When I was 16 or 17 I ran my 76 Camaro out of oil ( it leaked about a quart a day out of EVERYWHERE ) and seized that 350 up tight as a drum. My Grandpa ( who warned me about 100 times not to buy the car while we were looking at it ) had me pull all the plugs and shoot Liquid Wrench down the cylinders everyday for a week. Unfortunately when we put a 2 foot breaker on it and tryed to turn it over, it didn't happen. My Grandpa tryed to save my butt on that one. Even though I ignored his advice to the point of making him mad at me when I bought that oil derrick !!! Haven't thought about that lesson (that was over 30 years ago) he taught me in a long time. Thanks Uncle Tony. Great freakin video. Glad you got that old Dodge motor free.
Yeah, stick em that way and they are gonna need some parts and machine work. Much different from trying to unstick a good runner when it was parked that has just seized up from condensation attacking a motionless engine for too long.
Sir, that was about the best video explaining this problem I've seen. Got a 4.3L Chevy that I let sit for 3 years, and I just removed the heads and figured I was okay because the engine stayed closed the whole time. First time for me. Can't get the crank to turn, but I've soaked it with PB blaster, Marvel mystery oil, fogging oil, and WD40. I hope the shocking and working back and forth can help. Thank you. Update: It worked! It's been soaking a couple of weeks and I used the shock method with a pipe and 4 lb. hammer. Worked it back and forth for about 8-10 minutes and once it started moving.
Great video. My old man freed a big block Chevy once with 24 volts to the starter 😂. Also remember being a young lad and dad’s 3.8 V6 G body seizing its engine on the highway. He poured a quart of oil down the carburetor and it got us home! Really thought my dad was a wizard after that one.
Filling cylinders with diesel helps. We used to use a 2x4 cause it did least damage to piston tops. 16" 2x4 and a 2 lb hammer - thud, thud, thud ... It's absolutely amazing how well a stuck old engine runs with valve job, decent gaskets, and decent re-assembly :-)
Just wanted to say Thank You for just taking the time to show people things that could save them a lot of not just money but stress and aggravation. I appreciate you
Hey can someone help me? I drove my Honda Civic for MILES AND MILES with no oil. It started making grinding noises and kept dying. There was no oil. What do I do now. I have to save her!!
I watched this video a year ago and I would like to say thanks. I bought a 1967 GTO HO convertible with a stuck motor. LOL. I followed your technique. Took over a month to get the pistons out. The car sat for 40 plus years. So I now have a rusty, 54,000 miles, AC,4sp, original hood tach. I am the second owner. Motor should be done soon, the car, well not so fast. Red with a white top and white interior. My 7th and probably last GOAT. Thanks again.
I taught my 7 boys who are now old enough for wrenching how to "Shock" my 76 chevy k20 that had been sitting in the trees for 16yrs. I had the oldest pull me down the road and I dropped the clutch.... I bet my boys would be "shocked" to watch this video.... I was "shocked" watching this as well.... I loved it and I will use your technique on one Im gonna make them work on. Take care thank you.lol
@@mikeobrien3744 318 started in 1985 . 360 started in 1989 pickup and finished its run when the magnum motor started. The 360 la roller motor is getting harder to find because of the limited time period it was built.
Mopar v8's got 'em in 1985, per allpar.com + the small-blocks (and 3.9L v6 / ancient slant6 replacement) got "The Magnum Treatment" starting in 1992-3 while keeping the roller cam system.
Hey Uncle Tony, thanks for the tip. I watched this the day it aired, tonight I got froggy enough to test it on my 1970 CJ 429. Yet here I am half an hour later with an engine that rolls over again!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH UNCLE TONY. BROTHER, YOU ARE LEGENDARY. (YES, this is ment to be a yell at ya from excitement!!)
Excellent description of how to use finesse to avoid damaging a save able engine. For myself I always use brass only brushes to clean the bore especially on very rusty engines. Then gently hone down to the piston tops using a vacuum to prevent any debris from sinking to the rings. I also use an oak disk to transfer force around piston head to prevent mushrooming. But you still may have to use direct strike for exactly the reasons you stated. Your description on technique, how and why to do it is educationally perfect! and will probably help people save engines. Great Vid.
Never underestimate the value of a good shock with a hammer. Those sharp blows can save a ton of work. I found my brother fighting a tie rod end once. I showed him how you give it a whack on the side and it generally falls right out. He said he'd been beating on the top for half an hour. I learned that trick years ago for freeing up stuck bolts, lug nuts, etc. Along with penetrating oil tapping things with a hammer helps a ton. Also if it doesn't work you already have a hammer to hit things with if you're the type to lose your temper in those situations.
Another great video. It so nice to see someone . Inspecting and addressing the problem instead of throwing it away and replacing it . The method you showed is the way I was taught. Pull the heads and intake that way you see that everything is moving and nothing is in a bind .
Step 2 for me is usually warming up the block with a torch, gently, not too close and not too crazy hot. I've just had too much good luck heating to the point where the clearance i'm working with changes by a couple of thousandths. Along with some penetrating oil and something substantial to spin the crankshaft i usually do ok at getting them unstuck.
