bring a siezed y-block back to life?

just thinking about freeing up the motor in my Galaxie.





the rest of the car gives the "feel" thats it's just being abaondoned that allowed the motor to seize, rather than some event which prompted it, but thats pure guess work on my behalf. There is no gaping hole in the block, no visible massive crack or anything

any suggestions for freeing her up and maybe getting her running?
anything I should avoid?

 

i used brake fluid & diesel & tranny fluid,just pulled the plugs filled cylinders & let it sit a couple day/a week try rocking the motor by hand or cheater bar-NOT the starter until it's free enough to make some complete rotations by hand {w/out the plugs}did this on my last 55 pontiac that sat still for 10-13yrs.
alot of it may depend on how long it sat-maybe just a slight rust ring on the piston wall,but if it's a heavy rust-lock up type-----rebuild is in order.....sorry if this is a rambling post------- to much caffeine!,--chuck

 

Yep let the cylinders soak with marvel oil or something similar, turn the crank a little bit at a time till it breaks lose! worked for me in my 51, probably just a little rust on the rings from the valves being open.

 

Well, the good thing is that no one took the engine apart and quit with half of it missing. That should mean that the engine probably wasn't broken when they quit driving it.
But it could mean that the trans is out. Or it could mean that it was burning oil and they just parked it.

I'd start with pulling the plugs and after checking them I'd squirt some of the standard HAMB stuck engine concoctions in the cylinders and let it set for a day or so before trying to turn it over.

 

I assume it rolls ok so it is not a rear end or tranny issue? I would pop the valve covers first. Just to take a peek. And like everyone else says pull the plugs and get some sort of lubricant down in the cylinders. Then every few days try a break bar on the crank. Let us know if anything happens.

 

note to self, take a plug socket which fits the spark plugs.....
what size are they? look kind of small!!

 

i had a 78 camero that was seized gave it a good long soak in mystery oil and it freed it up use it for sure

 

An older mechanic recommended we use SeaFoam/kerosene on a stuck flat * Packard motor my friend has-not sure if it'll work yet but the theory is the same-part penetration, part lubrication. let us know what works.

 

I inadvertently pumped the cylinders full of water and not knowing it until it came up stuck almost a year later.

I pulled the lower pulley and installed longer bolts that stuck out farther in front. After filling the cylinders with ATF and letting it soak, I took a 6' 2X4 and used it as a long lever to pry against the bolts. First one way and then the other. After a few days it started to move a hair. Back and forth a little at a time until it finally broke loose and you would not believe the ugly shit that came out of the plug holes.

I was sure it was toast but I had nothing to lose. I continued on and got it started and drove it for several years after that.



Here it is motoring down the highway 2 years after it was stuck solid. Don't give up hope too soon.

 

all good stuff people.So far the only things wrong under the hood have been a flat battery (bought new in 1971, so i'll forgive it...) and the king lead appears to have been pinched and cut through by the air filter being carelessly.
The valve covers came off for the first time since 1971 and it all looked lovely in there, picture to follow

just need a plug socket the right size and I can get them bores filled up with official HAMB lubrication

edited to add the pic of the right-hand bank with the valve cover off.

 

well, after 6 hours and 2 litres of WD40 penetrating spray, she finally gave up her plugs....

The bores are filled wth diesel/ATF mix and i'mm gonna leave them for a couple of weeks while I slowly strip a few other bits out

 

Well, it moving.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o> </o>
I’ve been chipping away at her since before Christmas, plugs took an age to get out and then the bores were filled with diesel. The engine oil was drained out (didn’t appear to be any nasties in there) and then the motor was filled to the brim with diesel. This was drained and replaced a a couple of times, while gently rocking the breaker bar on the crank nut. And today, while dicking about with a couple of smaller things (like you do), I gave it a gentle rock as I walked past and she moved a little. Not much, but it was movement.
An hours gentle rocking later and I have got her a quarter of a turn. I was so cold by then (it’s about zero here today and the cars in an open barn) and I gave up before I went down with frost bite! Still, it’s further than that engine has turned in about 35 years, eh?!

 

Good start and unbelieveable that the heads are so clean! You will find a lot of info on www.y-blocksforever.com. Similar to the HAMB, but dedicated to all things y-block. Good luck!
RB

 

i had a fella show me how he unsticks motors once.. he does the traditional soak with diesel and atf , you can use about any oil like that . After it has soaked a while , He takes a piece of pipe witht the same threads as the spark plug hole and screws it into a cylinder with the piston at the top . Now the other end of this pipe is capped with a grease zerk threaded and tapped into the hole . He just gets a good grease gun and goes to pumping , he said he has unstuck more engines by pumping the cylinder fullof grease than he can count.

