Nicolasticity

Winter in UK was warm but very wet. At Christmas I noted that the engine had a lot of condensation on a warm humid day but didnt think too much about it. Daft really as I used to work on Evinrude and OMC and have always told folks to winterize properly but so it goes......

Come spring and getting everything ready I hit the ignition and click - starter is good but flywheel is locked - screwdriver on the teeth trick but the piston rings are gripping very tight. Running great last year and put to bed last fall all dry and free of water.

So identified that some water has got in and spent the weekend feeding the pistons oil - Filled all pots with WD40 and engine oil and finally fogging oil and am leaving to soak untill next weekend.

To see if I can free her up I was thinking that I should remove all the serpentine pulleys and put two bolts in the damper and with an iron bar across them and give it a little shock with a lump hammer to break the rust. Thought here is that shock load is better than torque load and I dont want to damage the crank thread. BUT - how hard should I hit it - how sensitive are the conrods - can I damage the damper? (not really sure what a damper does?)

Any ideas or help would be apreciated

Otherwise will strip right down and take heads off, hone and build back up........ but if there was another way?

Knot 4 Me

Leave the plugs out and put a socket and breaker bar on the balancer nut and turn the motor over. If you can't get it to turn with a breaker bar you got more proplems than a little surface rust on the rings.

4bus

iTrader: (4)

Where did the water come in? Sorry to say but if you get the lower free the valve train will most likely be your next problem. That engine is high performance with a flat tappet cam, just freeing it up may work on bone stock low HP engines or outboards, but my guess is it will not make it through the season. Tiny oil passages are easily blocked with rust when water enters the picture, blocking oil from crucial parts.

I would tear it down.

3pointstar

This is the best advice - if the engine ran fine when you put it up for storage something must have happened to it over the winter. As mild as the UK winters are - something still could have froze and broke. MAKE SURE since you put in oil in the cylinders that you take ALL the plugs out before you try to turn it over -- liquids don't compress well!!

Cheers

3pointstar

Knot 4 Me

If you had enough moisture to rust the cylinder walls I'd also be concerned about valves stuck in the guides (depending on material).

beaver 3

Automatic transmission fluid works good for freeing up rings also. Go get some longer damper bolts from the hardware store to make it easier to get leverage. If you do break them from a shearing force they will still back right out and your original damper bolts will still be good. Even though that will be the last of your worrys at that point. I wouldnt use a hammer as that could more easily break a ring. Im sure kost of your wd and oil has leaked past the rings by now so fill it up again. The transmission fluid has detergents in it that clean so make sure to drain and change the oil before start up if you get it broke loose. If not you'll wipe out bearings and the cam/lifters. Be sure to follow up on your progress so we can provide more help if need be.

commandersander

iTrader: (8)

I have run across this before....

All I can add it this:
Don't be a cave man
Try clockwise AND counter clockwise both......gradually increasing effort until free
Once free, refill each cylinder with trans fluid and continue rocking back and forth until resistance is minimal
Turn over via starter.......but unplug the coil!!

Now you can fire her after an oil change, but don't load her up......just bring to operating temp and shut down for another oil change. (Plus filter each time)

Now bring to operating temp again, then very lightly load her......meaning carefully put her on plane....but don't take too long....and don't gunn er either. Basically, go out, get on plane, turn around and putt back.

Change oil and filter again....but note this.....as the oil drain comes to an end, continue to add oil at least two or three quarts to ensure what you are putting in is what is coming out.

Go out again......on plane easy....no throttle stabs to wot.....but run her....but for <1hr

Another oil change and filter.....

If everything along this process goes well....correct sound, correct psi, correct temp......

Run her like a rental!

Bondo

Ayuh,.... Before ya go nuts on it,... Pull the Drive off,... No sense in tryin' to turn it too,...

Nicolasticity

Thanks for all this great advice – once again OSO has come to the rescue.

To answer some of the questions – the boat was winterized badly and I did not pour oil in running to coat valves and I did not undo all sparkplugs and add more like I usually do. (and tell other people to do!) Water got in through condensation only as it was put away dry – so water up exhaust and through exhaust valves is main problem but wettest winter in UK on record so there’s plenty of moisture about. Engine is a HP425 performance 454 with a B&M174 blowers running low boost to about 500hp – so I know I need to be real careful.

Boat is about 100 miles from my home so it’s a weekend fix. But I plan to add more oil as advised – use up to 120ftbls of torque to see if I can free (ie I don’t want to shear the damper bolt - its 1/2inch unf bolt). Get a heater under engine and warm it up to 50 degrees or more slowly. Take leg off so I don’t waste torque.

And hope………..

And add more oil

I am an ex boat mechanic (red faced) so very aware of hydraulic lock and other ‘Oh Sh##’ moments around boat motors. I used to work in the Marine business with Evinrude and OMC in the 1970’s and then a Service manager on a canal and for 22 years Engineering at Rolls Royce. However over here big blocks rare so I haven’t a lot of experience on Chevy or blower engines.

Nicolasticity

Have used a syringe and tube to inject easing oil , Mystery oil and automatic transmission fluid into the cylinders. Two days soaking and 140ft/bls of torque and no movement which indictaes at least two pistons one on the up and one down are both locked - otherwise I guess the crank would rotate a tiny amount.

Leaving to soak for a week until weekend. Aim to use a fan heater to get engine up to 50 degrees and have another go with a 4 foot bar across two 3/8inch UNC high tensile bolts in the pulley holes.

Should I fit the plugs and fill the engine with fluid and leave for a further week or is it a lost cause if not free this weekend and a strip required?