Advice welcome - US TR4A project just arrived - engine seized

[Bfg]

 

5 hours ago, RobH said:

Ok apologies - the drawing Mark posted does show a bolt with a dog though.

Sorry Rob, I do apologise if my reply spot-lighted you &/or sounded abrupt.  It certainly wasn't at all meant to be in any way a reproach, I was just passing on what I've only recently learnt myself ..it was just one of the many oddball things with the 4A.

 

3 hours ago, Mark Richardson said:

Pete - may sound like I have a more complete car but likely that is because my limited knowledge means I've not even thought about all parts - just realised after browsing other posts I've not even considered suspension, carb's, etc, etc, and may have underestimated extent of bodywork needed, etc, etc. Will see as we go.

Mark

Well I'm an optimist - so I hope it turns out to be better than your 'limited knowledge' might suggest 

Rich (whose sent you a PM) is a very kind friend to me. He introduced me to the local TR club group, let me drive his beautiful TR4, and has freely shared knowledge and contacts with me.  Indeed he was the gent who put me in touch with the seller of the engine I'm now rebuilding.  He and many others on here are very generous souls, and we would all very much like to see you succeed with this project. 

So many parts are still available for these cars, both brand new,  used,  already refurbished,  and NOS  (new-old-stock) ..that I doubt there's anything you cannot get for it  ..which with a 50+ year old car is really encouraging.   So it just comes down to your keeping your chin up  and slowly but steadily tackling one job at a time.  Difficult situations and seemingly bewildering tasks are very satisfying ..once achieved.!   

Searching previous posts on this forum (and others) has taught me so much, that I'd say it's worth spending our time in 'research'.  Often the advice and wisdom is better than the manuals. 

Oh yes..  and we all like to see photos ! 

Cheers, Pete.

[Mark Richardson]

Thanks Pete

Just been reading through some of your posts covering your rebuild. So much of it is Greek to me and starting to get a little scary. Will definitely be taking it one step / job at a time, and researching each as much as possible.

More photo's coming soon

Cheers, Mark

[Bfg]

Mark,  just remember that you're not alone. You'll see this by the number of questions we all ask ..and get answers to.    If there's something you just can't get your head around - just ask, and if you don't want to do that on the forum then send me or anyone else a pm.   I've done this with a few chaps on here (..people I've never met) and with others at the club meetings - and without a single exception, every one of my queries have been answered. TR owners on here are very generous. 

Personally speaking I very little experience of car engines  (..or indeed other car parts like suspension) and I've sometimes struggled with what the manuals were trying to tell me.  But even though I'm not particularly smart ..given time I can usually figure things out.   But in the past, I've tried to take on too much all in one go. I then find a project / bits scattered all over the place is overwhelming.  Clearly I'm not alone in doing this ..judging by the number of abandoned projects !

So I now take numerous photos, take off only what I need to ..one step at a time.  I loosely reassemble those parts as I put them in a tray / box / container on the shelf ..so I know the order of assembly, and even where each and every fastening (..nut, bolt, washer) was.  I systematically clean them, still keeping everything in order, and at the same time check and note down anything which might need replacing (bits which look wrong, are broken or chewed up). Once things are clean enough handle easily and see - then I measure the gaps to see if things are within build tolerance.  Build tolerances are important because so many of them control the flow and the pressure of oil. 

Oil needs to be clean so as to not carry abrasive bits into tight places where they do a lot of damage. This is particularly so of grit (from the outside of the engine),  of rust flakes (within an old / unused engine), and of particles of worn metal.  That oil is used to carry heat away from hot spots of friction or combustion ..and to lubricate moving parts.  The lubrication works like water on a road hydroplaning even heavy trucks. In an engine the film of oil allows parts to skid passed each other with a minimum amount of friction. 

