Folks,
Just bought a 215 Buick that is locked up. (Yeah, I got it cheeeep....)
I am currently soaking that bore with penetrating oil in preparation for the BFH.
Any body else got any tips for getting this thing apart with minimum damage?
TIA,
Rog
Let it soak for a long time and then put more pen. oil in. If it has a flywheel, use a pry bar and as gently as possible pry it first one way and then the other. Worst case scenario, take off heads, oak 2X4, BFH, find new pistons.
My shop class back in high school had an engine in similar shape. Soaked the cylinders in Marvel Mystery oil (and probably a few other liquids) and beat on the pistons with a decent size hammer and a block of wood. To this day I can't really believe the engine was rebuilt and running again. It took a bunch of pounding to free up those pistons.
ATF has been known to help free-up stuck pistons
In reply to hotrodlarry:
or mebbe try that acetone/ atf p-oil home brew posted in tech tips
when oil / actone fails. pull head add a few wood chips and some more oil and light it up. no not kiding the heat will expand the piston and the cyl wall helping break the rust grip.
If it was an old farm engine, I would suggest building a fire around it. Heat cycles help a lot, but probably hard on aluminum. You might try a propane weed torch.
Sometimes a certain brown bubbly liquid (no, not Pepsi or Dr Pepper) has been known to help in these situations. Although I'd be careful with it near aluminium parts...
Try Kroil on it.
BoxheadTim wrote: Sometimes a certain brown bubbly liquid (no, not Pepsi or Dr Pepper) has been known to help in these situations. Although I'd be careful with it near aluminium parts...
Guinness?
4eyes wrote:BoxheadTim wrote: Sometimes a certain brown bubbly liquid (no, not Pepsi or Dr Pepper) has been known to help in these situations. Although I'd be careful with it near aluminium parts...Guinness?
Usually helps me in those situations. Dunno about the rust, though.
Lestoil. It's an oil based cleaner
I use the "Let it soak with ATF and/or Kroil and gently use the prybar on the flywheel" method. It can take a while, but it will come loose. My motorcycle had sat outside for a number of years, and two of the spark plugs didn't seal perfectly. It took me a month of soaking it and rocking the flywheel back and forth to get it to turn all the way around. Once it did, I spun it over with the starter with no plugs to eject as much of the crap out of it as I could, then put it back together and it started up. Of course it smoked like crazy burning off all that oil, and continued to smoke for about two weeks, until the rings fully seated. Now it runs perfectly.
BoxheadTim wrote: Although I'd be careful with it near aluminium parts...
A buick 215 is pretty much all aluminum.
I always used plain kerosene.
hotrodlarry wrote: ATF has been known to help free-up stuck pistons
Some of the best stuff to use. Add acetone to the mix and seal/cover the deck surface to reduce evaporation of the acetone. It may take days or even a couple of weeks but if you're not in a hurry let the oil work.
Yuo could also get some rust removing chemical like navel Jelly and let that soak into the bores. It will break down the rust that is binding everything together.
Vinegar. Pour it in, let it disolve the rust. Then you can worry about lubrication.
BoxheadTim wrote: Sometimes a certain brown bubbly liquid (no, not Pepsi or Dr Pepper) has been known to help in these situations. Although I'd be careful with it near aluminium parts...
but how do you get your bunghole close enough to the spark plug hole?
Sounds like a great time to increase bore!
My friend was given a Pontiac 400 that was sitting outside for a while. We were able to knock the pistons out after soaking them with PB Blaster along with using a 2x4 and BFH but the bores had some pitting. A .030” bore barely cleaned it up and there were still some very fine rust stains after that would not come out.
50% ATF and 50% Acetone. Pour in, put plug back on, let sit for a week. Then try rocking the crankshaft with breaker bar. It is doesn't want to move, don't force it with a longer breaker bar....big vote for the careful heating solution. You didn't say if the heads were off, but, I'm assuming they're still on. Sooo...
Remove them after that week, and now you can use the heat and spray PB blaster or ATF/Acetone solution--very carefully-- on the warm cylinder walls. As they cool, they should draw in the fluid, and help the rings break free from the cylinder walls. The weed torch is a good idea for even heating. Of course, safety first--like, don't do this without a fire extinguisher you know how to operate within easy reach.
The expansion and contraction of the aluminum block, and the fluids should release the pistons. Just be patient, as too much force, too soon, and you'll have junk, not a light-weight (relatively) V-8. Good luck. If you think the acetone might be too strong for the aluminum, you can use lacquer thinner with the ATF.
You may want to pull the oil pan, turn it upside down and soak it from underneath for a few days, too. Assuming, of course, that it's not still in the car.
melt the piston with a torch.
16vCorey wrote: I use the "Let it soak with ATF and/or Kroil and gently use the prybar on the flywheel" method. It can take a while, but it will come loose. My motorcycle had sat outside for a number of years, and two of the spark plugs didn't seal perfectly. It took me a month of soaking it and rocking the flywheel back and forth to get it to turn all the way around. Once it did, I spun it over with the starter with no plugs to eject as much of the crap out of it as I could, then put it back together and it started up. Of course it smoked like crazy burning off all that oil, and continued to smoke for about two weeks, until the rings fully seated. Now it runs perfectly.
Now that's hardcore. salute
Hey guys..
Thanks for all the input.
The previous owner tried the ATF trick.....but on the wrong cylinder bank... (Grin)
These motors typically fry the head gasket on the passenger side #8 cylinder. Just like on this motor, except the last person to assemble the beast left out the lower left head bolt on the passenger side......and it appears that none of the head bolts saw a torque wrench.... (Grin #2)
So I am using PO on the #8 cylinder, and I just ordered Kroil from McCarr. Not holding my breath, but I may get this thing apart soon...
Thanks,
Rog
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