Thanks Uncle Tony, I just trailered home a 63 vailent convertable that's been in storage since 95. Ive known the car and owner my whole life. The storage unit was flooded at one point and water got in the crank case. the motor wont turn. Going to drain the case, pull the head and start soaking the cylinders tomorrow. Thanks for all the 225 slant six videos, my first car had one and I'm stoked to have one again after all the code chasing involved with modern cars. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Tony!
Great video just used your Pb blaster idea to in freeze my RVs 454 engine which had gotten low on oil. I sprayed it in the spark plug holes and let it sit over night. Then I rocked the Rv while in drive and was able to get it unstuck. Definitely still have some work to do but hopefully it’s fixable and not a total loss
Rocking back and forth will reveal other issues as well. Scoured pistons that cause Piston slap, for example, can be identified using this method. Great informative video!
I've taken the heads off of a old 327 it was stuck. I dumped a little marvels mystery oil on top of the pistons left it sit for a day. An a pipe an hammer had it moving in about 5 mins.
Buddy we did what you said and it worked!! We watched the video and we were like 'pfft no way....". Took a block of wood, sprayed some pb blaster in the cylinders and put a bit of torque on the front bolt. 1 tap each cylinder and she slid like nothing. Thanks!!
My dad, who worked on cars from the late 50s till he retired (heavy equipment/diesel mechanic) in ‘97 said they used to pour some Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder (just a little bit), let it sit for a week, and it almost ALWAYS would turn with a little help from the breaker bar. They’d drain the oil, and dump a few cans of kerosene right through it, and fill’er back up with fresh oil and a filter. Provided it hadn’t been internally damaged, they always said “it’ll run. Drive it. When it likes for good, we’ll worry about it.” 😂 Learned a ton from him (he doesn’t do this stuff anymore at 78) and I’m grateful for it now!
Out of all penetrants I've used over the decades, that Phat Bitch blaster is the hands down fucking best!!!! Glad you freed her up and saved it!!! I fucked up last 440 I put in my 72 barracuda,I didn't change the freeze plugs and in late Sept.got a freak cold blast from Canada over night that dropped temps from the daily 70s into the fucking 20s!!! I only had water in the block and just dropped the 440 in a day before, cocksucka froze and cracked so bad it wouldn't start. Back in the 80s I paid $50 for that car,ah the good old fucking days!!!! Anybody seen my time machine laying around?
Uncle Tony I actually pulled up one of your vids to help a friend today fix his car now my friend is a subscriber lol this UA-cam community is making anyone mechanically inclined a better wrencher thanks UTG! "The point setting vid"
Excellent video. I'm going to do this on my 5.4. I'm glad I found this. When I was growing up, I learned something very important from my dad about working on engines. If it doesn't work, beat it with a hammer and call it a bunch of filthy names. Eventually, everything he did that to started working.
Really good stuff. Thank you! I have a stuck barn find Rover 90. Been sitting since 1991 and so very much appreciate you sharing that no nonsense approach.
Hi Uncle Tony! I’m a 60 year old gal that loves working on my own vehicles- I recently acquired a CJ 5 Jeep that’s been sitting for 25 years- I’ve been soaking it for a month- working with it everytime I walk by! Nothing- I removed the head and got a nice pipe like yours- I’m going to get that a try now- your video has given me hope- fingers crossed ! Thanks for your video 👍🏻
Thanks for the video tutorial. Right or wrong, the trick my dad taught me when i was young for this: before you pull the heads pour brake fluid in the spark plug holes and let it soak a couple days then see if it'll rock free with the breaker bar back and forth. Your way seems more responsible to avoid cracking a ring and you see the condition of the cylinder wall before you start. Just though i'd share how I learned to mess up the paint on my fenders as a kid.
I was given a truck that my uncle left the spark plugs out of the engine long enough for condensation to lock it up. The borescope showed the lovely rust right at the low spot of each piston head. PB Blaster 2 day soak, shocking down each spark plug hole with a piece of rod stock and then a pry bar on the flexplate gear teeth back and forth. A ton of leverage is produced with the flywheel or flexplate. Only AFTER the engine has broke free.
Just broke free my buddy's engine. It was locked up due to sitting after a badly blown head gasket filled the cylinders with water (bent valves too). I pulled the head (4cyl work truck) and had machine shop do valve job and resurface. Broke free engine after soaking cylinders in transmission fluid! Took about a week of trying everyday after work until one friday, of course on friday, it let's go! Reassembled engine, fired it up with fresh fluids and it's running great! Spent about $300 on machine shop bill, new fluids and a brand new radiator. It was more fun than work. Kind of like a ln experiment. We'll see how long it lasts haha!
Had to free up a Ford motor recently so that we wouldn't get charged for the core. Engine was locked up, no oil. Pulled the engine, dropped the pan found two rods that were damn near melted. Loosened the nuts for those two caps, used the BFH and my favorite punch (the top of the rod off a strut) and got the engine freed up again. Boom, saved $800. Put the reman in and everybody is happy.
Really helpful stuff here. All anyone ever told me about engines that aren't running is"bar it over. If it doesn't move, you don't want it" or they would say " if it doesn't move, you HAVE to rebuild it" which obviously is not always the case. It's good to know that there actually is a less expensive way to get an engine unstuck than a full rebuild. That might be what some of the people who have "survivor" cars do. That category of car is kind of annoying because it has to have a certain percentage of original paint, and certain amount of the motor has to be original without a rebuild and it just annoys the hell out of me.