If things are too tight then there's not enough film of oil to skid on, so like spinning tyres at a drag strip things get very hot, very quickly.  Similarly if tolerances are too great then the film of oil is just pushed sideways out of the way ..and then again things get very hot.  So the design engineers considered each and every gap (between everything) and the sizes of each oil way.  And then after hundreds of thousands of miles of controlled testing (and sometimes racing experience) proved what worked best.  Thereafter we only need to know that if our engine is reassembled withing those (Greek !) tolerances - the car will work reliably and for a very long time.  And that your driving a TR is a blast ! 

And when things get a bit scary,  just remember that garage mechanics generally don't have doctorates in mechanical engineering, and still they manage to rebuild cars.! 

Pete.

[AndyR100]

Peters very last sentence is always worth bearing in mind...... sometimes when you read things they can sound complicated, some folks tend to be quite detailed in their descriptions, or use terms you may not be familiar with - but it is generally all pretty straightforward.

Learning by trying and making a few mistakes along the way is all part of the pleasure - I am sure most people can hold their hand up to making plenty!

..... Andy 

[Mark Richardson]

Hi all. Just an update on progress and looking for advice on what to do next.

Having left  diesel in for a week tried to turn fan by hand - no joy - so started to get the sump off for a look.

Drained oil which all seemed very new and clean - no obvious sign of any separated diesel in it. 

Realised I wouldn't be able to take sump off until I removed exhaust pipes ……..

When vehicle was delivered tyres were all shredded . Had to winch it off delivery wagon, and it had obviously been winched on and off wagons on its trip from the U.S. As a result the  exhaust pipes were hanging on by ties. Also the manifold had snapped just above the connection to the forward pipes, and what was left of the forward pipes were wedged tight against the sump.

Pictures attached for your amusement. 

(pic removed as on upload limit)

Eventually, realised to get what was left of forward pipes out would need to get manifold off (of course it needed to come off anyway as broken!!). After a while realised to get the manifold off needed to take of carb's, so spent a couple of hours slowly removing these and manifold. 

Surprisingly, all bolts moved fairly easily, only problems were first bolt of the day which I took the head off (turning it the wrong way), and getting the manifold to unstick from the gasket. (Finally managed to lever it off after inserting a blade between manifold and engine, and after another half an hour of wiggling (and the help of a hammer), managed to free it from where it was jammed between the exhaust pipes and its mounting bolts.

After that, with the help of the hammer, removing the offending front exhaust pipes proved quite satisfying. 

 

Removal off the sump afterwards proved quite easy, with all bolts turning easily. 

Photo of sump shows mass of "gloopy" oil in bottom (white flecks in oil in photo are just light reflection), and a "sediment" on top of baffle. While sediment looks lumpy, the lumps  seemed to disintegrate when touched rubbed together between fingers.

(pic removed as on upload limit)

I struggled to take photo's up into engine, as first camera on phone died, then 'proper' camera used struggled to focus and has given poor images and colouring (probably due to flash). Also couldn't get under camera to aim it well. 

The first photo below gives some idea of how things looked to my eyes and was taken with the phone camera.

(pic removed as on upload limit)

The remaining photo's were taken with a camera with a flash.

They show a rust red in many places which I didn't see by eye so presume flash has highlighted rust I didn't see due to dark and film of oil on everything. 

(pic removed as on upload limit)

 

 

 

I don't know if these help to give some idea of state of engine, and whether I should persist with trying to unfreeze engine, or get on with stripping it down.

Any suggestions as to what to do or try next most welcome

Cheers, Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Mark Richardson
Lack of upload space

[Motorsport Mickey]

Wow...that car and engine has been brutalised.

The presence of rust on various areas of the crank and especially upon the upper areas of the connecting rods (between the crankshaft and where they connect underneath the pistons, normally an area where it gets oils splashed but no water) suggests the engine has been running with water mixed into the oil which after the engine has stopped and the oil content has drained off has left moisture upon the internals to rust.

