Freeing a stuck engine

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With the spark plugs out of the engine and a FULLY charged battery give the starter a one second click and then stop. Observe as you do this if the fan or crank pulley has moved slightly and which way it moved, if the valves have moved, if the starter is fully engaging into the flywheel. Take the breaker bar and turn the crank pulley back a nudge and then his the starter button again to put some torque on the flywheel. This torque multiplication will move the crank journal a degree or two and will push or pull on the piston which in turn will apply thrust against the rings. All you have to do for the moment is crack the rings loose a thousandth of an inch to allow the diesel fuel to get in to that cavity. After allowing the diesel to settle in for a few minutes use the breaker bar to remove the tension on the ring. The diesel fuel between the ring and the wall will act as a fulcrum and break the ring free from the cylinder wall. It may take a dozen or so tries before all of the stuck rings and bearing are free but with each successive try more fluid will fill the voids until the engine is free to turn. Allow the engine to make two or three revolutions before stopping the exercise. This will allow the excess diesel fuel to evacuate itself from the combustion chambers and for some of the oil in the crankcase to move in the system. The engine will now have a new place to rest while the lubrication seeps into the surfaces of the internals.
 
With the spark plugs out of the engine and a FULLY charged battery give the starter a one second click and then stop. Observe as you do this if the fan or crank pulley has moved slightly and which way it moved, if the valves have moved, if the starter is fully engaging into the flywheel. Take the breaker bar and turn the crank pulley back a nudge and then his the starter button again to put some torque on the flywheel. This torque multiplication will move the crank journal a degree or two and will push or pull on the piston which in turn will apply thrust against the rings. All you have to do for the moment is crack the rings loose a thousandth of an inch to allow the diesel fuel to get in to that cavity. After allowing the diesel to settle in for a few minutes use the breaker bar to remove the tension on the ring. The diesel fuel between the ring and the wall will act as a fulcrum and break the ring free from the cylinder wall. It may take a dozen or so tries before all of the stuck rings and bearing are free but with each successive try more fluid will fill the voids until the engine is free to turn. Allow the engine to make two or three revolutions before stopping the exercise. This will allow the excess diesel fuel to evacuate itself from the combustion chambers and for some of the oil in the crankcase to move in the system. The engine will now have a new place to rest while the lubrication seeps into the surfaces of the internals.
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[[4. What To Do Now]]
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Now that you have broken it loose, one of the first things to do is change the oil. This will get rid of most of the dirt, acids, and excess diesel fuel. Pull the plug, remove the filter and let it drain for a day or two. Then, add a gallon or so of diesel fuel and a new filter, and turn it over with the starter for a minute or so. You'll be turning it over without spark plugs, so watch for spray coming out of the plug holes. It will turn much faster and build up some oil pressure while cleaning out the oil galleys and internals. You can cycle through a few times if you want.
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You now have to make a choice, to run the engine as is, or pull the heads and pan to check for damages. If your going to do a compression test or a leakdown test, drain and re-fill with new oil and start the engine to warm it up and burn off some of the diesel fuel in the engine. In most cases you should go the overhaul route, checking for wear, mic'ing out the bores and clearances of bearings, etc.
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[[Tips and Tricks on Unsticking the Impossible]]
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The basics of unsticking any engine is the same. Fill it up with a fluid that will penetrate and lubricate any surface. Remove or loosen any accessory, or engine part that is not relative to making the engine turn or cause stress. ROCK THE ENGINE, a degree of turning or a thousandths of an inch is a start in moving the engine's reciprocating mass. Allow for TIME and don't get impatient.

Revision as of 13:36, 13 May 2008

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