New here. Seized '53 Dodge flathead 6 motor

[blue71c]

I have a 1953 Dodge Meadowbrook with a seized flathead 6 motor. I have been putting a 50/50 mix of acetone and transmission fluid in the cylinders with no luck. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what else may be wrong other than it just being seized? I don't want to take it apart if I don't have to.

[55 Fargo]

stuck and badly rusted valve or valves, pull head and side covers to see...

[casper50]

it's much easier to unstick an engine with the head off.

[austinsailor]

In the last couple years I had 3 motors stuck like yours. All 3 had only one cylinder with a problem, rust. 2 would never come free, it took destroying the piston, drilling and breaking it up, to get it out. Then a new sleeve to fix it. The 3ed came free, but I pulled the head and it was rusted bad enough it would have self destructed in no time. It's still sitting there.

I'd strongly recommend you pull the head and have a look. What's a head gasket - $20 - $30?

Gene

[blue71c]

thanks guys. Taking the head off was my next step, I was just hoping someone would have some sort of trick to avoid having to do that. if I can get it freed up what do you recommend for cleaning off any surface rust, 0000 steel wool?

[blue71c]

thanks guys, I was hoping to avoid pulling off the head. I thought maybe someone would have another trick up their sleeves to get it to move without taking it apart. If I get it freed u what would you recommend to clean off the rust, 0000 Steel wool?

[wayfarer]

Depending on the severity of any rust that you find, steel wool might shred and leave behind a lot of garbage. There are

other remedies to remove rust including chemicals like 'EvapoRust' all depending on how bad it is.

[blue71c]

I tried evaporust and that didn't work either. .

[Andydodge]

An angle grinder with a wire cup brush will remove the rust, yet so long as you are careful and gentle won't do any damage, tho' depending on whats under the head when removed will determine whats needed....andyd

[blue71c]

Well almost two years later andthe engine is still siezed. I took the head and side covers off with no luck. The camshaft looks completely rusted. All the valves and tappets move freely. I was going to pull the timing chain to separate the crank from the cam but I can't get the chain cover off. This motor is getting the best of me. I think it's time to pull it out and strip it apart. 

Edited September 30, 2018 by blue71c

[Dodgeb4ya]

Junk it.

[Plymouthy Adams]

get a four post lift, push it on and raise it to the max limit...go get a pink Prius and park it under it....make this the daily driver.....you have not even lost you flathead virginity yet and you sound like throwing in the towel......you have stated internal rust...why would you want to start this engine without a tear down to ensure any rotation will not cause further more severe damage....you must approach logically and systematically to achieve forward gains.  After two years os sitting I cannot see any rush at this point to not do the job justice.

[Desotodav]

3 hours ago, blue71c said:

Well almost two years later andthe engine is still siezed. I took the head and side covers off with no luck. The camshaft looks completely rusted. All the valves and tappets move freely. I was going to pull the timing chain to separate the crank from the cam but I can't get the chain cover off. This motor is getting the bat if me. I think it's time to pull it out and strip it apart. 

Pull it out and strip it down... but be careful of the bolt at the bottom of the timing chain cover which goes through into the bottom hole of the oil pan front seal plate...

[keithb7]

I'm interested in learning what benefit there is in trying to break free a  seized  engine. I can assume rotating parts like crank mains and connecting rod bearings are rusted solid. Or the piston rings are rusted to the cylinder walls. Maybe the cam bushing are rusted to the cams  

I am wondering of what use is an  engine in this state? I would tend to think the whole thing needs to come out and be torn down completely. 

 If if by chance you were able to get it break free and turn it over, how long would it last? Before a bearing spun? Or an oil gallery plugged? Or a piston ring or two broke? 

Maybe someone can enlighten me. Share a story anout a seized  engine you free'd up, and been running great since. I'd live to hear if this is realistic. 

Not meaning to come across cocky. Just hoping to learn. Thx.

 

[blue71c]

I'm definitely not giving up. This car has outlasted three girlfriends. I'm just saying it's a stubborn one. I was hoping to get some kind of movement out of it before a complete teardown but apparently not. With the engine sized I'm going to have to pull it with the trans still attached correct? I can't rotate the engine to remove the converter bolts so I'll have to take front support off the car correct? 

[allbizz49]

I've been doing some work on a 53 meadowbrook for a friend. Small block mopar sure fits nicely in these cars. This one has a 273/904 out of a 68 dart in it. Just another option besides the stock motor. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

43 minutes ago, keithb7 said:

I'm interested in learning what benefit there is in trying to break free a  seized  engine. I can assume rotating parts like crank mains and connecting rod bearings are rusted solid. Or the piston rings are rusted to the cylinder walls. Maybe the cam bushing are rusted to the cams  

I am wondering of what use is an  engine in this state? I would tend to think the whole thing needs to come out and be torn down completely. 

 If if by chance you were able to get it break free and turn it over, how long would it last? Before a bearing spun? Or an oil gallery plugged? Or a piston ring or two broke? 

Maybe someone can enlighten me. Share a story anout a seized  engine you free'd up, and been running great since. I'd live to hear if this is realistic. 

Not meaning to come across cocky. Just hoping to learn. Thx.

 

the benefit of freeing a stuck engine is the ease of access to disconnect con rods, lift out the crank and then ability to push the jugs from the cylinders...it a state such as this it would be ludicrous to think of starting the engine for normal use.  Ease of tear down is your objective..

Edited September 27, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[blue71c]

I'm looking at from an ease of teardown point of view. I would never run this engine without a proper teardown.

like I stated earlier, I would need to turn the engine over to remove the trans to make engine removal easier. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

The trans will come out with out doing anything to the engine.

The fluid drive coupling can be removed many times once the engine is out of the chassis by removing the lower cover and then driving the two dowel pins into the bell housing just enough so as to be able to lift the upper bell housing off the engine giving access to the upper coupling nuts... ( all this if the crank cannot be turned).

Have done this several times on old frozen up junk engines.

Edited September 27, 2017 by Dodgeb4ya
spelling

[blue71c]

Well that's good to know. Thanks Dodgeb4ya!

[keithb7]

Thanks @Plymouthy Adams for the enlightenment. I have not had to tear down a siezed  engine yet. I can see how it'd be a major pain to pull parts. 

[Los_Control]

We like to hope they all ran when parked, that is not always true. So if you do not know the history .....

I just bring this up, have a 52 plymouth with a flatty 218. Grandpa drove it like he stole it, spun a bearing in it. The motor is locked up tight because of a bad bearing.

And these motors do not like high rpm's, you could easily have a bad bearing.

[Pauls_Plymouth]

Vinegar will dissolve rust in 24 hours. Flush it with mineral spirits after the vinegar, or rust will start up again.

 

[blue71c]

@Pauls_Plymouth I tried the vinegar trick but I also have a bad oil pan gasket which caused it to leak our before reaching the cam. Problems problems problems

[Merle Coggins]

When I tore my seized engine down I ended up pulling the crank out with the Fluid Drive still attached. Then I could get to all of the nuts to remove it from the crank. It's a bit heavy that way, but I had an overhead crane. Bob's way works too, pulling the bell housing. 

By the way... what part of Wisconsin are you in?