Another stuck Flathead story....

I traded for this flathead engine that "Supposedly" had been sitting dry in a garage for years.... "It's stuck, but can't be bad" that was the story.

I've tried every old school trick in the book to get it free. Marvel Mystery, Kroil, PB Blaster, Coke, Pepsi, antifreeze, nothing worked. Won't budge!

Here's what we found tonight. Beware! It's not pretty.

Wonder why it was stuck? Sitting dry for years. Really? What they didn't tell me was, that it obviously sat under a drain spout for a few years before that. Either way, didn't see any cracks, and the cylinders don't look too bad believe it or not.

It did move a little bit, so it's soaking again. Wish me luck!

Later,
Kevin

 

If moved a little... soak, rotate oposite way in a week, then original rotaion a week after that...etc.

Eventually it'll move...

and FWIW... yeah it sat in dry storage for years after it sat in the rain for a week!

 

Remove all of the rod caps and main bearing caps, remove crankshaft. Get a piece of oak and a sledge hammer. Drive out pistons.
That is what I have had to do in the past. Kiss pistons goodby, bore out and rebuild!!

Good luck!!

 

I have herd that ClR works good for unsticking motors

 

Depending on where the crank has stopped, you may not be able to remove the crank without cutting a couple of rods. so it is a good idea to get it to turn first.

 

did you try some of that kentucky jelly

 

Weird thing is.... this thing has a factory aluminum intake on it. It's never been apart (obviously). I have never seen one. I've had a few late model flatheads, and try to learn as much as possible. I thought they were only aluminum on the VERY early ones? Is this normal?

 

I'm kinda afraid of that one.... I used some jelly one time but I'm not sure it was from Kentucky.

 

The cylinder on the left looks like it is screaming!!!!!!!!!

 

Canadian engines had an aluminum intake.

 

I wonder if molasses or maybe a stronger rust eating product - the ones touted as not eating away the cast iron - would help you free it up some.

If you have decided to kill those pistons, you can always punch them apart from the top. Or use a hole saw slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the rings.

 

Are you sure that intake is aluminum? Looks iron to me in the pictures. But you are closer to it than I am.

 

It looks like the block has been relieved? but kinda hard to tell for sure. did you measure the bore to see if its standard?

 

You are right, it's not aluminum. Good eye. I had to go check. It's so gummed up with grease and I saw a spot that looked aluminum. Magnet sticks right to it. sorry 'bout that.

 

Damn! I found some engines I'm looking at purchasing and they have been sitting outside for YEARS without carbs, leaving the intakes along with the oil tubes exposed. I'm sure I'll be in for a real treat too...

 

Yep, been there done that. Sometimes it is the only way to save a block. All of the other parts are easily replaced but flathead blocks are to be refurbished at all (nearly) all costs.

 

I have 4 flatheads that look like that great information thanks for posting.

 

Quite often the valves will be seized in their guides preventing the crank from rotating. In this case, remove the cam timing gear so that the crank may be "rotatable"!

 

I'm pretty sure this is my problem. I still have a couple of rings stuck too, but looks like the valve guides are REALLY stuck.

This is some great info guys. Keep it coming.

 

Looks like one of those "It was running when parked" deals.
What did you trade for it? I hope it was something rusted and stuck so it was an even swap.

 

Hahah, it sure does!

 

Mix yourslef up a batch of Tranny Fluid and Acetone...50-50.

Let it soak in the rusted bores - it'll move.

Had a buddys FH stuck the same way as yours.....tried everything, no dice. Poured in the ATF/Acetone mix....can you say magic "freer upperer" ?

Give it a go, it worked for us !!

Rat

 

If you are supporting that thing with a Harbor Freight engine stand from the back, beware. You are probably putting a lot of torque on that thing as you try to break it loose. Flatheads have been known to crack in the back on those kind of stands. Recommend buying an adapter to support it from the exhaust port bolts.

 

Although I agree that putting lots of torque on it is a bad idea, isn't the engine stand issue a problem only with flatties with cast bell housings?

 

I helped a fella who had an engine he was thinking about buying brought to his place. I told the seller I wanted to open it up before the other guy offered his money up. This was a "runner". The seller squawked when I broke a couple of head bolts, but quieted down once the head was off and one of the cylinders looked like yours. It had a crack and a bad gasket. Coolant sitting in that cylinder did wonders. I told the seller that a couple of broken head bolts was the least of his problems. He agreed and I told the buyer to pass. He just wanted a spare, didn't really need it.

 

Mike, I thought about putting an "8BA disclaimer" in my post. But, then again, they're all old castings that I would not want to tempt fate with.

 

I would do the acetone/atf trick..........got nothing to lose.

 

My son and I unstuck a flathead that had been sitting in a '41 next to the Gallatin River in MT for 15 years--it literally had water in the cylinders, but none in the oil pan. We soaked it with PB Blaster for a REALLY LONG TIME--meaning adding a bit every week for months. Once apart Marvel Mystery oil worked great to free the rings. One ring was so bad we couldn't identify where the end gap was, so we put a homemade depth limiter on a small drill bit and drilled 5 holes in the ring so the MM oil could get behind it. It came out in pieces a couple days later. The early style valves were a complete loss. We battled for days to free and disassemble them enough so we could pry them up and chop the heads off, then drove them back down to remove them from below.

This is a car my dad gave to my son. Why couldn't he have given him a '74 Nova?

 

It does look like a factory relief under the valves that my other engines didn't have. I did have one in my RPU that was similar but somebody did it along with porting the intake runners.

I should have said it came along in a trade. So I'm not really out anything. He did lead me to believe that it was in GOOD shape .

 

Damn kevin that looks yummy, dip a biscuit lol