To penetrate or not to penetrate.

[PNWNate]

I’m still very new on here, so if I missed this thread, let me know and I’ll take it down.

I just picked up an 86 idi with a seized engine. Was parked in 09, and last started in 15. My plan was to pull and rebuild if possible but a buddy suggested pulling the injectors, soaking the cylinders in penetrating oil for a few days, then hand turning the motor with a breaker bar to break it loose.

Has anybody attempted this on here, and how did it turn out?

 

[u2slow]

Imho, you've got nothing to lose trying. You might get lucky.

 

[FrozenMerc]

He does have something to lose, and that is a good, potentially rebuildable core.

If you pull the injectors and get it to rotate, please bore scope it before you try to fire it. Would hate to see catastrophic cylinder damage upon first fire up due to a broken ring, debris, or something similar.

Everytime time I have done something similar, I just ended up with an engine that still needed to be rebuilt, even if I got it running.

 

[u2slow]

IME, mechanical damage is usually already done, and you won't unstick anything with penetrating oil anyway.

Penetrating oil may help if cylinders/rings have seen some moisture and its a "light" stuck.

 

[PNWNate]

Moisture exposure to the top of the cylinders is the most likely culprit, I’m just not sure how bad.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Imho, you've got nothing to lose trying. You might get lucky.

I agree.

If you pull the injectors and get it to rotate, please bore scope it before you try to fire it

You can't on our engines. You can't see past the pre combustion chambers into the cylinders.

IME, mechanical damage is usually already done, and you won't unstick anything with penetrating oil anyway.

Penetrating oil may help if cylinders/rings have seen some moisture and its a "light" stuck.

Again, I agree.

 

[Jesus Freak]

I'm a "throw a hot battery or 2 in it and see what happens" type of guy. But report back so we can sleep better at night. Good luck, and remember...... HAVE FUN!!!!

 

[Jesus Freak]

Has anybody attempted this on here, and how did it turn out?

And yes, that's almost exactly what I did when I got my first idi 8-9yrs ago. I drove that engine for almost 2 years before it needed "ministry". AND that was before I knew what WMO was.

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

And yes, that's almost exactly what I did when I got my first idi 8-9yrs ago. I drove that engine for almost 2 years before it needed "ministry". AND that was before I knew what WMO was.

I like your attitude. Some of these fellas are a bit tightly wound.

I say juice er up and bar it over. If it’s stuck it’s stuck. Hard to do to much more damage if it’s truly locked.

 

[WrenchWhore]

I'm cheap so I'd totally soak it with ATF and breaker bar it with the glow plugs out of it. If it breaks free but has a tight spot id keep rotating til it gets better. After that if it seems free i'd crank it WITHOUT the glow plugs installed/build oil pressure/prime the injectors (crack them loose). If you get fuel to the injectors and everything seems good snug the injectors down and let-er eat. If you want to be extra special put some new engine oil in her.

 

[PNWNate]

I’ll let you all know here in a week or two after I get stuff cleaned up where I’m at and what happened. Just pressure washed the exterior today.

Looks almost respectable. The nosy neighbor keeps coming by and asking about it. I told her it would be an ongoing thing for the next couple years. lol.

 

[Jesus Freak]

I'm cheap so I'd totally soak it with ATF and breaker bar it with the glow plugs out of it. If it breaks free but has a tight spot id keep rotating til it gets better. After that if it seems free i'd crank it WITHOUT the glow plugs installed/build oil pressure/prime the injectors (crack them loose). If you get fuel to the injectors and everything seems good snug the injectors down and let-er eat. If you want to be extra special put some new engine oil in her.

That's some legit "Po boy" mechanical right there. BE ADVISED that if you got hot batteries and you spin it over without the glow plugs and thus no compression, it'll spin scary fast!

 

[Jesus Freak]

I’ll let you all know here in a week or two after I get stuff cleaned up where I’m at and what happened. Just pressure washed the exterior today.

Looks almost respectable. The nosy neighbor keeps coming by and asking about it. I told her it would be an ongoing thing for the next couple years. lol.

A week is way too long. We just don't have that type of patience on this forum. Tighten up!

 

[FrozenMerc]

You can't on our engines. You can't see past the pre combustion chambers into the cylinders.

You can with the right borescope. We have these ViewTech VJ-4 scopes at work that we use to scope IDI style engines all the time. They have a 0.085" camera that will easily slip through the pre-cup opening, or even past an open valve. I forget that not everyone has access to this type of equipment.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[asmith]

You can with the right borescope. We have these ViewTech VJ-4 scopes at work that we use to scope IDI style engines all the time. They have a 0.085" camera that will easily slip through the pre-cup opening, or even past an open valve. I forget that not everyone has access to this type of equipment.

You must be registered for see images attach

That is cool!! wonder how much one of those costs?

edit: Best I can find is somewhere between $3000 and $5000. But I couldn't find that actual one with a price listed anywhere.

Second Edit: Actually I found one place that has the VJ-3 listed and I quote "comes in at a very reasonable price range of $9,000 to $15,000" So you better be using it a lot.