B16a-siezed-advise needed

[wentworthto1]

I have a B16a engine that I got running about 4 years ago. It has been sitting since then. When I prepaired it for storage, I put all new oil in it and I added some Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder.

Well, I just tried to start it and noticed that the engine is siezed up. The pulley will not even budge.

It has been 2 days now since I put some seafoam and PB Blaster in each spark plug hole. I can see the liquid still sitting on the top of each cylinder. Each day, I use a hammer and a block of wood and knock on the pulley bolt, hoping the vibrations will help loosen things up. Then I take a breaker bar and try to move the pulley, but it still won't budge.
Also, I just drained the oil pan.

So, does anyone think I should fill the engine with oil again or should I just keep waiting for the chemicals to work?

I noticed that there are 2 inspection plates on the side of the engine. Would it help if I took those off and sprayed even more PB blaster inside the engine?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Todd Wentworth

[austingipsy]

If you could warm up the block, maybe with one of those pre heaters you need for super frosty weather. Might free up the pistons enough to let some oil creep down into the bores.

[Derek UK]

What do you intend to do with the engine? Do you have any history on it? Can you get it onto an engine stand? With the pan off you can fill up the bores from the other side with hot paraffin or diesel. With the head off you could tap down on the pistons with a block of wood but you may already have broken rings which might score the bore if you do that. B16 rings and pistons hard to find and very spendy.
Side plates are for access so you can remove the cam followers without removing the head. Not much help to you at the moment.
It's likely that if you keep up your current regime of regular easing it will move but might take a few weeks. Depends on your patience...........

[agent_strangelove]

As others pointed out, patients may be the best tool but that may or may not help. You can leave the car in gear and try rocking it. Just give it a shove everytime you walk by the car.

I personally like Kroil better than PB blaster but I guess it's a personal thing.

One other trick you might think about after you have given it some time is to tow the car with it in gear. It's a bit harsh but if after a week or two of tapping and waiting, there is nothing, that might be the solution.


Chris

[classicswede]

If it takes a tow to free it off you are going to need to re ring the engine. Towing it could damage teh bores if teh rings are stuck but on the other hand it could free it off an you'll be fine.

If penetrating oil is not going down then the only other thing you could try is some coca cola (not for you but put it down the bores). It does often do the trick of freeing up rusty parts.

[wentworthto1]

Thank you for all the replies. The engine is actually in my Hyrodyne boat. It is the marine version, but is baisically the same. I wonder if I put the engine in gear, then mabey I could have someone else on the other end of the prop try turning it while I try turning the pulley. What do you think?

Should I cyphon out all of the sea foam I originally put in each cylinder and start over with pure PB blaster?

Thanks, Todd W.

[myatt1972]

I wouldnt try turning the prop, if its a hydraulic gearbox it wont do anything and if the box is mechanical you may damage the clutch pack / clutch cone or drive plate.
Diesel and patience has worked for me in the past.
Keith...

[wentworthto1]

Well, I'm still waiting on it to move. Today, I took out the spark plugs again and sprayed some more PB Blaster in each hole. I think I might just leave it alone now for a few days and see what happens. Everytime I walk by the engine, i give it a few shakes.

Does anyone think I should keep agetating it or just simply leave it alone?

Thanks for all the great feedback.

Todd

[classicswede]

It's not going to make it worse. You will prbably find it best to try and turn it with the plugs out so then you have no compression to fight against.

It continued soaking does not work then you'll need to pull the head off.

[charlotte001]

I agree with above remove the pan after putting the engine on a stand then pour some warm paraffin into the bottom of the bores. If you keep trying to rotate it all you're going to do is stuff the con rods and or gudgen pins.

You would be far better off taking the engine appart to see whys its seized and with the crank removed you could then lightly tap each piston out whilst applying any kind of releasing agent, paraffin is a good start.

I've seen numerous attempts at freeing siezed engines all resulting in eventual piston slap and then damage once the engine has been taken appart

[wentworthto1]

Well, I looked today and saw that the penetrating oil has dissapeared in the first cylinder. So I can assume that that piston is now free. However, the others are still full. I still cannot turn the pulley. Should I add more pb blaster to the first cylinder so that it does not sieze up again while I wait for the others to loosen?

I ordered "engine release" about two weeks ago, so it should get here any day now. When I get it, I may try it instead in the rest of the cylinders.

I also bought some 5w 20 oil and filled the engine again with 5 quarts. Should I add more oil and fill the entire engine to the top? I'm wondering if other things may be siezed inside the engine.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks, Todd Wentworth

[asneddon]

i'm not saying this is a good idea, but my dad had the 48 flathead in his boat seize up one year and after lots of effort trying to get it sorted he went for the brute force method:

1) Fill up the bores with lighter fluid.
2) light
3) wait for the fire to go out
4) see if the heat has freed the pistons.

It worked for him, but then again he did have a spare engine he could have used if we needed to pull the current one and strip it.

[Derek UK]

At this point I don't think I would have put the oil in the engine. It'll still be below the crank. If the engine is out of the boat, I don't think you've said, you can tilt it from side to side to wet everything down, but it won't help much to free anything off. If not, anything you put down the bores will contaminate the oil so it'll need changing before you attempt to start it. At the moment it's 1 down 3 to go so your patience is paying off.
We're patient too. How about a pic of the engine and boat?

[222s]

If penetrating oil is not going down then the only other thing you could try is some coca cola (not for you but put it down the bores). It does often do the trick of freeing up rusty parts.

Seconded.

[wentworthto1]

I am working on getting the pictures to transfer to the thread.

[wentworthto1]

Hey! I finally figured out how to make it all work:thumbs_up:

16299

16300

16301

16302

16303

16304

16305

16306

16307

16308

16309

16310

[Derek UK]

VERY interesting. Looks like the Florida(?, I see you're in Pa) salty air has been working well, although the spark plug numbering sticky has survived well.
If your patience pays off, what the next step? Try and start it for a very short run? Cooling will be difficult as it stands. Conveniently, it has the 2 lifting rings, so pulling it out won't be too difficult.
What are your plans? A complete restoration as a "vintage boat" or a tidy up for weekend fun?

[wentworthto1]

well, I lived in Fla. from '82-'96. The boat hasn't seen the water since 1990. I got the engine running about 4 years ago and it ran beautifully. So I'm hoping it will run the same after these pistons free up. Yesterday, I received the "engine release" in the mail and started the treatments. So, with one piston already free, I am pretty optomistic!

The boat belonged to my dad when he was a kid. He grew up on Lake Michigan. The boat probably has less than a few hundred hours on it. So, the engine is pretty "new".

The boat itself needs major work though. The first project is re-coring the inside of the hull with end-grain balsa and resin. After the inside is finished, I will move to the outer. All of the gel-coat must be sanded down and removed so that I can build it back up with resin and then paint it with Interlux Brightsides paint.

When I get the engine out, I may just open it up and recondition as much as possible. What would you do with it? I'm sure the outdrive will also need attention. The prop turns freely when disengaged, so that is a good sign.

Well, I'll let everyone know the progress!

[Derek UK]

If it runs nice again after it's free'd up, I'd just take off the bolt on parts, get them blasted and repainted. Put it all back together and freshen the whole engine with new paint. The rocker cover may have been chrome, but on non Penta engines, the B16a just had it painted engine colour.
Good luck with the rebuild.

Pop in here and have a chat.
Susquehanna Spares, 3725 Elder Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17111 (717) 921-2644 ; 122/1800 parts, Joe Lazenby owner