Also rust showing upon the bottom of the cylinder liner bores (I think) suggests maybe that's where it came into the sump (there are internal Figure of 8 gaskets (Fo8) which seal the oily bits from the watery bits) where the gaskets may have leaked, but the supposition could be wrong which can't be judged until stripped. It's likely that removal of the components will be difficult and for a "new start" TR owner and a little hard core for "entry level mechanicing" and will be a little scary, but we can support and take it one step at a time.

I would try and make a decision whether the engine is seized on the bores where piston meets engine liner (quite possibly) but it's also possible that the clutch plate is stuck to the flywheel or the gearbox has an internal problem so the engine and gearbox are linked together locked in gear. Trying to turn the engine is then trying to turn the back wheels and move the car forward...not going to happen.

I would...

1) Remove the bonnet (for access) and then the radiator. Strip all ancillary components off the engine you can get to carburettors and inlet manifold  

2) Use the frozen engine to your advantage and loosen (by undoing) the front crankshaft dog bolt where it comes through the front of the engine and the pulley carrying the fan belt. The crankshaft bolt is supposed to be tightened to high torque figures and it's easier to break the torque now rather than when the engine is on the floor. You will likely need 6 sided socket which drives on the flats (the bolt head has rounded corners) rather than a 12 sided point drive socket and a large breaker bar or even a heavy duty impact drive gun (like used in tyre shops) this one below is very well priced and will give a very powerful breaking force that will remove anything you can get it onto. Leave the bolt undone but fitted where it is until further work is done as itemised below.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cew1000-electric-impact-wrench/

You must use heavy duty impact sockets and not standard sockets, the impact motion will split and destroy the standard sockets, this impact driver comes with 4 sockets but you will have to buy a socket to fit the bolt head, from memory it's 1 1/8 th across the flats.

3) Remove the engine and gearbox complete from the car. You will need a heavy winch capable of a lift of at least 400 kgs and an overhead beam or lifting crane capable of 1 ton capacity lift (equal and opposite force to the 400 kgs which you are lifting, 1 ton rounded up.) You will need to lift the engine and gearbox out at an angle (about 60 deg) to clear the front of the car. If you don't have these capabilities support the rear of the engine and  remove the interior gearbox tunnel and take out the gearbox (and overdrive if fitted, they are heavy but you can leave them inside the car (seats and other bits removed). Then lift out the engine itself (lots lighter probably 250kg) which will the lift nearly vertically without tilting (not much anyway), then drop engine on the floor and remove cylinder head (heavy) tilt the engine onto it's side and start working from underneath stripping out the con rods and crank, we'll talk later.

Mick Richards

 

[Mark Richardson]

Thanks for clear directions Mick

Having now taken of carb's and manifold, etc, and read through BFG's posts, idea of taking engine out is not looking quite as scary. Sorting problems and putting it back together a little more so but I now feel comfortable that the help and advice is all out there. Probably take me a couple of weeks to get the engine out and start the stripping.

Seen cranes seem reasonably priced at less than £200 and seems more sensible to purchase rather than hire at the rate I have seen - £60 a time!. Also see engine stands at £60-70 which sound like a good investment.

I will probably separate gearbox partly to make lifting easier, but am also thinking in terms of upgrading to an O/D gearbox, so would seem sensible to separate gearbox and engine now. 

Gearbox upgrade will probably depend upon costs of rebuilding engine, I can make a decision when engine sorted and I know how much money I have left. 

Wondered if you have any thoughts on upgrading gearboxes.

I'll report back on progress in  couple of weeks.

Thanks again

Mark

 

 

[Motorsport Mickey]

We've got some Forum members who are excellent gearbox builders and upgrading, and there are fully uprated gearboxes including overdrives being offered at present, but maybe too early for you until you have better ideas on what costs you're into with the engine.

Mick Richards

[james christie]

A stout fence post some rope and some sturdy young lads with good shoulders will get the engine out without the expense of a crane.