Had a 6 foot bar on the crank bolt. No budgie. Pulled inspection cover and pried on the ring gear. It moved. This was a dodge flathead. It now runs! 40 psi oil pressure.
tarstarkusz when I got my 1971 Buick GS for my channel I let it sit for two weeks with my Marvel mystery oil in the cylinders and that stuff works amazing. I think it works better with the heads on it where penetrating oil works better without the heads
We use diesel and atf in the cylinders. Just pop the spark plugs, dump er in, let it soak, then breaker bar the crank. Never pulled the heads, but that’s probably the smart thing to do! Lol
Uncle Tony looks like the kind of Uncle that will have some pretty awesome and badass stories to tell, the ones you'd be proud to relate to your friends
I had some moron try to tell me one time that I was going to bend the rods and break the pistons I was like "Dude these things get 3000 PSI of Pressure in a matter of a millisecond when it's running I'm sure a small tap is not going to hurt it!
I had another moron tell me that it's impossible for a car to shock you because 12 volts is not enough. I told him to place his hand on top of the Mallory Cap Tell me how that feels I didn't tell him that the alternator was running at 120 amps.. Lol He had third-degree burns on his palm. And he smacked his knuckles on the hood when he ripped his hand away. (Its never the VOLTS- Always the AMPS that kill you!) I taught him that.
Thanks worked like a charm I usually let the motors set with atf in the cylinders to loosen them up but have had a 400 from my 78 d100 setting for a few months and it was still stuck so I tried this yesterday and she turns over freely now
I got 2 stuck right now. Tried soaking in diesal fuel in cycl. 1 is a small block 318. I have 5 or 6 of these motors so it never did free up after a month of soaking I scraped it. next one is a 440 been soaking as long tried to pull it with the wrecker(as it's a 4 speed) all I did was burn make a flat spot on the tires and leave a block and a 1/2 black mark. I have not done anymore with the big block as of yet.
Damn I have been doing it wrong. I fill the cylinder with Marvel's mystery oil, let it set for a week. Then put "Bertha" the six foot pipe wrench on the harmonic balancer then a little left, a little right, a little more left, ect.ect. if Bertha don't make it move it ain't moving.
we did it like that to a mustang I had. guy left the aircleaner off and the tent it was under had a hole. filled the cylinders with water. engine was pretty seized. I actually put trans fluid in there and i don't remember how long i think a day, and a neighbor came by with this HUGE concrete prybar and we put that over the breaker bar and freed it. never smoked either.
Dad made a piece of 1/2 inch plate steel to mimic the head for a 225. Took the old head gasket and used bolts instead of studs and tightened it down. We put air chucks at each cylinder. Had a ball valve and made it where it would chuck up. Turned the air compressor up to 120. Did the alternating cylinder thing. We used kerosene for lube. Daddy got 25 years out of that motor so far.
I tried to free up a stuck engine around 1980 or so. pulled the heads off like you did, but a piston was turned sideways in the block. intake valves and pistons don't always get along.
good info, i am working on a stuck ford 460 so looked for some advice, also i answered a craigslist ad for a 460 distributor, was $20 the nice guy gave me two for free!
This is useful to know. I have a 53 chevy with an engine that's hard to spin. I put penetrating oil I each cylinder (forgot about it for 2 weeks) and was able to turn the engine just slightly with a breaker bar.
Breaker bar on the main pully too.. This and marvel mystery oil is what I used on vans and motorcycles pulled out of fields and briar patches.. Probably not the best way but it works. Light soak on the pistons an hour or more, then burn it off using starter fluid and a clean fuel supply.. One summer I got paid to get a whole field of second gen econolines running that had been sitting decades
Pull the plugs, load the cylinders up with Marvel Mystery Oil, drain the oil, pull the pan and jack the front of the car up by placing the jack on the crankshaft counterweights at the 3 or 9 o'clock position. Sometimes, that's enough to move the crankshaft. If not, just walk away. Chances are that in the morning, the car will be back down and the engine free. I've done this three or four times. Always worked.
Good point on the shocking method. I seen some Canadians on yt trying to get an old Buick straight 8 loose, they ended up machining up an o-ringed "lid" and hooking up a hydraulic hand pump to try & move the stuck piston loose...but man, that thing was STUCK, I don't think even this would have worked there. FYI they ended up drilling out the piston, jb welding the cyl.wall and finding an nos(!) piston locally
Another great video. Since I found the channel I keep watching these. I have a 1993 TBI that I love and keep on the road. Newer than what you work on mainly, but it's making me want to buy a project car. :)
HOWdy U-T-G, ... I used a sawed off LOUISVILLE SLUGGER Baseball BAT ... & a Hand -held Sledge-Hammer ... on my 1st FROZEN Piston MOTOR ... a 1972 AMC 401 cubic-inch ... it finally relinquished it hold of rusted Piston Rings on Rusted Engine Block ... It was my 1st real RACE Engine in my PINK Fiberglas Funny Car bodied JEEP CJ-5 ... COOP the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...
UTG didn't actually say **this**, so I will. (I'm sure he meant to) You want to give the engine a penetrating fluid spray before and after every shock treatment. Also, this video reminds me a lot of how to free a stuck bolt. EDIT: Yes, UTG says to use Penetrating fluid. But he does not say to use it between every shock treatment. Please refer to the timestamp listed below.
