The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine knock :-( A winter project ahead

If you can manage to shoeshine polish that slightly undersize rod journal pretty close to round, I can hone a .010 or .020 undersized reconditioned Babbit rod to fit the crankshaft size. Then you can adjust the oil clearance with shims and/or scraping the bearing to fit.
Jerry

I'll keep that in mind. I tried turning the 235 today and still no-go. I may have to freshen up the Evaporust I put in the cylinders. And maybe pull the head for a little more drastic action on it.

Kevin, saw my friend from ninilchik yesterday, he has an excess 216 if needed.

Kevin, an engine that's stuck that tight is going to need to be rebored, guaranteed. Maybe even sleeved on a few holes, depending on the current bore size. Pull the cylinder head and use a big hole saw in a variable speed drill motor or a drill press to cut through the piston crowns just inside the rings- - - -about 3 3/8" or so. That will free things up so you can break the centers out of the pistons with a BFH and a block of hardwood. Then go ahead with the rebuild.
Jerry

Dave, The one you gave me had some good parts I can use. That's my option if the 235 doesn't pan out. I'd sure like to try Jerry's suggestion of installing the 235 crank and rods in my block to get full oil pressure to the rods. Also, my garage is getting full of engine parts. LOL! So thanks for the offer.

Jerry, I've used the BFH method on engines before by pulling the crank and driving the pistons down individually, but that's going to be a lot more work on a 235, as this one has clutch and flywheel on it with a 47-53 bellhousing on it, which I'd rather not mess up to get to the clutch bolts. I suppose another option would be cutting the fingers and disc center out of the clutch to get to the flywheel bolts. I'm not sure how well that would work. A future option in any case. It's going to be spring in any case before I get an engine back in the truck, so I have some time.

No way of knowing now, but I suspect that the rod bearing that failed was set up too tight. The kid I bought the truck from said he had messed with them and I didn't recheck clearances. Another dumb move on my part. I did that myself once on a Model A.

I have gotten clutch and flywheel bolts out of a stuck 270 with bellhousing attached, so it is possible without breaking anything.

Ed

Ed, a combination of sockets, u-joints and extensions? I'm thinking it may take a universal joint socket for the pressure plate bolts for clearance.

Kevin, a few holes made with a carbide tipped hole saw in the vicinity of the pressure plate bolts won't destroy the bellhousing- - - -it just adds a little cooling air to the clutch. Or, the holes can be filled with freeze plugs later, if you choose. I've done that on several stuck engines to get access to the flywheel bolts. About a 3/4" diameter hole or three is all that's needed, depending on how many of the pressure plate bolts are hidden.
Jerry

The "fun" will be to pry all six locking plate tabs for six flywheel bolts. It's already way too much "fun" when the engine isn't stuck.

Why not remove the clutch and flywheel with the crank all in one big assembly?
The transmission pulls straight off the back
Then the oil pan comes off with the clutch cover
And you undo all the rods and mains
The crank and flywheel and clutch come out as one
Then you can focus on one piston at a time
What am I missing?
-s

On my spare 235 it was seized also and it soaked for two or more years with fuel oil marvel mystery oil we 40 sewing oil everything I could try you can tell the cylinders that were stuck as those ones did not leak any oil out of them I eventually got it unstuck by carefully taking as much apart as I could and after cutting the ridge off of the top of the cylinder wall used a old wooden axe handle and a hammer

You're missing having to remove the camshaft, and the timing plate, the crankshaft timing gear, etc, just to lift the front end of the crankshaft free of the main bearings. If the camshaft retainer plate bolt holes in the cam gear don't happen to be aligned with the two bolts that hold the thrust plate to the block, you'll have to break the timing gear off with a big pry bar. Then if any valve lifters happen to be rusted tight in the block, getting them lifted high enough to slip the cam out so the timing plate can be removed will be a challenge.

Other than that, nothing much!
Jerry

Oh yes that makes sense
But if you have the timing plate cover off
Do you need to remove the cam gear at all?
Won’t the crank lift out with the camshaft and its gear still in the block?
I’ve never done this on a frozen engine
I’ve always had the benefit of being able to rotate mine
I’m just curious asking here
Thanks
-s

The timing plate surrounds the crankshaft snout, behind the timing gear. It's NOT the same as the sheet metal timing cover. That plate MUST be removed, along with the camshaft, before the crank will lift straight up. I've built around 200 stovebolt engines, maybe more. Trust me on this one!
Jerry

I trust what Jerry said, because I just disassembled a 216. The timing plate completely encirles the crank. I thought that I would have had to remove the crank gear, but the hole in the timing plate is big enough to remove it with the gear still in place, but it's offset a bit, so the plate has to be completely loose to remove it. THEN the crank can be lifted out.

Oh right I forgot about that plate
I wasn’t doubting it was more complicated than I thought
I just couldn’t recall the detail that forces the camshaft gear removal
I only took three cranks out but it’s been about ten years since the last time I did that and I did the last while the engine was in the truck and I never put that engine back together as it was a badly damaged connecting rod that scored the crank a lot on #6 piston. After seeing the crank the rest of that engine came out and all the parts are spread out on my farm now
Yes it’s all making sense
Thanks for the explanation
-s