Anyone ever had any luck freeing a seized engine?

[leakdoctor]

I just bought a fixer-upper. 1989 Glastron X-17 with a 3.0 mercruiser. The guy says he's had it for two years and it ran fine. This year he got ready to run it and the starter bumps, but it won't turn over.

Their is no water in the oil. Pulled the valve cover and the top of the head looks fine, no metal shavings on the rocker arms, etc. No rust on the spark plugs. It has a new starter on it. I've tried putting it in gear and turning the prop with a pull handle. No luck.

I've been told that something could be locked up in the outdrive. So I am going to pull it off tommorow and check it. I removed the spark arrestor and looked down into the carb. I can see rust on the top of the throttle plates, and opening the throttle I see rust in the bottom of the manifold. The way the boat is designed water running off of the cover in the back would drip right onto the falme arrestor on the carb. So rain water could run right into the carb. I have removed the spark plugs and injected PB3 into the cylinders.

I recently bought an old tractor that had gotten water into the engine and caused the rings to stick. I pulled the injectors and put PB3 into the cylinders. After sitting 24 hours it freed up and now runs like a champ.

Anyone ever had any luck freeing a seized 3.0? Any suggestions?

Thanks
David

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Anyone ever had any luck freeing a seized engine?

Rings/Pistons etc don't seize in 1 year.
You might be right about the outdrive being locked up if it was full of water over the winter.
That is a good first step to pull it off and see if the engine then turns.
In all the engine failures I've ever seen I've never seen shavings up on the rockers....don't go by that as to the condition of the engine.

 

[Coors]

Re: Anyone ever had any luck freeing a seized engine?

When they freeze, they never have time to squirt any shavings up top.
New engine time.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Anyone ever had any luck freeing a seized engine?

Ayuh,..........

If you get it Freed Up,......
The odds are,..... You'll have a Rebuildable Core,+ not a running Motor.......

 

[TBarCYa]

Re: Anyone ever had any luck freeing a seized engine?

If rain water could have gotten into the intake manifold, you could have a hydrolocked engine. Try taking out all of the spark plugs and then see if the starter turns the engine. If it turns, the water will shoot out the spark plug holes so have a buddy stick his face near one of the plug holes while you crank the starter...

Before you crank the starter tho, try to turn the engine with a breaker bar on the crank pulley bolt. That eliminates starter and/or electrical problems as causes for it not turning.

 

[neilmw]

Re: Anyone ever had any luck freeing a seized engine?

Now I am no mechanic but can let you know my experience with a siezed volvo inboard I had.
Water had got into the engine through the cylinders as the sparks were left out and had been sitting for a few years and the engine was seized solid.
1, drain oil and water from bilge i had about 2 litres of ware in mine
2. pour a few drops of diesel (acts as a thin lubricant) in each bore and leave overnight.
3 with a spanner ver gently try to rock the crank each way but not too much pressure, if it doesnt move then atry a bit more diesel and leave it again.
4, try again rocking the crank each way this may take several attempts before it starts to move, if it does eventually start to move then use more diesel in the pots and crank (with the spanner) do not attempt to turn over on the key until the engine is moving freely on all cylinders.
5 once you are happy all pistons are moving drain oil and water from the engine refill and try starting.
6 if the engine does start do not throttle whatsoever, I left mine ticking over for 3 hours, changed oil again then slowly inched the revs up bit by bit and leaving running at the revs almost as though you were running the engine in.

i had mine for a year and 2 years on after i sold the boat it is still running

good luck