Seized engine

The problem you have with trying to pressurise the cylinder is that usually the reason that cylinder is seized is because that cylinder is on exhaust stroke (exhaust valve is open) alowing moisture into the cylinder. Causing corrosion.

The problem you have with trying to pressurise the cylinder is that usually the reason that cylinder is seized is because that cylinder is on exhaust stroke (exhaust valve is open) alowing moisture into the cylinder. Causing corrosion.

That problem is simply fixed my making up and fitting a blanking plate to the appropriate port.......

Which cylinder is the stuck one? How do you know. Pressurising is hit and miss and you have to do each one in turn (losing those with open valves, no effect on a piston bottom dead centre and pushing backwards on those on the up stroke).

Instead of going to all the trouble to remove the manifold (and probably have to find new gaskets on refitting) and making up plates - it might be inlet valve open - it may be easier to lift the head.

Pretty quick and easy on these old side-valves and then you can see what the real situation is. Even if you do get it turning with pressure, the cylinders above all the lower pistons might be corroded and they will damage themselves as they push past the rust, wasp nest or whatever. At least you can clean it all up before hand if the head is off.

A boreoscope is a possibility?

Lang

Lang,

Couldn't agree with you more mate, for the sake of a head gasket, whip the head off and have a glance at what is actually going on in the bore..
The long way is the short way...

Cheers,
SAR-350

Would be best to remove the head so you can see..
if it is rust put a cup of kero and small piece of rags in the cyl and light it let it burn for awhile it wont hurt as it be the same as combustion temps. Let it go out and let it cool to cold and see what the go is. I've done it a few times and it has always worked...

I have reused head gaskets on Dodge motors several times and if you are carefull there is a good chance you can do the same. In the old days it was a thick coat of silver frost painted on before replacement but there are several modern coatings now available from SuperCheap or REPCO to do the same job.

Dodge head gaskets are cheap anyhow.

It is only on a tow motor purring along not in a high revving, high load application in a truck or car.

Lang

Hang on a minute boys, don't run away there...

Sometimes an engine just tightens up because it has been sitting for 20 years in a shed, with no possibility of water ever having been near it.

The idea of pressurising the cylinder to force the lubricant down around the piston, so instead of waiting days or weeks for the lubricant to seep down, you can do it overnight. The idea is you don't know which cylinder is tight, so you do all of them and then your only up for some manifold gaskets, which you can make yourself. But if you do pull the head, you might be up for a head gasket you can't replace.

If there has been water in the cylinder, for any length of time, there will be rust and it will be a rebuild job. No if's, but's or maybe's...

Diesel

You still have to remove the manifold and are more than likely less able to reuse those gaskets than the head gasket. You then have to make up plates to cover both in and out ports - I have not had a look at my Dodges but it is possible you might have to make up several different plates to cater for bolt positioning, at least more than one. Suppose you could try just loosening the manifold and sliding thin plate over each hole between the manifold and block and tightening it up again.

I still think that putting the brew in. letting it sit and then rocking the engine by towing, flywheel levering or crank pulley pressure without removing anything is the first step.

I just checked Vintage Power Wagons catalog and a Dodge head gasket is $35 and a complete engine rebuild gasket kit is $105

Your pressurising to push the brew down to speed up the process could well work but it may not. For less effort and $35 you can pull the head to actually see what the real problem is if waiting a bit longer for the brew to work and rocking fails.

The point is that it is a method that works, perhaps not in this particular situation, but it does work.

I repaired a flathead for a mate once, it had sat for a few years and had a fair bit of surface rust in the cylinder and was locked solid. It sat with diesel in the bore for over two years and the piston had a thump with a block of wood and an FBH from time to time, but it never moved. I was thinking about trying the grease trick and I thought of using air instead.

30 minutes was all it took to have a piece of plate drilled, bolted to the deck and the compressor hooked up. I also sat the block in the sun to get the effects heating and cooling cycles......

I came back the following weekend to find a piston on the ground in a puddle of diesel. Enough said. I have used this method several times since.

At the end of the day, whether you are trying to get the crank turning again or you have to disassemble the engine, you could use a big hammer to flog a piston loose and risk damaging something, or you could give it some encouragement with diesel and air......

Old bloke I bought my fordson off had had it for about 40 years. Sitting for the last 20 the engine seized from sitting. He got a n old mate of his to come help him out to fix it. They pulled the head. (Side valve kero engine) filled the pot/s with petrol and lit it let it burn out and when it cooled I believe it turned over no dramas at all. They run a copper asbestos gasket. Which they reused, and it ran fine. I bought it and ran it for a while and decided I wanted to have a look and give it a valve grind, gave it a hone while I was in there. I again reused the head gasket just gave it a spray with some copper gasket sealant. And she is sweet. Did the same thing with the head gaskets on the pilot engine on my dozer.

I agree if your going to go to the trouble of pulling manifolds off May aswell rip the head off. Could still make up plates to do the pressurising thing right on top of the cylinder