(I need some help from someone who knows what they are doing for this)
I had acquired a free 1972 F-250 2WD. The previous owner had gotten a newer vehicle and had decided not to run the engine since '94 possibly '93. He had told me that there wasn't anything wrong with the way that it ran. In fact, nearly new.
What I need help with is that the engine is now seized an won't turn over, what should I do to possibly save this 360 engine.
TOWENS
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TRAVIS OWENS
"Never argue with an idiot; they will only drag you down to their level" -Anonymous
can you turn it with the starter or by hand? or niether. dump some oil down each spark plug hole and let it sit for awhile. that may free up the engine rings. or you can try diesel fuel down the spark plug holes. maybe if you put a breaker bar and socket on the bolt inside of the lower pulley you can get the engine to turn over. take out the plugs when you do it to make it easier. that is the best i can tell you.
Don't force it! If there's water in a cylinder it can really mess things up!
If it's seized, I would recommend pulling it out of the vehicle and tearing it down. Have the block cleaned and measured, then rebuild it.
It's unwise to put your email address in the body of a post. Spammers look for things like that.
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
Red Green
if it should be a cam problem- it won't matter what you put down the spark plug holes or how long of cheater you use on the crank pulley bolt- learned that the hard way-jd
"Sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here" — Jack Nicholson, As Good As it Gets
now serving #235
"the only way to believe in the American dream is to be asleep"--GC
How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct. - Benjamin Disraeli
I had a Cadilac 500 given to me that sat for several years and was seized.
I pulled all of the plugs and poured a good amount of Marvel Mystery oil in each cylinder and let it set till the next day. Then I repeated that for the next 4 days except each day I slowely turned it over in both directions as far as it would go before stopping.
By the 5th day I could spin it over with a rachet and socket all the way around. Then I pulled that valve covers and made sure all of the rockers went up and down thru the full 360 degree turn of the crank.
Satified with that, I put a new set of plugs in it and a reman carb and it started. Ran kinda rough at first and smoked like a freight train but it smoothed out and ran pretty good before it started bending push rods.
The lesson I learned was: I should have changed the oil pump and poured some oil down thru the top of the heads.
The engine was fine. The pushrods bent because the top end didnt get oil to it fast enough. Changed the pushrods and oiled the op end and it worked fine after that
But, if you can afford it. The best thing to do is break it down, clean it, have any machining that is needed done, and re-asemble it with new gaskets and brgs
Sharkdance wrote:I pulled all of the plugs and poured a good amount of Marvel Mystery oil in each cylinder and let it set till the next day. Then I repeated that for the next 4 days except each day I slowely turned it over in both directions as far as it would go before stopping.
Marvel mystery oil, is what everyone I know uses, and they swear by it.
from an antique tractor site
" As for the reply suggesting coca-cola, Strongly suggest using the diet variety if you go that way. The active ingredient that acts as a rust cutter is phosphoric acid, same as in Naval Jelley or Rust Mort. At least if you use Diet you won't have the sugar gumming things up. Actually the best tried and true remedy is good ol Marvel Mystery Oil. Rislone works just as well. Need to keep things soaked in the stuff for a few weeks if possible. Then spray in the diet coke or rust mort to dissolve the hard stuff. Good luck, you'll get it loose if you have the patience. "
jd
"Sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here" — Jack Nicholson, As Good As it Gets
now serving #235
"the only way to believe in the American dream is to be asleep"--GC
How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct. - Benjamin Disraeli
i would only use coke diet or otherwise on my battery terminals to clean them. never inside an engine. farmers do all kinds of wierd things that most times only work for awhile. then they are back rigging it up again. green acres is the place to be.
i'll tell you what i'm not saying it won't work but it could cause damage. at least the sugar could. the diet coke has stuff in it thats a sugar by product. it's not as sweet but it whats left over after they make sugar its called asparmtine. and its in almost all diet pop now.
Before trying to fire an engine that has sat for so long, marvel mystery oil down the plug holes, several times, slowly trying to turn it over (BY HAND) each time.
THEN, pull the distributor, and use a drill in reverse with a 5/16 socket on a long extension (tape the socket to the extension so you don't lose it!) to drive the oil pump and prime the entire engine. Make sure you do this a few times, as the MMO you put into the cylinders will slowly work it's way through the system to help break things loose. This will help to prevent bent pushrods (or worse).
Once the engine feels like it's turning freely and relatively smoothly, drain the oil, and put in 5 quarts of Shell Rotella T, make sure you have adequate coolant, and make sure you have GOOD gas going to the carb, and then fire it up. Just keep the rpms low, and let it heat up as normal, to see how it runs. Having cleaned/new plugs and points will help tremendously.
The previous owner had gotten a newer vehicle and had decided not to run the engine since '94 possibly '93. He had told me that there wasn't anything wrong with the way that it ran. In fact, nearly new. 
