Home Brew Penetrant Mix for a Seized Engines

**Lionelgee** · 14th May 2023, 04:36 PM

Hello All,

I bought a diesel engine for a parts source a couple of years ago. It was sold as a seized motor due to it being left out in the open for a number of years. It was a serviceable motor before it was taken out of the truck and left out. I have taken the injectors out so I can pour penetrants straight down each bore.

I use a 50/50 percent mix of lanolin penetrant liquid and diesel

Machinist's Workshop Magazine came up with their version using 50/50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Accessed 14th of May 2023 from, Tech Tips: Penetrating Oil| Fifth Avenue

I let things soak for between a week or a couple of months. I am not sure how acetone would affect the bore of an engine and pistons though for such an extended period of time?

What home brew penetrant mixes have you used with success to soak into the bore and piston so it can be freed up?

Kind regards
Lionel

**BradC** · 14th May 2023, 04:53 PM

The Acetone/ATF is great if you want "rapid" results. For stuck pistons in bores I've used plain old engine oil and let it sit with the odd wiggle for weeks/months. The acetone would evaporate pretty quickly by comparison.

Acetone isn't going to hurt anything in the bore or on the piston, but it might not make things like valve stem seals or elastomer lip seals very happy.

**Tins** · 14th May 2023, 04:57 PM

Hmm. Is that de-ceased, or seized. Lionel??

Brad is spot on about the acetone evaporating, but it will do some work while it's there, and ATF will help things on it's own. Strangely, vinegar and ATF will help also, if it's rusty.

**Slunnie** · 14th May 2023, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tins

Hmm. Is that de-ceased, or seized. Lionel??

If ceased means stopped, then de-ceased must mean it's good to go again.

**Lionelgee** · 14th May 2023, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by Slunnie

If ceased means stopped, then de-ceased must mean it's good to go again.

There are so many words out there Slunnie and Tins! - How about substituting the word I should have used - 'seized'! Yep you both got me there. I will go back and make a correction or two.

Kind regards
Lionel

**DoubleChevron** · 15th May 2023, 11:05 AM

I watched an "Uncle tonys garage" episode a while back. Where he did a "how to unseize a motor" on an old V8. Nothing down the bores. He whipped the heads straight off and gave the pistons a whack with a mallet to get them free. When you think about it .... it is probably the safest way to free a frozen motor (you can also tell if its a no-go the 2nd the heads are off).

Having said this .... Have you tried turning it to see if its free. The reason I ask is my father sent me an ebay add a couple of months back. There was a Citroen DS for sale that came with two parts cars..... by parts cars think ....

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600 (1).jpg

s-l1600 (2).jpg

Pictures to show how bad they are. They were sitting in a paddock up near Echuca. I wanted the bottom end out of one of the motors (fingers crossed one was usable). One of the cars ... the motor was so seized and it was stuck in gear, we had to cut through the driveshafts to move it with a 9" grinder.

20230424_154410.jpg

They were given to me to get rid of them..... I found this white ones motor wasn't seized...hmmmm... Maybe? They have been sitting since 1978 from what I can tell. It took me 1.5hours just to get the spark plugs out. I had to chisel the rocker cover off as the gaskets were like glass ... and it was seized.

You just can't pick it .... that motor you have could be fine. I did put ATF down the plug holes and roll it over with the crank handle.

**p38arover** · 15th May 2023, 11:06 AM

Tins beat me to it.

**goingbush** · 15th May 2023, 11:58 AM

Here's what I found in my Power Wagon engine when I first pulled the head off .

I can only imagine was left out in the weather at some stage without an air cleaner or spark plugs and bonnet open so filled up with water .

Well & truly seized / rusted solid . I vacuumed out the water & crud , then soaked in Evaporust for a few days , then rotary wire brush , then diesel / oil mix for a few days , Bit of back & forth prying against the flywheel teeth & it came free.

it was already oversize with deep rust holes in the bore so decided on getting it sleeved.

IMG20200807153622.jpg IMG20200808150922.jpg IMG20200808113101.jpg IMG20200808114042.jpg

**p38arover** · 15th May 2023, 12:37 PM

Have a look at the first, say, 20 minutes of this video:

**goingbush** · 15th May 2023, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by p38arover

Have a look at the first, say, 20 minutes of this video:

that was cool, never knew they yanks called the starter a 'pony engine' we always called them a donkey motor .

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