101 replies to this topic

[wile e coyote]

Problem found I see! That's a little more than I'd term surface rust - but follow Doug's advice and hope it frees up - when it does - and it will eventually - get plenty of lint free rags on hand and a tin of wd and wipe religiously at every minor shift to get as much debris out as humanly possible (a few cocktail sticks to clear the ringland useful too - raid the kitchen)- keep your fingers crossed!

In the meantime why not yank the head apart - by that I mean valves out and toptal spruce up and relap - get all of the crud out of it (dishwasher very handy here - just don't tell any other half you may have) dry it off thoroughly the second its done though - cheap and mildly therapeutic job - only purchases needed being a grinding stick and paste (about 3 quid and that from Halfords!) and a spring compressor - new stem seals will come with your new HG set

Best of luck with it...

[fattasss]

so I need to fill the bores with diesel again and wait till it starts to move, is there any way to speed up the process..

ie try anything else than diesel?

[wile e coyote]

Diesel will get there - if poured in hot so much the better....... I'm assuming you don't want to pull the lump & strip it down unless absolutely necessary? It is possible there are broken rings already so that may need to happen anyway....

One thing I've heard of being done - I stress heard of...wouldn't recommend unless last resort is putting kerosene down the bores and having a fire..... relying on heat to break the "seal" - please don't misconstrue this as advice - it's bloody dangerous - kerosene spits!

One thought that may help a little is this - I don't suppose your drive is on a slope? If so you could leave the car in gear without the handbrake on (remembering a barrier / block of some sort)a couple of inches away from the wheels) that'll put the "seal" under a bit of constant stress...

Another thought that may speed things up - a bit is to tap each piston crown daily with a chunk of softwood - not thump - tap.....

You'll win...sooner or later....

[fattasss]

gona try the hot diesel asap, and yes my drive is a slope.

the car can roll backwards, shall I leave in a forward gear or reverse gear because car will roll backwards if the diesel works..

 

also is it worth me looking for a replacement engine   now or shall I wait with fingers-crossed....

help is much appreciated.

[69k1100]

Pull the plugs before you turn it by hand. Otherwise you will always be fighting compression. You should be able to turn it by hand, it will turn either way.

I'm a bit behind the 8 ball:)

Edited by 69k1100, 16 February 2014 - 02:04 AM.

[dklawson]

No need to pull the plugs... the head is off.

 

What Wile was suggesting was to leave it in a gear that would make the engine turn in its normal direction of rotation.  However, PLEASE note that he also warned you to do this only if you could put some form of "stop" to prevent the car from rolling more than a couple of inches.  That is seriously important unless you want to come out in the morning and find the car has rolled over someone or hit something.  Personally.... I would not take that chance but it is your car.

[fattasss]

cant wait to try these above method,

does anyone know what size ring spanner fits the bolt on the crankshaft pulley,

ive heard its easier to turn the engine from there..

will report my findings tomoro..

plz keep the ideas coming in.

[wile e coyote]

Phew Doug had me covered in the wee small hours... time difference is a magic thing! - Annoying though it is, keep the faith and patience...

But to answer your question - and unless you know a truck mechanic I doubt whether you'll find a ring spanner in the size - the crank bolt is 1 5/16" - socket is your best bet

It's always worth having a spare engine but lets cover some basics if possible - I know you haven't got much history on the car and the engine certainly wasn't a factory fit so has led a previous life but have you any clue on it's age? (stick the engine number into guessworks's superb calculator:

http://www.guess-wor...Tech/engine.htm

(my money would be on pre '88 going from leaded big valve head)

Clean up one piston crown and report back on the numbers on a piston - that'll tell you whether its in original state / bore or if previously refurbed. Also run your fingernail over the top 1cm of the bore - if there's a noticeable ridge then its an indicator of wear - if there then check its not a deposit of crud before panicking...

I've written at some length in other threads about acquiring spare engines - by no means impossible to get a decent one for more or less free - just takes a bit of lateral thinking, cycling (in my case - it's amazing what you can spot in garages / drives or back alleys though a bike ride) and polite asking and offering owners token amounts of money for things they were too lazy to scrap...I digress however...

The newest a series is now pushing 15 years old - so don't expect to get something cheaply you can drop in and drive - without spending a serious chunk of cash what you'll probably end up with it something of equally unknown provenance needing the same work your existing one does....personally I'd avoid what I erm "paint specials" on ebay (i.e tired old engine given a clean and shiny paint job and flogged as reconditioned to the next mug.... - I'm way too cynical....) unless it either comes from a known seller or can be properly inspected before purchase...

So.... to refurb a short engine properly - chemical clean, new cam, big end & main bearings, rebore to next size, new pistons & rings, probably regrind the crank, new oil pump , timing gear, cam followers, gaskets etc - that's 400 quid at least if supplied with the short block to an engineering shop (don't take that as a comprehensive list - straight off the top of my head)...

Get scrounging / looking a spare lump never hurts to store (I've got 5....& no none for sale!).

You may well have to do all that to your current engine anyway!

[Ethel]

A spanner isn't going to match the weight of the car multiplied by the gearbox. Look at the timing mark on the crank pulley to work out the crank position and try and arrange it so the most likely seized pistons are going down their bores. You can do the same by looking at the rotor arm in the dizzy (assuming it's not an MPI).

[fattasss]

im waiting for the diesel to act now... ive tried to get a socket on the crankshaft bolt but failed, not enough space in there...

the cars in 2nd gear and handbrake down, (supported by a big log at end of drive...lol) 

where can I find the engine number and if anyone has a lump for sale plz get in touch..

thanks again

[wile e coyote]

Engine number is in your pic - riveted on plate (covered in go faster red) on the front of the engine block just below where the temperature sensor sits in the head - should be 12H something or other...

[fattasss]

hi,

the diesel I poured in the bores has done down in the 1 and 2 cylinders, ive tried pushing the car in 2nd gear but still no movement,

ive undone the engine mount on the passanger side and removed the rad and the fan so I can get to the crank shaft bolt with socket and breaker bar,

anything else I should do at this stage...

[wile e coyote]

Well that's a start - the beginnings of positive signs - if its draining down - even a bit you're getting somewhere. The HG most often goes in the bridge between 2&3 as seems to be borne out by your pic. - so at a guess 3 would be the source of the most remaining rust... I know its seriously frustrating but waiting is the least worst option here - give the car the odd nudge back & forth every time your feeling aggrieved but I really wouldn't reccomend any more than that there's pressure on the crank due to slope - certainly wouldn't try  a socket on the crank just yet you only need one ring to snap and you're into strip down territory immediately. I assume all the bores above the seize are now pristine clean....?

[Gremlin]

Put it in first instead of second, it'll put more force on the engine, just be careful when trying to turn the engine over you don't just simply undo the crank bolt, not a disaster if you do but not ideal if your jumping on it and then it suddenly goes.

Also you say the car is pointing uphill, put it in 1st as i said and then put your socket and breaker bar on the crank bolt and hang a weight off the end of the breaker as if your undoing it, it'll put a bit more force on and there's no danger of stupidly overtightening it making it difficult to undo if/when you ever need to

[fattasss]

ok, which way shall I apply the pressure on the crank shaft bolt,

CLOCK or ANTI