Best way of removing wet liners?

[randall977]

The final stage of my engine strip down is to remove the wet liners. I can see that there is a considerable build up of rust inside the water jacket - the engine has not been run for over 30 years (drained of coolant). I made a wooden block and using a club hammer had a go at freeing the liners but no movement at all. I assume this is not an uncommon problem - what is the best way of freeing them?

[kob666e]

If you are replacing the liners with new ones get a length of steel instead of wood, and a good hammer! If you're reusing them use some sort of cushioning........

[randall977]

Reusing. The block of wood was the cushion and the club hammer was the encouragement...

[Roly]

I made up a top hat shaped mandrel and with threaded rod and spacers wound it all up under tension and gave the mandrel a really good whack from underneath and the liner came loose.

 

Roly

[randall977]

Works well on three of them but cylinder no.4 just will not budge!

[stuart]

Works well on three of them but cylinder no.4 just will not budge!

 

Then leave it soaking with the tension on it. It will go in the end.

Stuart

[randall977]

I've WD40'ed around it quite a lot and it's currently under maximum tension...should I have soaked it in another way?

[stuart]

I've WD40'ed around it quite a lot and it's currently under maximum tension...should I have soaked it in another way?

 

Try diesel and give it a thump now and again.

Stuart.

[Roly]

I had my water gallery soaking in caustic soda for a couple of days.

Thats not a lot of help to you at this stage.....

 

It will give in the end, lubricant, patience and brutality......

 

Roly

[randall977]

Thanks for the advice - I'll give it another go tomorrow with a bigger hammer! Maybe when I get there it will have already released...wishfull thinking I think!

[littlejim]

Any way of getting some serious heat on to the block, say paint stripping heat gun, without burning the joint down?

[randall977]

I would say that no.4 wet liner has moved 1000th inch - definitely cracked around the top. I would have expected it now to move (with force)...but no, still stuck. I'm now using a sledge hammer! Next step - mount block with the wet liner aimed down, small piece of scaffolding and a huge wack. After that, heat gun...

Edited March 21, 2010 by randall977

[stuart]

I would say that no.4 wet liner has moved 1000th inch - definitely cracked around the top. I would have expected it now to move (with force)...but no, still stuck. I'm now using a sledge hammer! Next step - mount block with the wet liner aimed down, small piece of scaffolding and a huge wack. After that, heat gun...

 

Be careful! You dont want to miss and hit anything else. Be patient and leave it to soak for a few days, if it has cracked the seal then penetrant will get in there. "More haste less speed!"

Stuart.

[Alec Pringle]

If you start using a sledge hammer it's probably wasted effort - as in you'll finish up skipping what might previously have been a perfectly good block. Alternatively you'll discover resultant cracks in the block in due course when you start using the rebuilt engine . . . .

 

Kettle descaler judiciously applied can sometimes loosen/dissolve some of the crud glueing in the liner, ideally mixed in to the coolant before dismantling - but a bit late for that now ! Try getting some descaler in neat, or soak the whole block in diluted descaler, preferably hot.

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[gaz2trs]

hi ive a spare engine if you hit it to hard

[randall977]

It is very frustrating! Three came out fairly easily - what is it with no.4?

[RogerH]

You are clearly doing this the wrong way

Your attempts to loosen the liner is known by the engine.

You need to convince the engine that you don't want the liner to move - speak to it.

Otherwise, when you attack it the engine holds on to the liner for all its worth.

You need to get ready to attack, then at the last moment distract the engines attention by pretending to clean a gasket face etc

Then suddenly pounce.

Be careful though or the liner may catch you a pearler as it flies out.

 

I hope this helps

 

Roger

[randall977]

Thanks Roger, I've had strong words with the engine already but maybe I will try your tactic!

[Allan Westbury]

No 4 is always the worst as all the crud seems to get stuck at the rear of the liner. I agree that time , patience & oil are the three best ingredients but you will still need to get fairly brutal. I used wooden blocks plus a club hammer but when this failed resorted to club hammer with socket extension directly onto the bottom of the liner, going round the edge one belt of the hammer at a time. resulted in a chipped but removed liner. chips & dents on the bottom edge are not a problem providing the liner is not cracked as the bottom portion of the liner doesn't actually do anything once it is in situ. I ended up with a triangular section probably an inch deep chipped out of the liner but it has subsequently been bored & used for around 9000 miles with no problem.

[randall977]

In the words of Iggy Pop - 'Horray success!'...

 

Edited March 22, 2010 by randall977

[RogerH]

See, all you needed was some good advice

 

Roger

Edited March 22, 2010 by RogerH

[BrianC]

That's a surprising picture. The accumulated crud associated with overheating normally occurs at the back of the engine, whereas this photo suggests the front is worse (unless you've cleaned up the rear as part of the liner extraction marathon). Either way, it demonstrates the need for regular flushing (or use of Forlife as many have recommended, although I've yet to try it).

[randall977]

The gearbox end had the worst build up - you can see the colour is different where all of the rust / silt is - this is what was stopping the liner moving, bear in mind this engine has not run since 1979! Glad I did it as the engine would surely have overheated. I have just ordered new wet liners, pistons and bearings - the engine has only done 33K but one of the pistons had some minor damage so thought it would be a false economy not to do it. Many thanks for the advice!