seized up engine

[seaboot1]

Hi folks
I have tried to start my MD7A volvo engine prior to puting it in the
water for the coming season & find it has completely seized up.
I have put a 24mm socket on the flywheel with a long extention bar but
there is absolutely no movement. Apart from lifting the compression
lever does anyone have some idea as to where to go next. Before
calling in the engineer !!!

regards
John
Allegro 3260

 

[wemccourt]

What's probably happened to you is that there was some moisture in
your cylinders and over the long period of inactivity, the rings may
have rusted to the cylinder walls.

Short of an engine teardown and before you may break anything, you
might try removing the injectors and squirting some "3 in 1" oil into
each cylinder or some "Oil of Wintergreen". Let which ever method
you've chosen sit for a couple days or so to allow it to "work".
There's a rust converter (an acid, I believe) that's part of the
formulation of the "3-in-1" oil and Wintergreen works as a "penetrant"
to get between the rings and the cylinder walls and either one might
give you enough relief, that you could then hand bar the engine and
squirt some heavier (motor oil) into the cylinders to finish the
re-lubrication and scrape away the rest of the rust residue. Once the
engine will turn over freely/normally, reinstall your injectors,
reprime the engine and see if it will start up. If it does, thank
your lucky stars and start saving for an engine rebuild as the rings
will need replacing sooner, rather than later. If it doesn't free up,
then take out a loan for the engine rebuild.

Of course, your mileage may vary. I take no responsibility for your
use of my advice and at the end of next sailing season, recommend you
do a more thorough job of preping your engine for the winter layoff.
There's lots of methods listed, even in the magazines, for how to
"winterize" your engine.

Good Luck!

Bill McCourt
Reston, VA

 

[ted_due]

The next step that I would take is to remove the belt, and be certain
that the transmission is in neutral. If you can, uncouple the
transmission. If there is an accessory that is frozen, it's possible
to misdiagnose the cause to be a seized engine. I've seen good
engines get tossed to the wayside due to a seized alternator. Oops!

Ted

 

[wxt8981]

Hi'did you winterize the engine (run the engine with
anti-freeze, then draining all the leftover
weater-anti-freeze). If not, you most likely have a busted
engine- and that would be the end of it!
Wilhelm, V-257