The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Stuck 1954 235

Back in '16, I was given an engine that I let sit on an engine stand with NOTHING being done to it except for a little cleaning and dismantling. This month I decided to buckle down and try to get it in working order. It was going good until I decided to find out if it would turn over. So using a big DeWalt 1\2", 1100 ft. lb. impact and the harmonic balancer bolt, I tried it. NO GO!!! I've read through several forums and YouTubed several videos and basically came to one conclusion: soaking with MMO, kerosene, ATF, acid, vinegar, etc. for hrs. to several months. I know that, looking back, I've already wasted 7 yrs., so what's another 3 or 4 more months? I really want to get my own transportation and a motorcycle doesn't do me any good in winter. What I'd like to know is: Can I remove the crankshaft without first removing the oil pump (I'm unable to remove oil pump because crankshaft can't be repositioned) and then (if that is doable) knock the pistons out? When I get the pistons out will the engine need to be bored or can it be honed? New pistons?
Thank you in advance for any and all advice.
S2

Don't keep hammering on the balancer bolt- - - -you'll strip the threads or break the bolt off. Soak the cylinders down for a couple of weeks with a few ounces of a 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid- - - -both are available at any Walmart store. Then use a long pry bar on the flywheel teeth against a bolt threaded into the back of the engine block to get enough leverage to turn the crankshaft. What engine are you working with- - - - -since a stovebolt six doesn't have a balancer center bolt?

It's possible to make up an adapter for a grease fitting from a spark plug shell and push a piston down the bore with a hand pump grease gun to break it loose. Pick out a cylinder with the piston near the top of the stroke, loosen both valve adjustments all the way or remove the rocker arms, and pump the combustion chamber full. Don't overdo it- - - -you can blow out a cylinder wall, crack a cylinder head, or bend a connecting rod if you're not careful!
Jerry

Here is what the engine condition is now. This is why I was wondering if I could go in thru the bottom to take out crank then use a 2x4 to knock pistons down from the top.

S2

I'd suggest pulling off each main bearing cap one at a time to verify there's not a bearing failure going on. If there appears to be none, re-install the bearing caps, rotate the block back up, and mix up Jerrys famous elixir and let them pistons soak. Wrap it up in cellophane or other plastic to keep the smell down and reduce the evaporation of the acetone out of the mixture.

Let it sit for a few days and then try Jerrys method to rotate the crank using the flywheel.

I think its very important to eliminate main bearing failure and or if possible rod bearing failure prior to attempting to move the crank.

I suspect the most likely scenario is the rings are stuck to the cylinder wall as the cylinder wall appear to be rusted. Soaking with the acetone / trans fuid mix will help a lot.

Put some 7/16-20 grade 8 bolts in the flywheel flange bolt holes to pry against and use a long pry bar or a piece of 1/4" X 1 1/2" flat bar about 3 feet long to turn the crankshaft. That engine will break free pretty easily. The chances of having a tight bearing are somewhere between slim and none. When you get each piston to the bottom of the stroke use a dingleberry hone lubricated with cheap motor oil to polish the rust away, then coat the cylinder walls with general purpose chassis grease to keep them from rusting again.

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Jerry

If an engine is stuck tight enough that a reasonable amount of solvent soaking and prying won't get it freed up, there's always the nuclear option- - - -Set it up under a floor mount drill press, and use a hole saw about 1/2 inch smaller than the bore size to cut away the ring area of all the pistons. On a 235 with a 3 9/16" bore that would be about 3 3/8 inches. The idea is to cut away the piston crown area just inboard of the rings, and smack the weakened piston with a piece of hardwood and a BFH. The pistons will break away and the crankshaft can be turned. Once the connecting rods are unbolted and the rods and the remnants of the pistons are removed, then you can chip away the rest of the pistons and hone, or more likely rebore the cylinder walls. A really badly rust-pitted hole might have to be sleeved, which is still better than having to scrap a block. I used to buy my competitors' "worn out" race engines for pennies on the dollar, and use them to teach my students how to install sleeves. I would end up with a race-prepared standard bore block, with only the wholesale cost of eight sleeves out of pocket- - - -and the public school system paid me to build racing engines! Some of those kids now run their own shops, and their taxes pay for my retirement! A couple of them have a pretty successful racing team!
Jerry

Use the turn the flywheel method.... loosen the main bearing caps and try to turn the engine....then loosen one rod bearing cap until the crank will turn just a little either way- that is the cylinder piston that is giving you trouble-work with that one. Sometimes only one or two pistons are stuck and you can focus on those.

After a week of soaking with no headway, and no drill press handy, went ahead and popped the bearing caps off as well as the connecting rod caps (is that the right name?) and used a rubber mallet to pound on the studs of the connecting rods. Had no trouble getting the studs down the the cap surface; which, I believe tells me the pistons are free. Still won't turn. Could the camshaft be frozen somehow? Tried to pull the cam gear off but I don't have the right kind of puller. Anyway, decided to find out if the engine in the truck would move so bought a 3/4" adapter and used the old breaker bar and it turns quite easily (don't know why I didn't try THAT BEFORE!!!!) (they say with old age, the mind is the first to go, but I don't agree; mind AND body go at the same time!!!!). So have decided on another plan of attack. I'll remove the crank out of the p/u, send it to be machined and hopefully that will take care of the DEEP THRUMP in the lower side of the engine when the oil pump went out. The engine probably only has 10-12k since the (Jasper I think) rebuild on it. And of that 10-12k about 3k since the oil pump crapped out. Or I could take the crank out of the engine that's on the stand, have it checked out and swap them. ANYBODIES thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

S2+++

No, the pistons ARE NOT FREE! The connecting rod bolts are a press fit in the rods- - - -all you have done is drive them up flush with the bottom of the big end of the rods. The pistons have not moved at all. Why would you want to remove the cam gear? The cam thrust plate bolts probably won't align with the holes in the gear, but removing the cam isn't going to accomplish anything anyway. If you want to remove the crankshaft from the bottom of the engine, pull the timing gear off the crankshaft, remove the main bearing caps, and there's a big enough hole in the timing plate to lower the crank and slide it out.

It's beginning to sound like you've got a boat anchor instead of an engine, particularly with the methods you're using trying to disassemble it. Good luck!
Jerry

An anchor is right!! Or a paper weight/lawn ornament with a few choice adjectives to go along with them. Wanted to remove the cam gear to see if I could then turn the crankshaft. I'll have to get a different type puller to get the gear off the crankshaft. And, looking at the camshaft (engine is upside down on stand) from the bottom side, a couple of the lobes don't look kosher. But like I said, the engine in the truck turns; have to machine the crankshaft or the other crankshaft which ever one is better, have block bored, honed or sleeved if needed, hopefully cam is ok and slap it back in. And I think I'll need a whole **** load of luck or somebody to help who knows what the **** they're doing. Thanks ,Jerry!!

S2

I have removed cam gears by drilling and tapping a couple of holes in the gear and using a T-shaped puller like one for a steering wheel or a harmonic balancer.
Jerry

UPS removed part of this one!