged 265" SBC. Try marvel mystery oil in the cylinders, wait 1-2 days and scraping the bores clean. Back the pistons down ~ 1/4" (scrape above) then they'll come up. It's easy to bend a rod if you get heavy handed!
All the old farts I have ever asked default to a couple of answers, I only have tried one. #1=50/50 acetone and ATF. #2=home brew is Coca Cola. But I don't know...it will eat all the rust off a nail in a container pretty fasty, but...?? #3=Some better penetrating oils referenced here, and processes. "unfreeze foozen engine" His typo makes the titr=le easy to remember, and find...I just found it again right away! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=420933&highlight=foozen Some other good ones mentioned: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271027&highlight=penetrating+oil or... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333218&highlight=penetrating+oil or... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=350800&highlight=best+penetrating+oil or... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=326025&highlight=best+penetrating+oil
Here is a thread, with links to others in it, too. Good luck. Try a couple. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=424111&highlight=use+marvel+mystery+oil
...PISTONS? ...RUSTING? A 390 Ford is an FE series engine but I'm positive Henry didn't use iron pistons, just aluminum (Al) The symbol for Iron in the periodic table is Fe, ...confusing ain't it? What's it all about AlFe?
**************************************************************** THANKS!!! I spit my coffee all over my new 19" screen! That was hilarious. By the way...If you want the best thing for soaking the pistons thru the spark plug holes, just mix 70% diesel with 30% WD40: 3 days and it will turn, at least will break free easily. FE also stood for Ford/Edsel, in the Ford archives papers...
oddly ironic; i just revived a 302 Sunday after it sticking 4-5 years ago. when i stored it, having no time to spare on it, i soaked it with PB blaster, and Sunday unwrapped it and soaked it again with WD40. since it had do oil pan on it, i set it on end and used a piece of 2x8 and a BFH to whop the reachable crank throw counterweights and work it free. took about an hour to get 3 revolutions (!!!) but once i got it to turn i knew it was worthy of rebuilding. Monday afternoon i set it up on an engine stand and shot the cylinders full of kerosene, ATF, and some power steering fluid i had left over. worked the crank back and forth until the thing spun over smooth. now i can tear it down for a real rebuild and not fight with it.
Why would you want to fool with a frozen 390? I would never trust an engine that was once frozen up. It would need to be overhauled at the least. They aren't hard to find in running condition, just replace it and use the frozen boat anchor for parts. And thats my 2¢
my dad bought a 58 rambler with flathead 6,been setting over 20 years with a blown head gasket. we tried every trick in the book to unlock it. finally took apiece of 2 1/2 inch pipe set it on top of piston and dropped big ass hammer on it and finally broke it loose.we pulled pistons honed it put new rings in it,runs great know!sounds crazy but it worked. i would only suggest this as a last resort tho.
I forgot to mention I am fifteen and don't have a alot of time and money so I want to make sure the car is worthwhile rebuilding so if I get the engine unseized then I'll start on the car and if it doesn't unseize then i'm gonna look for a new engine
One of my former employers used to drop frozen engines in a barrel/bathtub/...whatever and fill that up with Diesel. After a 2 week soak he'd drain the vessel and simply turned the crankshaft with a wrench.
You might get some resistance from your mom about filling the bath tub with diesel for 2 weeks ... but I agree that it would work .... I soak wood carousel horses in an old bathtub with acetone/lacquer thinner for a week and they fall apart and you can peel the paint off ... soaking works ... diesel will penetrate the rust ... I will try that the next time ... J
I want to say that the Ford FGE 390 engines all have cast cranks in them so I'd worry about whopping it w/ a BFT!! Please correct me if I am off here?? Thanks, pdq67
I want to say that the Ford FE 390 engines all have cast cranks in them so I'd worry about whopping it w/ a BFT!! Please correct me if I am off here?? Thanks, pdq67
Steel cranks break easier than cast ones. I've had half a dozen steel cranks snap from loose bearings knocking on them, usually just for a very short time. By the time I shut them down, it was all over! Never had a cast crank break.
I am going to try the starter to try to turn it and i well post pics of the car if i get it unseized. thanks for all the suggestions, i would use MMO but it is not available in canada that i know of
Are you sure that you don't have something stuck in the bellhousing area? A loose flywheel bolt, a stuck trans or a frozen up torque convertor (with the trans in park)?
First, if your'e fifteen, buy a real good book about your 390, read the book and understand it, next understand what parts could be holding the engine and keeping it from turning. Next, examine your budget, see if you can afford to do this properly, just getting it running to blow up goofing around is one thing, mastering it and rebuilding it so it stays running and is a source of pride is another. Once you have read through your book you will have a good basic knowledge and can communicate problems a lot better. I would tell you to pour some diesel in each cylinder as its not as toxic as atf and acetone, nor as flammable, but my best advice is to approach this project as an opportunity to learn how to do a lot of great things that can set the stage for who you become. You have a great lesson in front of you, respect it and get it done. Have fun.
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