I did this for the first time in an Aberdeen back street surrounded by snowdrifts, some fifty years ago.

james

[Mark Richardson]

Hi James

A few years ago, that would have been my approach - 200 kg doesn't sound that much, but am now short a few sturdy lads, bad back, frozen shoulder, and a bit long in the tooth for all that. I'd figured £175 for a new crane, use it to get engine out and (one day hopefully) put it back in, sell crane on for a £100, not much more expensive than the few rounds of drinks I no doubt would have to pay those sturdy lads. Also, if my son's anything to go by, those lads are anything but sturdy, the heaviest thing they seem to lift is their mobile phones.    But you've got me thinking - I've got a mate with  access to a delivery truck with a crane on the back - I'll see if he'll do me a favour. 

Thanks for making me think it through, you may have just saved me £175.

Mark

[roy53]

Mark may be someone in your local group has one you could borrow. You don't give a location ?

As i said take off the big end caps and tap using a block of wood to free the piston. with them lose the crank should be easier to turn enough to show it turns.

Even so i do think the only way for you is an engine rebuild seeing what you have found.

Dose the car move when in neutral ?

[kiwican]

Where in the USA did the car come from?

I am wondering if it might have been victim of a flood.

 

Simon

 

[kiwican]

Double post

 

 

Simon

 

Edited January 21, 2020 by kiwican

[Mark Richardson]

Hi Roy, I'm North Wales. Have not contacted local group yet, plunged straight into web, but will do soon.

Will have a look at big end caps, but looks like it will need a rebuild anyway so  making plans to get engine out.

Hi Simon. Car came from North East US, but could have arrived there from anywhere in US. Have no history on car. Haven't seen any real rust on underside of car but not really taken a good look yet. Will get back underneath it with a better camera over next week. May have more to tell then.

Thanks for interest

Mark

 

[Bfg]

20 hours ago, Mark Richardson said:

Photo of sump shows mass of "gloopy" oil in bottom (white flecks in oil in photo are just light reflection), and a "sediment" on top of baffle. While sediment looks lumpy, the lumps  seemed to disintegrate when touched rubbed together between fingers.

Mark,  Hopefully you haven't discarded that gloop in the sump yet.  The reason I say this because it can be like archeology to teach us what has happened before.  I let mine stand for a while (at a tilt) and then drain off most of it ..and to the rest I add a thinning agent (usually old / stale petrol) or something similarly cheap.  I mix that in, and again let it stand before draining off the excess.  Once the worse of the gloopy has gone into an old oil can (for responsible disposal),  I'll thin it down again and then run a magnet through ..to pan for metal bits, like swarf, the odd nut or washer, or perhaps a split-pin or broken bit of chain or sprocket tooth.  This is trawling / panning for information can lead to spotting possible issues ..that I might otherwise not have been on the lookout for. 

Looking both outside and inside (either from the top or bottom) of the engine..  I'm looking for any nut or bolt that doesn't look like it was made in the 1960's.  Note if any have been damaged or rounded off at all - indicating an amateur has been there with poorly fitting tools.  And check to see where washers are, and what type they are (split locking washers, flat washers, thick washers, copper or fibre washers, etc).   I also feel how much movement and twist there is each of the bearings ..as a first impression to getting to know this particular engine and to determine how much wear there is.   For example, I knew before I removed the big end caps that the shells were shot, and therefore most likely the bearing's journals were too. I recorded the torque needed to undo the important bolts (like the big end caps and the main bearings). Again I was gaining a 'feel' for the engine, and then comparing the figures recorded with those in the workshop manual I gauged how well the engine had be put together ..and therefore if I might trust anything the previous owner did.

