stuck engine
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Freshman User
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After 3 weeks of daily oiling, rocking back and forth, and spinning the oil pump, with no results,I decided to yank the engine and start limited teardown on a stand. I pulled it today and will start teardown later this week. I'm still hoping I can use this engine without putting alot of money into it. Thanks for all your ideas.
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Hey Jetfixer, before getting into the heavy stuff, here are some thoughts:
- If the sticking is in the cylinders, there are those air fittings for spark plug holes and springing keepers (old-timers brazed them out of spark plugs). After all the oil you've put in, putting pressure to the guys on the power or compression strokes might just loosen things from the inside, and would certainly get penetrating oil into places gravity won't. Combining rocking from the outside with force on the inside the engine's designed for might also be worth a try.
- If it's the valve train, popping the valve covers beats a pulldown. A few taps in the right places could free valves and prevent bent pushrods if the lower end starts to ease up.
Appreciate how frustrating it is when the thing won't talk to you and you've skinned a couple of knuckles when the cheater slipped.
Richard
- If the sticking is in the cylinders, there are those air fittings for spark plug holes and springing keepers (old-timers brazed them out of spark plugs). After all the oil you've put in, putting pressure to the guys on the power or compression strokes might just loosen things from the inside, and would certainly get penetrating oil into places gravity won't. Combining rocking from the outside with force on the inside the engine's designed for might also be worth a try.
- If it's the valve train, popping the valve covers beats a pulldown. A few taps in the right places could free valves and prevent bent pushrods if the lower end starts to ease up.
Appreciate how frustrating it is when the thing won't talk to you and you've skinned a couple of knuckles when the cheater slipped.
Richard
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Jetfixer,-- If you try compressed air, remember higher pressures could generate a lot of arm-twisting torque if the engine frees (at 100 psi, the downward force with a 4" bore should be about 1257 lb), so I'd be careful, especially with the temptation to throw everything the compressor's got ("move, you sucker").
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Hi Krewat, Yes it does. Suddenly, you feel good, 'til at about 90 degrees the thing jams solid again. When it sticks, go back, and then when you go forward, sometimes you'll hear the valves let go. After a few full turns, it may stick again (go back). This is a good reason for not hurrying to hook up the starter. Pumping the oil as you turn helps free the valve train, to prevent bent pushrods. Incidentally, this all assumes you've pulled the plugs, and are not working against compression.
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Jetfixer, More compressed air thoughts. Two cylinders should be sealed and going up (compression) or down (power). If air pressure through the plug hole on one doesn't help, doubling up with a T could put a lot of force on from the inside, while freeing rings and blowing penetrating oil through them. Now if you're into a limited pulldown (rocker arm covers off anyway), you'll want to tap the valves, and if nothing else works, backing off the rocker arms so each cylinder seals will let you get air pressure into all of them to goose/juice the rings without having spent any money or taken any steps you can't reverse. And if the engine sounds like a real leaker, you may want to rethink.
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Do NOT try to turn the engine using the crank bolt. You stand a very good chance of stripping it.
Remove the flywheel inspection cover, and use a large screwdriver or prybar in the flywheel teeth to move it in small increments back and forth. This is a far better method, as you have a great deal more leverage using the large flywheel to break the engine free.
Remove the flywheel inspection cover, and use a large screwdriver or prybar in the flywheel teeth to move it in small increments back and forth. This is a far better method, as you have a great deal more leverage using the large flywheel to break the engine free.
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Update on my engine. I pulled the heads last night, I don't think air or anything else would have freed the engine. One piston is stuck, I dont't know if it had a head gasket leak or the fact that the intake valve was open and maybe got water through the intake? The cylinder looks nasty, heavy rust on the wall. I still haven't got it out , tried the 2x4 method, letting it soak some more. I also found a 2 heavy scores in another cylinder, got that piston out, the retaining clip on the piston was gone allowing the wrist pin to contact the cylinder wall. So much for getting by cheap. I would imagine it would be cheaper to find a half decent used motor than to rebuild this one wouldn't it ? Any toughts?
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Well, Scroob, there's a risk of messing things at either end with too much force, and messing yourself if something jumps. On the front end, first thing is the right socket size (use 6-point, don't skimp, i.e. with a 1" if a 15/16" is called for) or you're bound to chew the angles off the bolt. Then don't go over a 3 foot cheater, or you'll do bad things on the outside, inside, or to yourself. Calling back the spirit of an engine that's been in a coma for a long time takes care, prayer, and stacking up enough tricks and making so much noise in Fomoco heaven that it just doesn't have a choice. Then the spirit may get curious: "That idiot is hooking up a log-splitting hydraulic line from his John Deere to my Number 5 cylinder. No way am I going to let that happen." Think optimistically, "Is the ratchet failing, or did I just see that belt move?".
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Hey Jetfixer, Real sorry about the thing, which sounds pooched. Guess the spirit is truly at rest talking to Henry Ford. The hard thing is to catch the real reason it was parked. Something like a ignition switch fire is good (Fomoco specialty), since replacing a harness is nowhere most people will go. My swapper had a cooked odometer (sort of a plastic dribble), but the all-Ford parts said it had been dealer serviced, and it must have looked pretty good 10 years ago.
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From: Mddl A MexCans
I'd mike it and see what the cylinders say if they are stock with not to much wear, and the gouge isnt that deep from the wrist pin, maybe overbore. However this being a dumptruck, be cheaper/better to locate a stock bore block. Glaze it and rings/bearings and Go!!
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From: Long Island USA
Originally Posted by Sport45
You could probably pick up a running 390 from a wrecking yard for less than you'll put in that 330. I think it's pretty much a drop-in fit. May have to swap timing covers.
That is, unless the 330 has a cast crank, and not the steel with the larger snout.
jetfixer, is the motor mounted at the timing cover? Or does it have motor mounts on the side of the block?
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krewat
The motor is mounted at the timing cover. One of the other posters had said the crank may be the same if the engine was a 330 medium duty, which I believe it is. I have not had the damper off yet. I am getting a 390 from a 72 pickup that a very generous fellow is giving me. Hopefully by the beginning of the week I will know what I've got. Thanks all.
The motor is mounted at the timing cover. One of the other posters had said the crank may be the same if the engine was a 330 medium duty, which I believe it is. I have not had the damper off yet. I am getting a 390 from a 72 pickup that a very generous fellow is giving me. Hopefully by the beginning of the week I will know what I've got. Thanks all.