The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1957 Car w 283 stuck engine question

What size bolt and type of thread is needed to place in the harmonic balancer to attempt to turn the pully and get it free? This 283 has a large hole in the center that is approx 1" but has no threads. It has two holes for a bolt that is approx 1/2" and another two holes for a slightly smaller bolt. I assume these are there for extracting the pully with a puller. I am hoping to use them to put attach a lever and use for leverage to get the engine unstuck. I did this on my 56 truck with a 283 out of a 67 bel-air, but it had bolts already in these holes, I removed them and then put the lever back on with those same bolts. The car does not have bolts. I am thinking of taking the bolts out of my 56 283 and trying them.

Need to pour some Marvel Mystery oil in cyls or diesel and let it soak. Then try moving flywheel a bit both ways, pry with screw driver on the teeth.

I have had the cylinders soaking for 3 weeks now. Do you remove the starter to get to the flywheel I assume. The way i did it with my 56 pickup worked great, was hoping to just do that.

There should be a sheet metal cover over the bottom half of the flywheel that will allow you to use the chisel-shaped end of a shepherd's crook wrecking bar to pry between the ring gear teeth and the bellhousing. Does the car have a standard or an automatic transmission? I think the Powerglide transmissions might have used an adapter ring that made a full circle at the back of the block- - - -don't remember exactly- - -it's been a LONG time since I worked with a cast iron Powerglide!
Jerry

It is an automatic transmission original to the 56 motor.

There is no threaded hole in the front end of the old 283 crank.
I recommend not trying to pry on the transmission case. Best bet is removal, rings etc will be shot anyway.

There has been many a 'Stuck" engine salvaged from the re-builder by doing the prybar trick, after a soaking of penetrating oil. A great number of these engines went on to run for many years without a teardown. It's worth a try for sure. Just don't get crazy with your prying. Just a little moderate pressure in both directions. Good luck.

So none of the four holes around the center have threads in them? I really want to break it lose without removal. I did this on my 56 truck with a 283 and I got it running without a teardown. Maybe i was lucky, but am hoping for some more with this one. But if I can't find a way to get a bar on the bottom pully, I may have to take it out.

To try prying on the flywheel teeth, I assume you get to the teeth where the starter attaches?

I checked the holes over lunch and the two smaller holes do have threads, I think it is a 3/8 inch bolt. It doesn't appear that the two larger holes have threads, and are not as deep, and appear to have some sort of plastic incert in them about 1/2 inch deep into the hole?? I dug out a 56 shop manual and id didn't say anything or have any info on the holes. But now that I know it taks a threaded bolt, I hopefull can get a pry bar attached and start working it. Wish me luck! Thanks everyone.

I recently busted down a 265, so it should be the same as your 283. I used a puller to first remove the pressed on lower hub in front of the balancer. Then I used a puller to thread in 2 bolts through 2 holes on the harmonic balancer to pull it. Had I wanted to turn it over, I would have threaded in 2 grade 8 or so long bolts and put a bar between them to use as a long lever to rock it back and forth (and I'd soak each cylinder hole down through the spark plug hole about once or twice a week for couple weeks prior). I used auto trans fluid and acetone (50-50 mix), but probably anything would work (diesel fuel, kerosene, PB Blaster, Kroil, etc).
I got 3 or 3 engines turning over and running over the last several years that had sat for decades, in some cases the rings were so frozen they'd smoke and use too much oil, in other cases, they'd do ok.
About your cast iron powerglide, the only leverage you could possibly get is through the starter hole. I think I'd probably use 2 bolts on the harmonic balancer and run a long pry bar between those for a lever to rock it. good luck. On one engine, I had to use a 3 foot length of heavy wall conduit on a 1/2 drive and still had to really bear down hard to break it loose, it currently turns over but is yet to fire enough to run.

The threaded holes in the balancer will be 3/8-24 thread. You'll probably need to chase them with a tap if they haven't had bolts in them for a lot of years. I'd recommend bolting a piece of 1/4" plate to the balancer with a BIG nut welded to it like a 1 1/2" hex nut used for 18-wheeler lug nuts. Then use a 3/4" drive breaker bar and a 1 1/2" socket to rock the balancer. I have used a setup like that several times to free up "stuck" engines, and more than a few have gone on to run well with reasonable performance and minimum oil consumption.
Jerry

I'm not saying something can't be freed up. I just don't like to see parts all gouged up by prying on them, or hammering on them like happened to something I let some 20 something year old remove before I bought it. Some just don't care or know any better. Things that are nice and original sell easy, things that are messed up don't.
Factory stock older 50's chev V8's don't have a drilled crankshaft snout. If the guys 265 did then someone either drilled and tapped it or another crank was installed at some point.

We put the bar on over lunch and on the second attempt the motor came free. It is moving freely 1/3 full turn now. Letting it sit over night and will hit it again tomorrow. Thanks for the help everyone!

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

Heck yeah! I was so pumped when it just moved a little over an inch. Then with a little more weight it moved another 6 inches! Then back and forth without any problems. I worked on it tonight and got it to move 2/3rds around. I can't do a full revolition due to a brace in the way at the bottom. But I assume if I can get it to move really good back and forth for two thirds of it, and let the lubricants continue to coat the cylinders, I should be in business when I go to give it a start.

Pull the valve covers and make sure all the valves are working. Also, it might be a good idea to WAY overfill the engine with oil, like a gallon or so over full while you're working to free it up. Drain and refill to the proper level before you try to start it.
Jerry

OK, will do. I hope to give her a go by the end of November. I still need to find a generator for her, since she didn't come with one. I want to keep it original and don't plan on putting in an alternator, even though many have tried to convince me otherwise. I am going to go post a wanted item for the generator now.

Lucas heavy duty stabilizer or marvels in the cylinders. Lil turns at a time. The Lucas is as thick as honey but it's pure petroleum and has worked well in the past. You've pulled the heads correct?

Coke has phosphoric acid in it, likes to eat rust, wash out cylinders w/ alcohol to remove oil, replace w/ coke, let sit for a while(couple of days, min) try again.