Thank you for the explanation I have a engine Oldsmobile 307 stuck i am told to put anti-rust liquid WD40 in the spark plug holes but hitting the pistons is faster!!!
a long time ago i bought a 318 that had been sitting for ten years . i put a breaker bar on the crank pulley but it would'nt budge . the manager at a auto salvage yard told me put a mixture of auto trans fluid and diesel . so i filled the cylinders up and let it set for five days , and it broke the rings free . this was in florida where the high humidity rusts the pistons rings and valves in the guides pretty badly sometimes
I just pulled the head on a 1982 ford 6. The engine is seized from sitting for 20 years so your tip on shocking the. Piston Rings I will try, THANK YOU!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! 🙏 you have no idea how much you helped me I was banging it with wood and broke like 6 4x4. Once i watched this video i did what you said and magic happened 😊 🙏🙏🙏
I was always taught transmission fluid works amazing at breaking rings loose on Pistons that have been sitting for a long time. Since it is literally designed on the atomic level to get in between tight metal clearances Pour a little bit on each one and wait till the next day and they should move freely with no issues.
hold large surface area metal pipe level on piston...and "shock it"...a bit more than a love tap... but not enough to damage bushing and bearing surfaces.
@@LosCadaver on small block Chevys when i have some wit higher oil pressure than normal I use one quart of atf in place of oil to help break down gunk in oil valleys. Also i put it in plug holes like you do
The fact you have no snow makes me incredibly jealous. Here in Canada winters suck! That's it, I'm parking my motor-home at your shop. Need another cameraman?
Ron Muirhead agreed bought 2011 f150 eco boost not safety checked in fall welded in 2 rockers 2 cab corners,need to replace clutch packs in differential, brakes , 2 tires and repair vac front 4 wheel drive but been to cold to finish till spring,but unusual mild spell now over Christmas so working on it tomorrow southern Ontario Canada’s 100 miles east of Detroit
Iv always have hooked a pipe rinch on the crank pully and grabe it and pull it and push it and have never had a problem i did it on my 1985 dodge got it free thin put gas to it fired it up and drove it 3 years every day and it still runs good and does not smoke and it sounds good but now im going to pull it and rebuild it
So now your just gona “inhales...exhales...” put your cigarette out right on this piston right here and make sure to put it out slowly. This part is very critical.
“The next step is critical...”
*Throws cigarettes
Lol love it.
😂
That's a mechanic🤷😂😂
I like reading the comments but OMG u weren't joking
😂😂😂😂😂
When I was 16 or 17 I ran my 76 Camaro out of oil ( it leaked about a quart a day out of EVERYWHERE ) and seized that 350 up tight as a drum.
My Grandpa ( who warned me about 100 times not to buy the car while we were looking at it ) had me pull all the plugs and shoot Liquid Wrench down the cylinders everyday for a week.
Unfortunately when we put a 2 foot breaker on it and tryed to turn it over, it didn't happen.
My Grandpa tryed to save my butt on that one.
Even though I ignored his advice to the point of making him mad at me when I bought that oil derrick !!!
Haven't thought about that lesson (that was over 30 years ago) he taught me in a long time.
Thanks Uncle Tony.
Great freakin video.
Glad you got that old Dodge motor free.
Yeah, stick em that way and they are gonna need some parts and machine work. Much different from trying to unstick a good runner when it was parked that has just seized up from condensation attacking a motionless engine for too long.
Sir, that was about the best video explaining this problem I've seen. Got a 4.3L Chevy that I let sit for 3 years, and I just removed the heads and figured I was okay because the engine stayed closed the whole time. First time for me. Can't get the crank to turn, but I've soaked it with PB blaster, Marvel mystery oil, fogging oil, and WD40. I hope the shocking and working back and forth can help. Thank you.
Update: It worked! It's been soaking a couple of weeks and I used the shock method with a pipe and 4 lb. hammer. Worked it back and forth for about 8-10 minutes and once it started moving.
Great video. My old man freed a big block Chevy once with 24 volts to the starter 😂. Also remember being a young lad and dad’s 3.8 V6 G body seizing its engine on the highway. He poured a quart of oil down the carburetor and it got us home! Really thought my dad was a wizard after that one.
It’s nice having all that room to work in. Those were the good ol days
It really is. Trying to work on my girlfriend's HHR is so cramped compared to my Jeep
Filling cylinders with diesel helps. We used to use a 2x4 cause it did least damage to piston tops. 16" 2x4 and a 2 lb hammer - thud, thud, thud ...
It's absolutely amazing how well a stuck old engine runs with valve job, decent gaskets, and decent re-assembly :-)
Just wanted to say Thank You for just taking the time to show people things that could save them a lot of not just money but stress and aggravation. I appreciate you
"I hope ya got something out of this" Yes, I get something out of every UTG video. Keep 'em comin. :)
Yes sir, if only I could say this louder without being obnoxious.
Hey can someone help me? I drove my Honda Civic for MILES AND MILES with no oil. It started making grinding noises and kept dying. There was no oil. What do I do now. I have to save her!!
