My 79 Bronco's 351 is FROZEN. It somehow got water in it this summer. (I only use for plowing my driveway). I put penetrating oil in the plug holes. I also draned the oil and about 1 1/2 qts of WATER came out. I need to break it free. What would work the best? Tranny fluid, more pentrating oil, kerosene ?
Thanks
Jon

 

If the engine was covered, it must have a crack in the block or a cracked head or failed head gasket.

 

I've heard of several things: Marvel Mystery oil, Liquid Wrench, diesel fuel, ATF, 3-in-1 oil and even brake fluid being used to unlock a motor. The main thing is to let it soak and check to make sure something else isn't causing the hangup (like a valve stuck open or even a frozen oil pump).

 

>My 79 Bronco's 351 is FROZEN. It somehow got water in it
>this summer. (I only use for plowing my driveway). I put
>penetrating oil in the plug holes. I also draned the oil and
>about 1 1/2 qts of WATER came out. I need to break it free.
>What would work the best? Tranny fluid, more pentrating oil,
>kerosene ?
>Thanks
>Jon
Any kind of light oil like atf will work. Put it in a squirt can or bottle and put enough in the cylinders that you get all the way around the piston. Then leave the plugs out so you can put more oil in when it breaks free.

You didn't say if you have auto or stick so I'll go with auto trans. Pull the pan and look to see if the oil pump is full of rust. If so you need to clean the pan and the pump or it will fill the bearings with rust and wipe out whats left of the motor.

Then begin working the motor back and forth trying to break it free. The easiest way is to turn the flywheel with a bar or turning tool. Try not to break the teeth on the ring gear. Ingenuity is the key here. If you don't get it free or it turns but acts like it stuck a valve you might have to pull a head to clean the junk out of the valves. Once you have it turning by hand then try cranking with the starter using oil to flush the cylinders as best you can to get the loose crap out of the holes. Then put it all back together and see if it works. It will smoke like crazy till it burns all the oil out and the rings re-seat into the holes (If they ever seal again).

And yes this is a common thing in cars stored. I've seen it many times even out here in the dry country. Condensation builds up inside the cylinders, valve covers and everything else. It's rarely a blown gasket or cracked block/head. Personally I think it's invisible gremlins out to sabotage the old vehicles so I have to buy new parts. But that's just my little theory.


Good luck, hope nothing important breaks on you.

 

diesel fuel works real good and try and warm it with flex tube on exhaust from other car up under the hood