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Anyone ever use heat to free pistons?

F

FiremanJohn

Member
I have got an old motor (not in a case but you guys are the most knowlegeable around) and I bought it with a bad piston and the old owner started to tear the motor down. Anyhow it has been open for 20 years (hood over it but no head) and I have started to tear it down. The pistons are stuck and it is not pretty. Do you think it would ruin the block to heat the inside of the cylinder and try to drive the piston down? I am open to suggestions. Thank you
 
Personally I would not use heat at all especially in a water cooled block with multiple cylinders. On the other hand -how much heat are you thinking about. Some dry ice in the cylinder will help shrink the piston. But I would have many other attempts B4 I went that direction. clean all scale and junk first - maybe even a cup brush on the top of the piston. I like Kano's kroil oil. Put some in the cylinders and let it set. If its that bad I would drop the rod ends & remove the crankshaft before I try to unstick a stuck piston. That way you only will deal with one piston at a time, instead of pushing on one top that is trying to move 4 other pistons. If you can make a plate and seal it on the block -fill the piston with oil and use a grease gun to pressurize the cylinder evenly to move the piston. Or make a square cut round piece of wood that fits the bore of the cylinder, cup the end so the pressure is against the outside of the piston (so you don't cave it in) and use a manual persuader (hammer). Just pay attention. Almost any piston can be removed in one piece, with time and patience.
 
Great ideas. The crank is already out so it is only one piston at a time. Right now I have mystery oil in there and a small piece of 3/8 steel plate on top of the piston and a puller pushing down on the piston. Tough to cut that stuff round but it covers most of the piston. I like the grease gun idead. Going to look for Kroil tomorrow since I hear such good things about it. Thank you
 
might try filling cylinder with a 50/50 solution of acetone and automatic trans fluid.

that is one of the best penetrating oils available

must cover the cylinder hole with plastic and seal it off as the acetone will flash off if left to the open air.

this is not a job to get in a big hurry,

may take weeks to let it set and keep working with it,
upsetting it with a few whacks with oak wooden block and hammer from time to time.

might work

am sure others that work on old stuff will have some other old wife's tales on how to break something loose that you would ruin with heat.

good luck and take your time!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
This is why I love this forum so many ideas already. Have my puller pushing down and using a 3/8 impact gun on the puller to get some vibration which seems to make a big difference in everything. By the way, the engine is a flathead Mack in an A series truck, will be used to pull a Case around some day. LOL
 
I have been told that Coke (the drink) will shift such things, but not tried it myself, but assured it does work. Cheap and non damaging so worth a try I reckon.
 
Sadly not a sleeved engine RGMartin. Am hoping to do as little damage as possible and my end result will be dictated by what I can find for pistons. Oddball low numbers mack. The ego wants me to try and get the old engine running first before I look for a substitute motor. We will see. Might end up getting it bored and sleeved, anything is possible I guess. Just have to hide the bill from the wife lol.
 
I am just south of I-90 and half way between Boston and providence. Right on I-95. John it is an EN377 in an A-40. The air brakes are a nice touch. Going to some day have a grain body on it and pull a couple old cases around. Those old trucks are so overbuilt it is like new except for a bad piston and cab rot. Tranny, pto, axles all nice and tight. A truly fun project.
 
I do a lot of locked up engines on many machines. In your case I would fill the cylinder almost all the way up with ATF do not mix it with any thing. Let it sit a week or so. Then if you can do so safely top it off with gas and light it up. Keep doing that with adding a little gas till you have burned it to the point you can see the top of the pistons. What that does is heats the block but not the pistons. Did that to an old MM RTU and after doing so it freed up and put the head back on and ran very well and didn't even burn oil
 

"a 50/50 solution of acetone and automatic trans fluid" That is an unbelievable combo and works great! Have used it plenty of times on stuck motors and not once did it let me down.
 
Poor some diesel fuel or kerosene on top of a piston and set it on fire. Don't do this near anything flammable or near any building. The heat
should loosen the piston. Use a piece of 2 X 2 oak and a hammer and see if you can drive out the connecting rod and piston. Only do one piston at a time. Hal
 
have used the 50/50 mixture for years and it works good, but interesting footnote:

was reading on another gun forum and someone had copied the original version of the mixture: it was a mixture of acetone and power steering fluid.
but works the same I guess:


______________________
This may be of help to you guys.
Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrates for break out torque on rusted nuts. Significant results!

*They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.*

*Penetrating oil ..... Average load*

None ...................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .............. 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ......... 127 pounds
Kano Kroil .............. 106 pounds
Power Steering Fluid-Acetone mix........53 pounds

*The Power Steering Fluid-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 fluid and acetone*
 
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