I watched this video a year ago and I would like to say thanks. I bought a 1967 GTO HO convertible with a stuck motor. LOL. I followed your technique. Took over a month to get the pistons out. The car sat for 40 plus years. So I now have a rusty, 54,000 miles, AC,4sp, original hood tach. I am the second owner. Motor should be done soon, the car, well not so fast. Red with a white top and white interior. My 7th and probably last GOAT. Thanks again.
I taught my 7 boys who are now old enough for wrenching how to "Shock" my 76 chevy k20 that had been sitting in the trees for 16yrs. I had the oldest pull me down the road and I dropped the clutch.... I bet my boys would be "shocked" to watch this video.... I was "shocked" watching this as well.... I loved it and I will use your technique on one Im gonna make them work on. Take care thank you.lol
Love pb blaster good stuff . My dad & I use to use a drill & spin the oil pump to help lube the motor . It's crazy the stuff we do for fun
Cool!
Unca' Tony saved a roller small-block Mopar LA v8 from the shredder!
What years were the roller motors?
@@mikeobrien3744 318 started in 1985 . 360 started in 1989 pickup and finished its run when the magnum motor started. The 360 la roller motor is getting harder to find because of the limited time period it was built.
Mopar v8's got 'em in 1985, per allpar.com + the small-blocks (and 3.9L v6 / ancient slant6 replacement) got "The Magnum Treatment" starting in 1992-3 while keeping the roller cam system.
Hey Uncle Tony, thanks for the tip. I watched this the day it aired, tonight I got froggy enough to test it on my 1970 CJ 429. Yet here I am half an hour later with an engine that rolls over again!! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH UNCLE TONY. BROTHER, YOU ARE LEGENDARY. (YES, this is ment to be a yell at ya from excitement!!)
Excellent description of how to use finesse to avoid damaging a save able engine. For myself I always use brass only brushes to clean the bore especially on very rusty engines. Then gently hone down to the piston tops using a vacuum to prevent any debris from sinking to the rings. I also use an oak disk to transfer force around piston head to prevent mushrooming. But you still may have to use direct strike for exactly the reasons you stated. Your description on technique, how and why to do it is educationally perfect! and will probably help people save engines. Great Vid.
Never underestimate the value of a good shock with a hammer. Those sharp blows can save a ton of work. I found my brother fighting a tie rod end once. I showed him how you give it a whack on the side and it generally falls right out. He said he'd been beating on the top for half an hour. I learned that trick years ago for freeing up stuck bolts, lug nuts, etc. Along with penetrating oil tapping things with a hammer helps a ton. Also if it doesn't work you already have a hammer to hit things with if you're the type to lose your temper in those situations.
Amen brother, anytime I’m knocking suspensions loose, smack it in the side once or twice....comes right loose
Another great video. It so nice to see someone . Inspecting and addressing the problem instead of throwing it away and replacing it . The method you showed is the way I was taught. Pull the heads and intake that way you see that everything is moving and nothing is in a bind .
Learned more in this video than a few hundred hours watching other UA-cam channels!
Thanks man!
Step 2 for me is usually warming up the block with a torch, gently, not too close and not too crazy hot. I've just had too much good luck heating to the point where the clearance i'm working with changes by a couple of thousandths. Along with some penetrating oil and something substantial to spin the crankshaft i usually do ok at getting them unstuck.
Thanks Uncle Tony, I just trailered home a 63 vailent convertable that's been in storage since 95. Ive known the car and owner my whole life. The storage unit was flooded at one point and water got in the crank case. the motor wont turn. Going to drain the case, pull the head and start soaking the cylinders tomorrow.
Thanks for all the 225 slant six videos, my first car had one and I'm stoked to have one again after all the code chasing involved with modern cars.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Tony!
Great video just used your Pb blaster idea to in freeze my RVs 454 engine which had gotten low on oil. I sprayed it in the spark plug holes and let it sit over night. Then I rocked the Rv while in drive and was able to get it unstuck. Definitely still have some work to do but hopefully it’s fixable and not a total loss
My old man has a ram charger just like that even has the same wheels on it he drives it almost every day good ol ride
I learn something on every video UTG produces!
Rocking back and forth will reveal other issues as well. Scoured pistons that cause Piston slap, for example, can be identified using this method. Great informative video!
I've taken the heads off of a old 327 it was stuck. I dumped a little marvels mystery oil on top of the pistons left it sit for a day. An a pipe an hammer had it moving in about 5 mins.
Thank you Uncle Tony, I'm about to unstick a 1980 MGB 4 cyl. Idle for 8 years, now I'm optimistic
Buddy we did what you said and it worked!! We watched the video and we were like 'pfft no way....". Took a block of wood, sprayed some pb blaster in the cylinders and put a bit of torque on the front bolt. 1 tap each cylinder and she slid like nothing. Thanks!!
My dad, who worked on cars from the late 50s till he retired (heavy equipment/diesel mechanic) in ‘97 said they used to pour some Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder (just a little bit), let it sit for a week, and it almost ALWAYS would turn with a little help from the breaker bar.
They’d drain the oil, and dump a few cans of kerosene right through it, and fill’er back up with fresh oil and a filter.
Provided it hadn’t been internally damaged, they always said “it’ll run. Drive it. When it likes for good, we’ll worry about it.” 😂
Learned a ton from him (he doesn’t do this stuff anymore at 78) and I’m grateful for it now!