Have a good look also around the outside of the engine for signs of oil &/or water leak.   To me the black gloop in your sump says that there was no water inside the engine, but the cleanliness of the castings suggests it's not long since being (part) rebuilt.  It may have been rebuilt but leaked like a sieve (signs of leaking outside / under the engine &/or around the gearbox) and so was never used.  Conversely it could be that the engine was rebuilt and the gearbox or something in the drive train was trash and too expensive to repair ..so the owner gave up on the whole car.  So he'd got it running but perhaps for just a mile or two, perhaps never even turning a wheel at all.!   You'll probably not know for sure ..but it's something to consider, because if that had been the case and then the car left standing in North East US freezing weather then come the thaw - heavy condensation would in fact give you exactly that sort of undisturbed loose rust and aluminium corrosion inside the rocker cover and over metal parts that the oil has run off.  With the tyres shredded from being pulled out of its barn and onto a trailer - I'm guessing the clutch is or was seriously corroded on, or else transmission or drive / axle or brakes are (or were) locked tight.  

Similarly, I look closely at every gasket to see if it had been reused and also what sealant has been used.  I cannot trust any engine that has been put together with globs of silicon gasket sealer.  In short, you'll be wise to take your time ..to learn to read the signs at every single stage of dismantling, whether ancillaries or the engine itself.   Seriously, this is like reading a trail when tracking an animal ..the marks that you see along the way tell you where to look at next and what to look for. It does take a time to learn these things, and then most experienced engine re-builders do it subconsciously.  For my 'lump' ..there was every indication that the engine had never been apart, but that the water pump have been replaced and the timing cover might also have been removed at some time.  I would gauge my engine is of relatively low mileage, but after the original running-in service schedule it had rarely, if ever, had an oil change.

Judging by the photos you shared - the aluminium of the pistons has furred up / oxidated and I would guess that has locked up between the piston and the cylinder (there was only 0.004" (four thousands of an inch) between the piston's skirt and the iron cylinder bore when it was fitted.  However, spraying up around each the cylinder and piston skirt with thin penetrating oil will help loosen things.    

Btw the fan on your engine is secured by four (1/2" headed ?) bolts which ought to be locked in place by a single tab washer plate (which also locks the big central bolt from undoing). Once the tabs are tapped flat and the four bolts are removed - then the fan itself lifts off.  And then the big headed bolt holding the fan extension and pulley is accessible.  

However, before you seriously try to undo it..  it's quite possible that you can use this bolt to turn the crankshaft back and forth. (Remember ;  clockwise tightens, anti-clockwise loosens 99.9% of all bolts, nuts and screws).  Initially it may only move 1/4 of a millimeter one way and then the same back.  Back and forth a few dozen times and you might begin to see the movement. Persevere and in time you ought to get more..   Oh do take the car out of gear before you try doing this and if your clutch feels like it's working then you might also block / wedge that all the way down to the floor.

If I recall correctly,  I used a 30mm (1-1/8") open end spanner to undo that central fan extension / pulley bolt.  That's not a size of spanner found in most tool kits, but my dad (ex-RAF) had filed a old 1" spanner to that size,  so I didn't have to go out and buy one. They're supposed to be humongously tight but mine ..with this spanner and a 4ft length of scaffolding pole had no problem at all.

Hope that helps,

Pete.

p.s. excuse any typos ..it's been a long day

Edited January 21, 2020 by Bfg

[Mark Richardson]

Hi Pete, and thanks for your further interesting and informative post.

Your forensic approach seems sensible for diagnosing issues as well as for me to get to know the engine and I have taken it on board. Have retained sludge in sump so will examine it as you have suggested. Also oxidation on pistons. I can only work on engines at weekends so will be back on it in a few days).

Your description of how the fan is attached is bang on. When I was trying to get fan off before couldn't get on bolt heads for the tabs - didn't realise I could just flatten these out. 

I was also struggling to remove radiator to get to front of fan, having trouble removing bottom two bolts, but now have workshop manual so hope I will find out how to do this therein, will check tonight. 

As I can only get on car and engine at weekends am planning to work on ancillary parts evenings during the week - stripping them down and rebuilding as necessary. as indicated mileage is about 60,000 I presume this is a sensible move. I have carb's on desk now and plan to strip them over next day or two, then post photo's as necessary for advice on whether I need service or rebuild kits, and any other replacement parts. Workshop manual seems to provide enough information as to how to take them apart. Does this seem sensible?

