Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 22:59:16 -0500
Reply-To: pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: Frozen Engine
In-Reply-To: <114512.4903.qm@web33504.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Really depends on how rusted the motor is.
Sometimes shocking the piston tops by hammering with a large wood dowel will
free things up. (heads removed, of course)
You run the risk of breaking a ring doing this though.
I would hit it with some PB blaster in the spark plug holes and build a fire
underneath to heat the damn thing up.
Bear in mind if the rings are frozen at the top or sides, any penetrating
oil will do no good thanks to gravity, unless you fill the cylinders full.
Did you try forward and reverse when towing? It may help to change
directions.
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Robert Keezer
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 10:36 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Frozen Engine
A couple of months ago I posted to the list about a Vanagon I have with a
frozen engine.
I poured Diesel several weeks ago into each cylinder and today I attached a
towbar and with a friend drove around the neighborhood trying to break the
cylindrs free. All that was accomplished is leaving rubber tire marks .
This engine is really locked up, and I don't understand it.
it ran fine when I got it in 2006, but then 3 days later it would not start
For the next year and a half, whenever I had the time, I would try to get it
running, but nothing. It would just crank.
So last summer, I replaced the CIS system( this is a conversion in a '82
Diesel Vanagon with a 82 Scirocco engine.
Not having the equipment or know-how to troubleshoot CIS, I removed that
system and installed one that ran my Westfalia for 8 years, Digifant 2
(88-92 Golf -Jetta)
When I get that finished, then it would'nt crank. When I got a chance to
work on it again later last fall, I pulled the starter and tested it- it
did'nt work. Great-I had a good starter and I put it in. It still would'nt
crank.
Finally I put a breaker bar and socket on the crankshaft pulley, and even
with a cheater pipe I could not break the engine free.
So, now what?
My friend thinks that maybe it had a head gasket leak that dumped coolant
into one or more cylinders, and that it rusted up pretty good.
That sounds logical.
I freed a bug motor that was froze with a breaker bar and WD-40. That froze
because water was entering thru the rear deck lid vents (the rain tray had
been removed) and wetting the engine directly, seeping water into the the
cylinders via the spark plugs.
So before I remove the head , any last ideas? Would it be better to try to
pry with a large screwdriver thru the timing hole(Diesel bellhousing) ?
Finally, if after I remove the head I see no evidence of a head gasket leak,
can I safely tap on the cylinders with a wooden mallet, dead blow, etc?
Maybe tha will break it free?
never had this happen before on a Vanagon.
Thanks
Robert
1982 Westfalia
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