First mechanical video ive seen where you get to the point and give real info and troubleshooting theory. Subbed
Out of all penetrants I've used over the decades, that Phat Bitch blaster is the hands down fucking best!!!! Glad you freed her up and saved it!!! I fucked up last 440 I put in my 72 barracuda,I didn't change the freeze plugs and in late Sept.got a freak cold blast from Canada over night that dropped temps from the daily 70s into the fucking 20s!!! I only had water in the block and just dropped the 440 in a day before, cocksucka froze and cracked so bad it wouldn't start. Back in the 80s I paid $50 for that car,ah the good old fucking days!!!! Anybody seen my time machine laying around?
Uncle Tony I actually pulled up one of your vids to help a friend today fix his car now my friend is a subscriber lol this UA-cam community is making anyone mechanically inclined a better wrencher thanks UTG! "The point setting vid"
UA-cam recommended does it again for the win.
Excellent video. I'm going to do this on my 5.4. I'm glad I found this.
When I was growing up, I learned something very important from my dad about working on engines. If it doesn't work, beat it with a hammer and call it a bunch of filthy names. Eventually, everything he did that to started working.
Thanks for the info. I literally just unstuck my seized ls 5.3 doing exactly what you said. Thanks again
What u did because my truck suck now to 5.3
Yukon
Not sure if this is why my mustang seized in 5th gear but I’m sure this info will help a lot of people out there. Thanks for the tips
Really good stuff. Thank you! I have a stuck barn find Rover 90. Been sitting since 1991 and so very much appreciate you sharing that no nonsense approach.
Hi Uncle Tony! I’m a 60 year old gal that loves working on my own vehicles- I recently acquired a CJ 5 Jeep that’s been sitting for 25 years- I’ve been soaking it for a month- working with it everytime I walk by! Nothing- I removed the head and got a nice pipe like yours- I’m going to get that a try now- your video has given me hope- fingers crossed ! Thanks for your video 👍🏻
Did it work?
Great information man. I never thought to free an engine this way. Thanks for the vid
Thanks for the video tutorial.
Right or wrong, the trick my dad taught me when i was young for this: before you pull the heads pour brake fluid in the spark plug holes and let it soak a couple days then see if it'll rock free with the breaker bar back and forth.
Your way seems more responsible to avoid cracking a ring and you see the condition of the cylinder wall before you start.
Just though i'd share how I learned to mess up the paint on my fenders as a kid.
Hope you, the Mrs, and whoever else you care about had a great Christmas !
I was given a truck that my uncle left the spark plugs out of the engine long enough for condensation to lock it up. The borescope showed the lovely rust right at the low spot of each piston head. PB Blaster 2 day soak, shocking down each spark plug hole with a piece of rod stock and then a pry bar on the flexplate gear teeth back and forth. A ton of leverage is produced with the flywheel or flexplate. Only AFTER the engine has broke free.
Just broke free my buddy's engine. It was locked up due to sitting after a badly blown head gasket filled the cylinders with water (bent valves too). I pulled the head (4cyl work truck) and had machine shop do valve job and resurface. Broke free engine after soaking cylinders in transmission fluid! Took about a week of trying everyday after work until one friday, of course on friday, it let's go! Reassembled engine, fired it up with fresh fluids and it's running great! Spent about $300 on machine shop bill, new fluids and a brand new radiator. It was more fun than work. Kind of like a ln experiment. We'll see how long it lasts haha!
Had to free up a Ford motor recently so that we wouldn't get charged for the core. Engine was locked up, no oil. Pulled the engine, dropped the pan found two rods that were damn near melted. Loosened the nuts for those two caps, used the BFH and my favorite punch (the top of the rod off a strut) and got the engine freed up again.
Boom, saved $800. Put the reman in and everybody is happy.
Really helpful stuff here. All anyone ever told me about engines that aren't running is"bar it over. If it doesn't move, you don't want it" or they would say " if it doesn't move, you HAVE to rebuild it" which obviously is not always the case. It's good to know that there actually is a less expensive way to get an engine unstuck than a full rebuild. That might be what some of the people who have "survivor" cars do. That category of car is kind of annoying because it has to have a certain percentage of original paint, and certain amount of the motor has to be original without a rebuild and it just annoys the hell out of me.
Had a 6 foot bar on the crank bolt. No budgie.
Pulled inspection cover and pried on the ring gear. It moved. This was a dodge flathead. It now runs!
40 psi oil pressure.
My old man did the same thing, I’ve used this method no problem.
Time to pass the torch to the next generation
I used Liquid Wrench 45 years ago to free up a lawn mower engine, It does work!
Got to love the old PB blaster 🤘
Marvel Mystery Oil! All of those penetrating fluids suck, IMHO.
PB Blaster is the best. I have used it for years.
tarstarkusz when I got my 1971 Buick GS for my channel I let it sit for two weeks with my Marvel mystery oil in the cylinders and that stuff works amazing. I think it works better with the heads on it where penetrating oil works better without the heads
Used to love it until I used Seafoam Deep Creep, my new favorite.
Roy Graham I will have to try that
Good to see the point made - DON'T TRY TO BEAT THE PISTONS THROUGH THE GROUND UNDER THE CAR.
Keep it up, U.T.!
This had more critical parts than a nuclear strike.
