Stuck engine

Anonymous-0 · May 15, 2013

Old or some veteran YT'ers we have a 550 gas that engine has locked up after sitting a few yrs. We have had ATF in the cylinders (plugs out)for 8 or weeks or longer. The battery is not serviceable, so we are thinking of pulling the tractor to see if she will turn. What gear would you pull her in? Also if we jack up one axle what gear should we be in to rock the engine with the rear tire. What method to unlock have you had the best luck with?

Dalex · May 15, 2013

Don't drag it around , you could bend or break a rod .With the axle jacked up , put it in 4 th or the highest gear and slam it side to side a few times to try and break it loose.

Patsdeere · May 15, 2013

Agreed, dragging it will do nothing but cause problems. You can even rock it in high gear with the wheels on the ground. Just back and forth. Or you can pull the head gently tap on each piston with a block of wood to try and free it up. Good luck.

notjustair · May 15, 2013

Got a hill? Pull it to the top and head it away from the house or roads. Put it in road gear and let it sit on the side of that hill. The hill and gearbox will put steady pressure on the engine. You will wake up one morning and it will be at the bottom of the hill - problem solved.

I would never be that lucky, but make sure the key is off! In a perfect world it might start up by itself.

BushogPapa · May 16, 2013

Put it in High Gear and occasionally rock it back and forth..it just may start to move.

Ron..

Dick2 · May 16, 2013

First loosen the starter to make sure that isn't stuck instead of the engine. BTDT.

gene bender · May 16, 2013

Pull the head a only then will you know why its stuck. Pulling a stuck engine runs the risk of bent rods and other things that cant bee good. Oulling the head isnt that big of a deal.

Tony in Mass. · May 16, 2013

Big question would be 'what did it do the last time it was running?' Clunking bearings? burning oil? no power? vertical exhaust with no cap? just fine but hasn't run in 15 years?'
That a flathead? Might be a valve stem, so's a bad idea to tug it. I'll say like the guys earlier, pull the starter, check for a jam, could 'carefully' put a crowbar in the teeth. Or pull the head, pry and tug at valves and look at the cylinder walls. Can't hurt to pull the oil pan, easier than most on a 550 isn't it? Good luck.

old · May 16, 2013

First off NEVER try to pull one that is locked up you can bend and or break things doing so.
As for the battery do you have other machines like your car or truck?? Pull a battery from one of them.
What I do is use a 12 volt battery and short fast taps on the starter to free them up.
By the way you should have put the plugs back in while it sat to keep water and dirt etc out of the cylinders. If it got water in it while sitting that is bad because the ATF floats on water

El Toro · May 16, 2013

Sitting that long you should pull the head and drop the oil pan. Pour a small amount of diesel fuel or kerosene on top of the piston and set it on fire. Don't do this near any building. Do one piston at a time. Remove the connecting rod cap before starting. The heat should free the piston. Use a piece of 2 x 2 oak and a big hammer to try to drive out the piston. The engine will probably need rebuilding. Hal

Stuck engine

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Dalex

Well-known Member

Patsdeere

Well-known Member

notjustair

Well-known Member

BushogPapa

Well-known Member

Dick2

Well-known Member

gene bender

Well-known Member

Tony in Mass.

Well-known Member

old

Well-known Member

El Toro

Well-known Member

Similar threads