As ever, appreciate the time you and others have taken to post, its making an awesome project seem achievable.

Regards, Mark

 

[Bfg]

Glad to be of some guidance.  I am a novice to car engines so I have to take things pragmatically if  I am to learn with least mistakes. There are some chaps on here who a great with their advice and have been really generous in sharing their experience and contacts..

I bought a pair of carburettors with this engine, but I haven't touched them yet.  My friend Rich and others have suggested a few specialist which I will probably try. 

 

One of the first was Glen Watson t/a  GW Carbs in Bicknacre, Essex - 07803 593126.   I haven’t spoken to him yet, but Rich tells me that he will refurbish the carburettors & linkages, returning them to as new condition for about £400. 

Well, I could tackle this task myself, and probably save a chunk of money to boot.  But if someone is geared up specifically to do them, to thoroughly clean inside and out, and will return them with spot-on adjustment and pretty much guaranteed to work ..straight out of the box - then that will save me shopping for rebuild kits, getting exactly the right parts (of  a decent quality),  possibly a couple of trips to the machine shop,  and a few weeks of work myself ..which I might better use for other doing other jobs (..of which I have plenty !).  So perhaps £400 isn’t too much ..in the big picture of getting the car running smoothly and reliably as soon as possible.

 

Another, contact was Martin Jay - Distributor Doctor - 01984 629540.  I spoke to him a couple of days ago (seemed a very nice chap) because the distributor supplied with my car was incorrect to the TR’s.  (see page 88 in the Moss catalogue for the correct numbers) and it was also rusted up inside.  I have managed to source a replacement but that one is off the TR4, which again is not quite the same as for the 4A.  It is also without a cap.  Martin can correct the specification as he rebuilds it, and include the cap - so it's ready to just bolt on, set the timing and go.  His price is currently £195 + VAT to rebuild my own distributor, or plus another £50 + VAT to supply one outright. 

Again it’s a lump of money ..and I don’t have much to splash around, but I’m thinking - if I'm spend a thousand or two on the engine itself, am careful in its rebuild, and then the distributor and carburettors are in first class order - I ought then to have a really good and reliable engine.  Final decision has not been made yet ..but that’s the thinking.  

 

A third contact was ; EP Services, Wolverhampton, West Midlands - 01902 452914, who specialise in rebuilding water pumps. Again I have spoken to them recently, and again they are very helpful, and they will charge £45+ VAT on exchange.  My car’s water pump has a interference-fit pulley on it, rather than a nut on the front which is more easily removed & refitted, and although I could probably do the job myself for less, it probably isn’t worth the small amount I’d save.  These chaps replace what’s needed to give a 5-year guarantee. So their parts must be good. And for about £60 (with postage) I feel that’s good value..

 

Yes, these costs do add up very quickly, but they also shortcut a considerable amount of time.  They'll save a lot of learning, and any concerns about decent quality parts, and getting the job done absolutely right.  Personally I’m tending to think - I’d rather like my project happening and done ..before I’m too old.   

These are decision anyone doing a major restoration is faced with.  To have the satisfaction of doing it ourselves   or  just get it done n’ dusted  ..while we get on with saving money in doing other tasks.?    Food for thought perhaps.  Only you can make those choices according to your own time and financial pressures.

Pete.

 

p.s. might I suggest  -  If you liberally spot every fastening you can see, and the underside of those pistons, with penetrating oil as soon as possible, and then repeat doing it in a couple of days - then it will be soaking in / working between now and the weekend. 

Edited January 22, 2020 by Bfg

[Dale Moore]

Hi Mark I've sent you a PM

Dale

[Mark Richardson]

Have sprayed up into cylinders / pistons with penetrating oil a couple of times but still no movement trying to turn fan by hand. Also struggled to get oil into central two cylinders - too much gear in the way. 

Took another look around engine and took some more (possibly better) photo's - will upload tomorrow when can get camera linked to computer.