We use diesel and atf in the cylinders. Just pop the spark plugs, dump er in, let it soak, then breaker bar the crank. Never pulled the heads, but that’s probably the smart thing to do! Lol
Glad you are keeping the 318
I got a 88 w100 with a 318
Actually turned out to be a 360 someone stuck a 318 damper on
Dang that's even better!
Uncle Tony looks like the kind of Uncle that will have some pretty awesome and badass stories to tell, the ones you'd be proud to relate to your friends
Reminds me of working on cars with my Dad as a kid. Thanks Uncle Tony.
I had some moron try to tell me one time that I was going to bend the rods and break the pistons I was like "Dude these things get 3000 PSI of Pressure in a matter of a millisecond when it's running I'm sure a small tap is not going to hurt it!
I had another moron tell me that it's impossible for a car to shock you because 12 volts is not enough.
I told him to place his hand on top of the Mallory Cap
Tell me how that feels
I didn't tell him that the alternator was running at 120 amps..
Lol
He had third-degree burns on his palm. And he smacked his knuckles on the hood when he ripped his hand away.
(Its never the VOLTS- Always the AMPS that kill you!) I taught him that.
@@thecloneguyz well arnt you just a very nice person 😂😂😂
I just used your method to get my 62 Mercury to turn - thank you
Thanks Tony! You are a great service to me and a lot of people. You explain things very well. Thanks again!!
Thanks worked like a charm I usually let the motors set with atf in the cylinders to loosen them up but have had a 400 from my 78 d100 setting for a few months and it was still stuck so I tried this yesterday and she turns over freely now
I got 2 stuck right now. Tried soaking in diesal fuel in cycl. 1 is a small block 318. I have 5 or 6 of these motors so it never did free up after a month of soaking I scraped it. next one is a 440 been soaking as long tried to pull it with the wrecker(as it's a 4 speed) all I did was burn make a flat spot on the tires and leave a block and a 1/2 black mark. I have not done anymore with the big block as of yet.
Yeah, when they're locked like that, almost no amount of soaking or steady force is gonna do the job. That's why I made this video!
Damn I have been doing it wrong. I fill the cylinder with Marvel's mystery oil, let it set for a week. Then put "Bertha" the six foot pipe wrench on the harmonic balancer then a little left, a little right, a little more left, ect.ect. if Bertha don't make it move it ain't moving.
Your way is a lot quicker and easier.
That's better because it will soak in between the rings and then with every little movement it will lubricate that section of cylinder wall!!!!
we did it like that to a mustang I had. guy left the aircleaner off and the tent it was under had a hole. filled the cylinders with water. engine was pretty seized. I actually put trans fluid in there and i don't remember how long i think a day, and a neighbor came by with this HUGE concrete prybar and we put that over the breaker bar and freed it. never smoked either.
I've always used Marvel Mystery Oil down the spark plug hole. Never had a problem. Never had to take the head off.
I call my bar the Y-COB ,your coming off bitch , bar
Excellent grassroots technique.
Preach it brother!
Good afternoon UTG
Dad made a piece of 1/2 inch plate steel to mimic the head for a 225. Took the old head gasket and used bolts instead of studs and tightened it down. We put air chucks at each cylinder. Had a ball valve and made it where it would chuck up. Turned the air compressor up to 120. Did the alternating cylinder thing. We used kerosene for lube. Daddy got 25 years out of that motor so far.
ColdWarMotors rigged up something like that to free the stuck cylinder on a straight 8. They used a port-a-power instead of air though.
Good video Tony, I use the same "shock' treatment for frozen bolts on wheel cylinders etc.
I love it. I have 76, 87 ram chargers and 81 440 crew cab, 95 zj, 2-2011 wk2 grands, 05 300c awd.
I tried to free up a stuck engine around 1980 or so. pulled the heads off like you did, but a piston was turned sideways in the block. intake valves and pistons don't always get along.
good info, i am working on a stuck ford 460 so looked for some advice, also i answered a craigslist ad for a 460 distributor, was $20 the nice guy gave me two for free!
This is useful to know. I have a 53 chevy with an engine that's hard to spin. I put penetrating oil I each cylinder (forgot about it for 2 weeks) and was able to turn the engine just slightly with a breaker bar.
Thanks for sharing your wealth of old school knowledge with us Tony.
Breaker bar on the main pully too.. This and marvel mystery oil is what I used on vans and motorcycles pulled out of fields and briar patches.. Probably not the best way but it works. Light soak on the pistons an hour or more, then burn it off using starter fluid and a clean fuel supply.. One summer I got paid to get a whole field of second gen econolines running that had been sitting decades
Pull the plugs, load the cylinders up with Marvel Mystery Oil, drain the oil, pull the pan and jack the front of the car up by placing the jack on the crankshaft counterweights at the 3 or 9 o'clock position. Sometimes, that's enough to move the crankshaft. If not, just walk away. Chances are that in the morning, the car will be back down and the engine free. I've done this three or four times. Always worked.
I freed up a 327 ounce with a couple table spoons of gun powder in the 2 down stroke cylinder and light with a coil and power wire
Good point on the shocking method.
I seen some Canadians on yt trying to get an old Buick straight 8 loose, they ended up machining up an o-ringed "lid" and hooking up a hydraulic hand pump to try & move the stuck piston loose...but man, that thing was STUCK, I don't think even this would have worked there.
