mmwhta

I just bought a corvette 1982, which has not run for last 10 years. I was told engine and transmission is rebuilt. I put a new battery, new starter, cleaned the gas tank. The engine does not rotate by hand. I removed the spark plugs filled the cylinders with PB blaster and Marvel mystery oil and tried to rotate with 25" breaker bar putting a Proform 66782 Engine Rotation Adapter on the pulley and nothing happens. Please advise what I should do next

mmwhta

Today I tried rotating through the gear flywheel at the starter and still does not move a mm.
Is there any way to disengage engine from the transmission/ torque converter to rule out if Transmission is seized. I am doubting the engine as I see no movement at the gear when I try rotating with the breaker bar. Where should I start opening up the engine first.
I do not want to remove the motor as I do not have tools for that

keithinspace

I would be extremely surprised if engagement with the transmission would in any way prevent the engine from moving. Even in a 4-speed, which is a far more "solid" connection to the drivetrain than an automatic transmission, you are able to freely rotate the engine to the point of the wheels moving.

You can rebuild an engine, put zero miles on it, store it IMPROPERLY for 10 years, and have it seize. That very, very, very small amount of rust or corrosion applied over a large surface area can be very detrimental to an engine.

I believe you have issues with the engine. It may be easy to fix, but it may be difficult.

You may not want to hear it, but the only way I would be able to know exactly what is happening is to pull at least one of the heads.

You don't have to pull the engine to pull a head. And it does not require any particularly special tools beyond a good (not Harbor Freight) torque wrench.

At least then you can assess what exactly you have.

If things look halfway decent and you're able to free up the engine through direct "influence" on the piston tops, there is a chance you could recover what you have without too much heartache and put off a rebuild for a while.

Of course, if it were me, I'd pull both heads and replace the head gaskets while I'm at it, even if you get things moving.

Just my thoughts without seeing any evidence of the state of affairs.

K

bj1k

How long did you wait for the lubricants to work before you tried to turn the engine ? Sometimes it takes days for it to free the engine , but I have not personally seen an engine that would not free in time unless it was not rebuilt right and it is due to tight piston rings freezing to the cylinder walls.

mmwhta

Its been 8 to 10 days filled in about couple of liters of PB blaster three times and Added Marvel mystery oil in between

mmwhta

Do I need to drain oil and remove the pulleys and timing chain or start from the top to pull out the heads

MelWff

you don't need to drain the oil or remove pulley/timing chain to remove a head. You have to drain the coolant. It may be beneficial for you to pick up a service manual for the car.

bashcraft

If it's stuck that tight, don't bother trying to take the heads off. The motor will need to come out.

toobroketoretire

Have you tried using the starter? The starter will exert a lot more torque than any 25" breaker bar as the starter is able to spin a cold engine over at 500 RPM. If the starter won't budge it I would squirt a LOT of WD-40 into the cylinders and let it sit for about a week. Then with it sitting in safety stands snap a big pair of Vice Grips onto the flex plate ring gear teeth and pull real hard in both directions.

keithinspace

Well...it doesn't hurt to look.

And EVERYTHING is easier to deal with once it is smaller and lighter...removing some 150# of heads along with the width and all the other stuff will certainly make removal easier.

I don't think it's wasted effort, either way.

I WOULD drain the oil, but it is not an imperative to head removal. I'd leave it in for now. That way, if any crap falls into the engine, perhaps it will float out when you drain the oil later.

I would not remove anything from the front of the engine yet. No need.

You do need to drain the coolant at least halfway down. I'd just drain everything you can.

You'll need to pull the plug wires, remove the valve covers, remove the valvetrain, remove the carb, remove the exhaust manifolds, remove the intake, then remove the heads. It isn't too tough.

When you remove the pushrods and rockers, INDIVIDUALLY BAG THEM and note EXACTLY where they came from (#1 exhaust, #3 intake, etc.) If you want to re-use them, you have to put them back in their "home". Otherwise, things could wear very funny and fail in new and inventive ways.

Since you sound a little "fresh" on the engine thing, I'll explain that the cylinders are numbered for quick reference. If you are standing on the transmission, the odd numbers are on your left (driver's side) and the even numbers are on your right (passenger's side). They are sequential, starting from the FRONT of the engine. The cylinder furthest away from you on the left is #1. The cylinder closest to you and on the right is #8. Use that as a frame of reference on everything you do. Bag things individually. Every part, even the head gaskets themselves, will tell a story and may help with diagnosis.

bashcraft

Have you ever taken an engine apart that was locked up from rust?

The biggest problem, besides the cylinders being pitted from the rust, is that the rings will rust in their grooves. Once this happens, even if the pistons break loose, the rings won't. It'll have little to no compression, and even if it does start, it'll burn oil like a freight train.

7T1vette

Just curious...but why would you buy a car that had an engine which wouldn't turn over (even if it wouldn't start)? And if you never tried to start it nor request owner to show that it rotates, why did you even consider buying it?

If the answer is "The price was right"....no it wasn't.

Easy Mike

I hear the Voice of Experience. Been there, done that.

keithinspace

No, thankfully I have not.

My point was that, since the OP seems to be new to the car gig, is to take baby steps.

We are assuming the worst about the cylinder walls, but there is always the chance that it isn't that bad.

And even if the engine comes out, you still need to pull the heads to perform any type of diagnosis or rebuild. What's the harm in doing that first? They are pretty easy to get to in the car and could go a long way in building the confidence of the OP.

Yes, if there is rust in the cylinders, I agree with every one of your words.

mmwhta

The car has 36k original miles and I was told that engine and tranny had been rebuilt but he did not have the time to finish the project.

540 vette

It is actually easier to pull the motor than to pull the heads. The only thing you are going to see is rusted cylinders. If you can't get the motor to turn over get a crate engine put all your accessories on it and put it in. I live in your area and either you can buy a cherry picker at Pep Boys for $199 or rent one in one of the tool rental stores in the area.

Also the trans is probably not seized. I have never seen a siezed trans in 40 years.

LS4 PILOT

I agree .....if there is that much rust in the engine bores , then it has to pulled and cleaned up ....none bubba .....rebuilt correct .

Don't add to the job or already suspect history bubba ness./ mess.

Pull the whole engine carry it to a machine shop and have experienced rebuilders handle the issues . Good to go.

Short cuts will bite you . Use local known experienced machine shop with reputable history , you'll increase your chances of success in the long run. Short cut with cousins , uncles , grandma s etc could be a disaster .


At some point ....somebody will need to clean up the engine .

Tooonz

I feel your pain, we were told our engine had been rebuilt but only needed a new cam.

Yeah!

Rebuild later I LOVE this car don't let it get a down too much. If you have a good engine builder locally , try to get it looked at.

keithinspace

Not sure what you paid for the car...I hope the rest of it is in decent shape.

Having the engine rebuilt isn't the end of the world. Or lube it up, box it up, and put in a crate engine.

It's a bummer, though.

Tally Ho

I've never seen a 700R4 seize up.