Results of this "forensic" look over engine revealed following:

Rust in square ports on manifold side of engine, but (disregarding loose rust assumed to have dropped off when removing manifold) none in round ports).

Signs of oil on outside of engine casing where head meets main casing at (UK) drivers side rear corner.

Oil in water which poured out of bottom of radiator when I finally managed to remove radiator and bottom coolant pipe.

Rust on moving parts in engine seems superficial (ie could probably clean off fairly easily once parts accessed) and appears principally limited to connecting rods, and top of semicircular mouldings on crankshaft.

Spots of rust on inside of engine casing again looks superficial and easy to clean off if accessed.

Cylinders heavily furred, but could see spraying penetrating oil into cylinders cleared much of this immediately, however, as said, struggled to get oil into, and  see into central two cylinders.

Am slowly preparing for removal of engine (which now seems to be a must do) and after struggling got radiator, generator, and fan off today. Hope to get rest off tomorrow in preparation for lift of engine when crane arrives (Use of mate's HIAB proved to be impossible, but found a 1 1/2 tonne crane with 5' reach second hand on E-bay for £95 incl delivery).

QUESTION - ? Is it too ambitious / dangerous to try using an impact wrench to turn dog bolt and crank to unseize it all ???  I am assuming too dangerous, but thought it might be owrth asking!        ( - In preparation for loosening dog bolt I managed to pick up a 450 torque "MOSS" impact wrench on E-bay for a little under £45, and a 1 1/8 GEODORE high impact socket from "topratedtools.co.uk" for £13.)

Will update with photo's tomorrow, in the meantime any thoughts on use of impact wrench most welcome.

thanks, Mark 

 

[Motorsport Mickey]

I feared there would be more water damaged items as you got inside.

Don't worry about impact driving the dog bolt off. They have to be put on very tight (I use 120 lbs ft) so the fact the engine won't turn at the present can be used to help "breaking" the bond between it and the crank. I use the 450 Nm impact wrench with a good fitting impact socket and it takes about 2 secs of proper impact and ...it's off. Leave it screwed in loose, you'll need a secure turning medium to rotate the crank when you get down to actual stripping of the insides with access needed to con rod caps (the mains can be done easily).

Mick Richards  

[Mark Richardson]

Hi Mick - fast response thanks. 

I was thinking more in terms of using it to turn crank to "unseize" engine - turning forward rather than backward to break whatever is seizing it. Any good?

Mark

[rogerowen]

Looks like a top end rebuild that's not seen any oil. Could be some gold there - if carefully cleaned and lubricated. 

[Mark Richardson]

Hope so Roger - watch this space.

[Motorsport Mickey]

3 hours ago, Mark Richardson said:

Hi Mick - fast response thanks. 

I was thinking more in terms of using it to turn crank to "unseize" engine - turning forward rather than backward to break whatever is seizing it. Any good?

Mark

Afraid not Mark...much to "blunt" a weapon. If the dog bolt is tightened up very tight (I use 120 lb ft) the shearing point for the 5/8 th UNF thread ( I think) is rated at 150 lb ft). That 450Nm impact wrench will put more than that on in a few seconds and if the crank doesn't move you risk shearing the bolt in the end of the crank. Doing it by hand with a breaker bar is much more sympathetic and allows you to gauge if any miniscule movement occurs, (different position of breaker bar handle).

I take it you are planning to remove the engine leaving the gearbox in the car, ? when you have the engine on the floor and assuming it's still seized (and not the clutch and gearbox stuck in gear) I would use a long "breaker bar" and in a right handed motion (righty tighty - yes)  press really hard down with all your weight on the dog bolt and see if you can turn or move the engine. If not reverse the direction and again with the breaker bar see if the crank will move in a lefthanded motion (lefty loosey- yes) or if not the dog bolt might move or undo. 

Refer to the thread of Bfg regarding his engine strip down, a pretty reasonable order of progress and stripping down.

Mick Richards

[john.r.davies]

And IMHO, always turn BOTH ways, as if trying to rock it.

John