Sears 3 hp motor seized

[cbourbeau32]

I was given a Sears 3 HP motor a few years ago and in addition to the Eska/Clinton motor I've been working on I decided to get this motor out and see if I could find out where it was seized up. Well it appears to be in the motor head/piston area. My question is there any hope of getting the piston freed up and this engine working again? I'm hoping this is possible as everything else on the engine seems to be in pretty good shape.

Thanks for any replies.

Charlie

 

[tomhath]

Re: Sears 3 hp motor seized

I'd pour some kind of penetrating oil into the spark plug hole and let it sit for a week or two. Some guys swear by a mix of automatic transmission fluid and kerosene, others like a product call "kroil" that you can get online.

 

[twocyclemania]

Re: Sears 3 hp motor seized

Here's my history of freeing up a stuck engines. Go with the lubricant soak first for a few weeks. If that doesn't work take off the intake manifold which will expose the crank. If it's in a position where you can; use a wood or teflon or plastic pin; place it on the crankshaft throws (the heavy part) and tap away with a hammer. Probably heavier than a tap but don't be a caveman. Usually once the piston starts to free-up your good to go. I did have one recently (a l954 15 Evinrude) that I tapped the throw to the end and it still would not give up the ghost. It's now in a position at the end where I can no longer use this method. So; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I believe it works when motors where for the most part seized from sitting for a while. As for lubricant; I just worked on a 2 hp Johnson with stuck rings (the motor did turn over). I spent two months with various concoctions (trans fluid, Nuts-off, CRC knock-er-loose, et al. and nothing. Finally removed the piston and found I could have soaked the ring till the next ice age and nothing would have happened. With any method or lubricant; sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but give the lube a chance and go with the crank tap next. Others may have better methods but this is what I did. Good luck!

 

[cbourbeau32]

Re: Sears 3 hp motor seized

Well I got this one loosened up and now it spins so freely you can spin it with your fingers. Hopefully it will go back together and work correctly. Thanks for the advice. Charlie

 

[robert graham]

Re: Sears 3 hp motor seized

Pull the cylinder off(4 Phillips head screws) and carefully check/free/clean any carbon from rings, grooves, piston skirt, crown....use a scraper, steel wool, carb cleaner, etc. until rings are nice and free in grooves....no need to remove rings....just clean them up....clean carbon from exhaust port....good luck!....