Stuck engine

[saltydogjeff]

I am currently working on a boat I have had for a couple of years. It used to run a couple of years ago, but not well. I never had the time to actually work on it because it was in a storage yard. I have finally been working on the boat and have come across two problems.

1) The engine will not turn over when I try to rotate it with the crank bolt. I do not want to over stress the crank bolt. I have applied PB Blaster inside the spark plugs and have still had no luck turning the motor over. I probably put enough to fully cover each piston. I want to get one of those rotation adapters to prevent putting strain on the crank bolt. Would this rotation adapter work? http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/proform-rotation-adapter-66782/10289548-P. What rotation adapter would work? I think the next step could be draining the oil to check out the contents. The motor has been sitting for probably two years without any action. I expect it to be rust on the pistons open to the environment. Suggestions welcome.

2) In my inspection, I tried putting the muffs on the Alpha One to confirm my cooling capability. The water just spewed out without actual going through the entire cooling cycle. Is this because of the raw water impeller actually blocking the cooling flow if there is no rotation in the propeller? The impeller is difficult to install making it seem possible that it would block water without rotation, but I am looking for advice. I think this could solve my previous issues of hot starting. There was no actual flow to the engine to provide cooling which overheated. So, I took the Alpha One off, tried running through that itself using muffs, and had no luck. I flushed the raw water system on the boat side while I was at it. No grit/grain/sand from the engine/heat exchanger side.

-Note: Don't know if the engine was actually overheating.

 

[bobkat1864]

Hi there...is the drive still on the boat? If so I recommend that you pull it first. If the drive is locked up it will prevent the engine from turning. Using the crank nose bolt to turn the engine over is dangerous, and I'm not sure about that adaptor, maybe someone else can comment on that. An old output shaft is a good way to turn the engine over by hand, and much less chance of breaking something. As far as water getting past a stationary impeller, I believe that most of the flow would be blocked, assuming the impeller is mostly intact.

 

[Rick Stephens]

bobkat's answer is a good one. I also have never used an crank tool but many times used an output shaft.

 

[saltydogjeff]

I did take the drive off of the boat which let me check the impeller and provides access to the drive shaft. I am going to talk around town to see where I can pick up something to stick in there. Did you happen to have an old shaft that was scrap?

I was thinking the impeller itself would block the flow but I am worried that I did not put the gaskets together in the right order causing a block.

 

[Rick Stephens]

An intact impeller doesn't allow water past it unless spinning.

 

[NHGuy]

That crank adapter is good. Loosen and remove the belts. Then get a breaker bar and gently rock the rotating assembly back and forth a little. Then leave it til the next day, and rock it some more. Leave out the spark plugs by the way. Eventually hope the engine will be able to turn over.

 

[saltydogjeff]

Hey guys, providing an update.

The engine is still stuck. I have been getting anxious trying to get it turned over so I can get things started but it has been a slow process. I have been working on my electrical, etc, while continually trying to work the engine. Since I am about done with the electrical, I have paid a little more attention to the engine. My patience tells me to start breaking it down. I looked into the cylinders through the spark plugs and saw that I have basically filled each cylinder. I am a little worried because the intake and exhaust manifolds are still attached. I took an oil level reading, and it read that I was at the point where I needed to add a quart. This threw off my spider senses and I started adding marvel mystery down the push rods. Push rods and rocker arms are removed trying to eliminate the valves as a possible hold up. Still not really full on marvel in the oil pan, not enough to really see a level down the push rod cylinders, but enough is in there to get me past the oil range. I could hear it bubbling in the engine, nothing dripping underneath, and hoping that it breaks free when I rock it tomorrow. If not, I will be filling through the push rods until I feel like I am well over the crank shaft and cam shaft.

Questions, comments, concerns?

 

[saltydogjeff]

No Title

I am going into the engine. I think my issue is with the piston rings rusted to the cylinder bore. I think my best bet to unstick this thing is going to be up close. My plans are as follows:

1. Drain coolant.
2. Remove exhaust manifold
3. Remove manifold with intake attached.
4. Work pistons

Some things I looked at today were

There's like 8 studs from the exhaust manifold to the engine manifold. There are 4 studs on both ends (8 total) of the exhaust manifold, one holds the exhaust elbow and the other holds the coolant reservoir. I can probably remove the exhaust manifold with elbow and reservoir as one piece as long as I disconnect the hoses. Same goes for the intake manifold and engine manifold. Sorry I keep on calling these things manifolds.

Once I get all 3 big ticket items off, I will have visual of the pistons. Hoping to use the 2x4 method. Nothing drained past the piston rings after 2 weeks which makes me think I am in trouble. I put about 12 pints of liquid in today - a mix of marvel mystery and oil. Still not visually seeing it through the push rod holes but the oil indicator says I am a little bit over center crank.

The best way to drain the coolant is through the bottom of the heat exchanger which has two plugs. 1 is raw water and the other is coolant? It can become hazardous trying to drain this coolant but I think I will use a funnel attached to a short hose out the bottom of the boat into a bucket.

Also, the reservoir has a secondary reservoir? Check out the picture, but the relief valve on the reservoir goes into this plastic reservoir that has its overflow going to drain. I think that needs to be removed and just run straight to the bilge.

Anybody heard of this air pressure through the spark plug deal? Something about using an old spark plug, removing the internals and making an air attachment.

 

[NHGuy]

Here's a great article on your subject from The Crankshaft Coalition, just apply the marine issues!

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Freeing_a_stuck_engine

 

[saltydogjeff]

I got the engine unstuck besides the top of cylinder 4. I see the rust and want to remove it without doing anything to the cylinder wall. Do you have part numbers for the head gasket, intake gasket, exhaust gasket, and exhaust to down elbow gasket?

Edit: #4 is free. I used a kitchen scrub pad and rubbed off some rust. I was turning it over by hand and it started spittin' gas it me. It was great - 2 birds.

 

[saltydogjeff]

Update: I have put the engine back together but have not yet gotten it to fire. I have shocked myself once with the condenser trying to adjust the timing to start firing. I put cylinder #1 at 8 degrees btdc, which is midway between the first and second mark on the crankcase. Thought about it, and I am going to have to put new gas in and try again. This gas is like 2 years old. Took off the carburator thinking about my variables and when the gas came out it was a dark yellow.

 

[bobkat1864]

Suggest that you try hooking up a temporary fuel tank, with some fresh fuel and see if that will help. That will eliminate your main tank, and old fuel as a cause of the no start.