FYI they ended up drilling out the piston, jb welding the cyl.wall and finding an nos(!) piston locally
Another great video. Since I found the channel I keep watching these. I have a 1993 TBI that I love and keep on the road. Newer than what you work on mainly, but it's making me want to buy a project car. :)
HOWdy U-T-G, ...
I used a sawed off LOUISVILLE SLUGGER Baseball BAT ...
& a Hand -held Sledge-Hammer ...
on my 1st FROZEN Piston MOTOR ...
a 1972 AMC 401 cubic-inch ...
it finally relinquished it hold of rusted Piston Rings on Rusted Engine Block
...
It was my 1st real RACE Engine in my PINK Fiberglas Funny Car bodied JEEP CJ-5
...
COOP
the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA
...
UTG didn't actually say **this**, so I will. (I'm sure he meant to) You want to give the engine a penetrating fluid spray before and after every shock treatment.
Also, this video reminds me a lot of how to free a stuck bolt.
EDIT: Yes, UTG says to use Penetrating fluid. But he does not say to use it between every shock treatment. Please refer to the timestamp listed below.
He said it was the first step.
2:00
Guys, superdupergrover means before and after the shock blows, not the pretreatment in the days before.
My bad
Thank you for the explanation I have a engine Oldsmobile 307 stuck
i am told to put anti-rust liquid WD40 in the spark plug holes
but hitting the pistons is faster!!!
I was using a piston shaped chunk of wood with no results, ill try your pipe method, thank you
a long time ago i bought a 318 that had been sitting for ten years . i put a breaker bar on the crank pulley but it would'nt budge . the manager at a auto salvage yard told me put a mixture of auto trans fluid and diesel . so i filled the cylinders up and let it set for five days , and it broke the rings free . this was in florida where the high humidity rusts the pistons rings and valves in the guides pretty badly sometimes
The technical phrase that you were searching for 🤔is ,"Dynamic shock load "crazy uncle Tony. 🤓
I just pulled the head on a 1982 ford 6. The engine is seized from sitting for 20 years so your tip on shocking the. Piston Rings I will try, THANK YOU!
Nice!
Acetone and ATF does the trick too. I use 50:50 mix.. P.S. We don't have PB Blaster (Finland, Europe)...
This man spits straight knowledge
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! 🙏
you have no idea how much you helped me
I was banging it with wood and broke like 6 4x4. Once i watched this video i did what you said and magic happened 😊 🙏🙏🙏
Last resort= AIR CHISEL. That is brutal tho. Marvel mystery and diesel mixture works sometimes.
Real honest genuine guy. Cool.
I was always taught transmission fluid works amazing at breaking rings loose on Pistons that have been sitting for a long time. Since it is literally designed on the atomic level to get in between tight metal clearances
Pour a little bit on each one and wait till the next day and they should move freely with no issues.
hold large surface area metal pipe level on piston...and "shock it"...a bit more than a love tap... but not enough to damage bushing and bearing surfaces.
Thank you. I’m working on this very issue on a 1969 351w. Everything looks clean so far but no movement. I’ll remove the heads like you suggested.
Is it just me, or is that first piston stationary, more or less?
It's at BDC
I'm going to say it's hard to judge by a dark youtube video :)
Am I the only one who dumps brake fluid or atf down the plug holes, wait 10 minutes and giver?
I noticed that too but it seems to move perfectly when he uses the breaker bad on the crank nut.
@@LosCadaver on small block Chevys when i have some wit higher oil pressure than normal I use one quart of atf in place of oil to help break down gunk in oil valleys. Also i put it in plug holes like you do
The fact you have no snow makes me incredibly jealous. Here in Canada winters suck! That's it, I'm parking my motor-home at your shop. Need another cameraman?
Ron Muirhead yah it’s been brutal up here I really want to get to work on my 71 thunderbird but it’s looking like I might have to wait until spring
Ron Muirhead agreed bought 2011 f150 eco boost not safety checked in fall welded in 2 rockers 2 cab corners,need to replace clutch packs in differential, brakes , 2 tires and repair vac front 4 wheel drive but been to cold to finish till spring,but unusual mild spell now over Christmas so working on it tomorrow southern Ontario Canada’s 100 miles east of Detroit
Iv always have hooked a pipe rinch on the crank pully and grabe it and pull it and push it and have never had a problem i did it on my 1985 dodge got it free thin put gas to it fired it up and drove it 3 years every day and it still runs good and does not smoke and it sounds good but now im going to pull it and rebuild it
just tosses the cigarette into the engine bay, haha
You know why I know I can trust this guy? Gesture with one hand, ciggie in the other. The mark of a real mechanic
In the market for 78 to 81 Camaro if the car is relatively rust free are these good cars to get into in love with the look inside and out
Hey Uncle Tony. I just got a very nice UTG t-shirt for christmas. Its black with white lettering. Its made of material, its very nice.
You can use a torch to get it loose. I’ve also seen someone use a grease gun but you’ll push a head gasket
Thanks Tony, I have a Chrysler 318 that is stuck and I'm going to try this on it!
This worked on a 6hp outboard I was given thank-you. Tried wood didn't work. Pipe and perswader
So now your just gona “inhales...exhales...” put your cigarette out right on this piston right here and make sure to put it out slowly. This part is very critical.
I like the sheet over the front, easy to get tools that fall behind the radiator