 

Sounds like she's gonna give it up.....just keep doing what you're doing.

I have this unexplainably high affection for unsticking engines and then running them forever, so I'm paying close attention to your progress.

 

If it has a standard transmission, putting it in high gear and manually rocking the car back and forth will free it up. Get some big buddies to help!

 

already on there my friend, and soaking up the y-block love. as this is the forst y-block i've had (in fact, the first yankee Ford i've ever owned, evryhting else having been GM of some sort), I know very little and am keen to soak up the knowledge!!

rustyfords, I am all for getting her running and driving her forever without having to tear it apart!!

 

the head and rockers look surprisingly clean , and the fact its turning a bit now is a good sign , i hope it fires right up for you

 

up to half a turn, though i broke my patented engine freeing tool ( 5ft length of 2x4 with bolts through it!) in the process. time to go back with a metal one next time
she's fighting me but she's slowly giving it up!

 

Hey Taff, Good to see someone wrenching on an old Galaxie. Years ago a mech said to use Olive Oil heated to just before it smokes, then pour it down the spark plug holes. He woud let it sit for a couple of days and then break it free.

 

Back in the 90s, I filled a seized 76 4 cyl Diesel Mercedes with Marvel Mystery oil that had sat for more than 25 years. Two weeks later, I broke it free and they're still driving that car (same motor/no rebuild) today.

 

Wow that looks pretty good inside for 1971. Good news on the movement. You are 90% there. Just keep rocking the motor back and forth with the plugs out and oil in the cylinders.

But there is one more thing you need to watch for, and that is stuck valves. Spray penetrating oil down the valve stems. To check to see if the valves are free, take a hammer, and lightly tap on the end of the rockers right above the valve stems. Ones that are free the hammer will bounce right back up at you like jumping on a trampoline. The ones that are sticking will just go thud. This is where finesse counts. Don't wail on them because you'll break something. But spray oil down the valve stems, and tap on them. You should be able to free every one of the valves also, and when they are all free, the hammer will bounce across every one of them. Now you are ready to roll the motor 360 and not worry about hitting the valves.

 

May I sugest a hammer handle? A big hammer, but only use the wood end.

 

i had the rocker covers off and poured plenty of diesel down the valve guides and stems, and down the followers, Pretty much soaked each bank with the stuff. Then i gave each valve a gently tap with my plastic headed mallet, then went back to rocking her.
yesterday she gave her first complete revolution since the early 70's.
She's still tight but there don't appear to be any sticking points within the revolution and no unpleasent noises either. can feel/hear the compression on all 8 strokes (which has to be a good thing) when turning her over.
I'm going to dump the diesel out of her and brim the engine with oil this time, now she's turning i want to lubricate inside her.
I plan to keep going at her until I can do a complete revolutions using only a breaker bar and socket on the crank nut ( I am currently using a 4ft bar bolted to the crank pulley for leverage)

 

your getting there. paitence is the keys in trying to free an engine.

 

I asked my engine rebuilder how he unfroze the core I sent him? He said he used Coca-Cola? Apparently it only eats rust? Says he wouldn’t use anything else.

 

Sounds like a f***ed up porno

Also good luck with the motor. Y-Blocks are the best!

 

"I asked my engine rebuilder how he unfroze the core I sent him? He said he used Coca-Cola? Apparently it only eats rust? Says he wouldn’t use anything else."

Coke contains phosphoric acid, it's right there on the label. My other hobby is restoring hit/miss engines, and I've heard the same thing about freeing engines using Coke, although I've never done it myself. Another thing you can try on an engine with cast iron pistons is "CLR", or Calcium/Lime/Rust remover, available at Home Depot. DO NOT use it on aluminum pistons.

I've also used PB Blaster with a lot of success...it has a surfactant that helps it "creep" into small spaces.

Good luck, I'd love to see a video of the first "fire up".

Chris

 

thanks, i've had to teach myself patience on this one though!!

I has this suggested, but someo0ne else pointed out that any cola is over 50% water and it may not be a good idea to introduce water into a cylinder? I used a diesel/ATF mix (the ATF was used!!) and it's worked, what can I tell you?

Y block porn would be pretty cool, eh?!?!

good shout on the fire up video, I'll aim for that. don't hold your breath though, my firend, it way be a while yet!

and thanks to Andy for showing me how to use multi-quote.....

 

Fantastic! You did it! Can't wait to see the "Fire Up" video too!

As far as Coke goes; perhaps after effects are less important when totally rebuilding an engine as compared to salvaging an engine as any parts damaged from Coke, will probably be replaced with new components anyway? (Rings, Pistons...etc.)

Anyway, great info on the Coke, other elixirs and methods.