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350 Engine frozen due to rust

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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 03:48 PM
  #1  
smoothjazz's Avatar
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350 Engine frozen due to rust

Hello All,
I found a 1987 350 online a guy is selling.He drained oil out of it and the engine sat for around 3 months.Cant break it free.Apparently rust has formed in the cylinder walls.Any suggestions on trying to break it free? He has tried the PB Blaster,but no luck.
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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 03:52 PM
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vangogh4560's Avatar
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From: sc
Car: 1987 camaro lt
Engine: soon 383
Transmission: 700r4
Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

Originally Posted by smoothjazz
Hello All,
I found a 1987 350 online a guy is selling.He drained oil out of it and the engine sat for around 3 months.Cant break it free.Apparently rust has formed in the cylinder walls.Any suggestions on trying to break it free? He has tried the PB Blaster,but no luck.
at that point i would take it apart and do new rings and a good hone
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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 03:58 PM
  #3  
jharrison5's Avatar
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From: Lincoln, NE.
Car: '87 IROC
Engine: 5.7 Vortec w/ factory TPI
Transmission: WC T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.45 Posi
Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

I would pull the plugs and dump in a bunch of rust remover. If that doesn't free it after you let it sit overnight pull the pan and see if the crank is rusted to the bearings. It all depends on what he wants for the engine and if he can't turn it over you being able to buy it super cheap.
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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 04:08 PM
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Car: 91 GTA, 73 Z28
Engine: 355, 6.0L
Transmission: TH350, 4L80E
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.73
Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

i had this happen before on one of my shop teachers cars he bought, we put some pb blaster and breakaway stuu and let it soak, eventually came free
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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 04:22 PM
  #5  
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Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

MMO

marvlous mystery oil

What those classic builder do when they find a old car that sat in a field for 30 years. The engine is soaked in MMO for 6 months. When it comes out its shiny clean metal, cept where rust pitted the metal.

Id give it a week with some down each cylinder.
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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 09:26 PM
  #6  
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From: South Carolina
Car: KITT
Engine: 350 TPI
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Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

use brake fluid, pore it down into the cylinders and let it sit a day or so
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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 09:48 PM
  #7  
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From: BY a lake in Iowa
Car: 1991 Formula
Engine: 355
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Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

Originally Posted by vangogh4560
at that point i would take it apart and do new rings and a good hone
Ditto! A top end gasket set is cheap insurance to see what's really going on here.
Even if you did break it loose, rust scale in the bores might as well be sand in there.

Check it out, for your own peace of mind.
Good Luck!
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Old Jan 16, 2011 | 09:54 PM
  #8  
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From: Clinton Township, Michigan
Car: 91 GTA, 73 Z28
Engine: 355, 6.0L
Transmission: TH350, 4L80E
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.73
Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

if it were me id take the whole engine back apart, with new seal, and rings, look at your bearing if those have any rust or oxidized look id replace them also, its better to work harder and take the whole thing apart once then runinng it with rusted internals and destroying it, then wasting your money on fixing or buying a new one just my .02
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Old Jan 17, 2011 | 12:34 AM
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Re: 350 Engine frozen due to rust

Me personally, I wouldnt just break it free and throw it in. Sounds like the engine is just a core at this point if its seized. Sounds like it needs to be completely rebuilt.

As for breaking it loose, any sort of thin penetrating oil will probably work. A generous ammount of PB Blaster, WD-40, etc. into the cylinders should get it turning after it sits for a bit. If you can, also spray the undersides of the pistons as well as the oil slots by the rings will allow the penetrating oil to get in beind the rings and around the skirts to get everything moving. Once you have it so the pistons can move, then break it down and see what kind of condition its really in.
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