I bought an 88 Glastron with an OMC 305 V8 engine. Basically a chev engine with a water cooler.

Removed the started to get at the fly wheel, couldn't budge it there, removed all the sparkplugs and still couldn't budge it. Is there anything else i can try before i haul it to the dump? Someone mentioned to me it could be hydrolocked? Previous owner had it winterized and was running prior to going into storage where it had been for 5 years.

Any help appreciated.

A buddy also mentioned pouring some "KROIL" into it through the spark plug holes to maybe loosen it up.

 

Boat anchor

 

...that's what i was afraid of.

is there really nothing to be done? is there something engaged i havn't thought of that would be stopping it from spinning??

 

A buddy also mentioned pouring some "KROIL" into it through the spark plug holes to maybe loosen it up.

You have nothing to lose at this point. Pour your choice of penetrating oils in the cylinders, let it sit for a few days. Use a flywheel turning tool to see if it will budge in the direction of normal rotation. Most likely, the piston rings rusted to the cylinder walls.

 

Thanks for the advice, i've been reading about penetrators and a lot of people are talking about a 50 50 mix of ATF and Acetone. Any thoughts about that?

 

An excellent choice. Let it soak for at least a day, two days is better. If the engine frees up crank it over with the starter and plugs out to get most of the ATF/Acetone out of the cylinders. Then fire her up.

RBob.

 

50/50 of ATF and Brake Fluid

 

roger that.

so if i can manually move it after giving it the 50 50 mix for a few days, use the starter motor to turn it with the plugs out... that will empty the engine of the 50 50 mix?
and then should i fill it with oil?

I will begin the penetrator process tomorrow and update with progress. can't thank everyone enough for their input!

 

Both good ideas.

 

and then should i fill it with oil?

Wait....What? There is no oil in the crankcase?

so if i can manually move it after giving it the 50 50 mix for a few days, use the starter motor to turn it with the plugs out... that will empty the engine of the 50 50 mix?

That will blow the 50/50 mix out of the cylinders.

 

Even if you can get it to turn, it's going to need rebuilt.... the cylinders will be horrid.

 

Not necessarily!!! My 1997 Express van was left to sit for 2 years after the stock engine grenade the #2 connecting rod on startup at 57K miles back in 2004 due to hydraulic lock from bad intake gaskets.. It sat in my dads driveway with the oil pan off outside for 2 years and had coolant sitting in multiple cylinders. The engine was stuck when I went to remove the engine. I could not turn it over to get the flexplate bolts. I ended up pulling the plugs and using the 50/50 mix I described above. I let it sit about a week. I was able to break it free with a breakover bar on the crank bolt. When I pulled the engine apart post-mortum to analyze the failure, the cylinder walls were very clean with no pitting even though they had a good bit of surface rust. Later I ended up rebuilding the engine at the stock bore merely running a bottle brush hone through the cylinders. It ran great and to my knowledge is still running 8 years later. I have no doubt in a running engine that the rings would have eliminated the surface rust in no time. Similar to what brake pads do to rusty rotors.