Identifying a Moyer Rebuilt Engine

[Surcouf]

make sure to try to spray the valves too (even if you probably do it anyway when trying to reach the piston rings). They may be sticking too...

a stupid question-verification: is your engine in neutral, and your shaft rotates freely? Just to make sure it is not in gear on a blocked shaft....

Good luck and patience!

[tommysails]

welcome!! This is a very very very good looking engine. Many of us here would dream to have one like this; God bless the PO who got that one overhauled, and kept it this way.
Now of course the goal is to get it free. Be patient, try the 1/3 2/3 mix, and let it seat for several weeks if needed, coming regularly to try to move it after having removed the starter. Every minuscule move will help your mix slowly get to the corroded piston surface and will slowly make its way. You will get there!

If the meantime, while you solve the freezing issue, get the MM manual, learn the engine components, get the spare parts required to get it running. 5 years on the hard, you can already start by changing your water pump impeller, service your carburetor, check your fuel tank situation (clean it, along with all fuel lines), get new fuel filter, clean your points (if applicable), get new spark plugs etc etc....
This forum is full of people who add at the beginning 0 knowledged of such engines or how to maintain it, and are now fully capable of servicing it, but more important to troubleshoot issues and solve them when sailing, when it becomes a Safety device!!

And again, welcome !!

Hi Guys,

A little update..finally removed the valve cover to find a bit of a mess. At forward cylinder the piston is up and you can see the metal top pretty clean. Second cylinder piston is down..and fairly clean. Third cylinder piston is down and the cylinder was packed with a sand/sawdust like substance which i have scooped out. Furthest aft (lowest) cylinder I have no idea where the piston is..and they cylinder is packed with what looks like almost cement. I'd have to chisel or drill it out to reach the piston.

Any idea what would have created these substances over 5 years + of sitting? Ethanol gone bad? salt water and oil?

Is it time to give up on this motor?

Needless to say I still can't get anything to move.

Thanks for any advice or experience !
Tom

[Dave Neptune]

Tom, that does look pretty bad, however I have seen worse come back.

The big issue for getting your pistons "unstuck" is the crankshaft position. So that pretty much makes using a "Dead Blow" and some soft wood problematic. Since you have good access to the flywheel I suggest most of your efforts start there. And due to the position of the crankshaft you have very good leverage working on the flywheel end.

Now that you can see the pistons keep at moving the flywheel. If you can grap the flywheel that you state has some movement and rock it "BACK & FORTH" vigorously, then pry both ways against the flywheel teeth~~repeat~~repeat~~repeat etc. If the movement increases at all there is hope for the engine.

Patience and effort.

Dave Neptune

[W2ET]

Hi, Tom:

Does that sand/sawdust stuff dissolve (even partially) in gasoline?

Any chemists among us who would be willing to take a look? I could stick a sample under a microscope, but that's about it.

Bill

[Surcouf]

So you removed the head, not the valve cover... and what a mess! But it is not as bad as it looks: once you remove that unknown Crap/material (being very careful not to mark the sleeves), You will be much much more efficient with your MMO/ ATF / Acetone / whatever product you use. This mix - solid paste was likely preventing your product to reach the rings anyway.

With this strange material you have everywhere, I would strongly recommend to open the valve cover for inspection / cleaning, and potentially remove the valves if access allows for it. I let the MVP give their opinion here. At least, trying to be very careful not to mark the seats (Pry with plastic tools / woods), try to lift the valves to make sure they are not stuck, and spray MMO in large quantities

the big unknown is how much of that material is not in your manifold+lift+exhaust system / in your carburetor etc... to be investigated!!

But once you finish your cleanup, back to lube/wait/force/lube/wait cycle and patience and you will get it to move!

[capnward]

Looked better on the outside.

Yeah, it looks bad now, but don't give up. This is going to be one the great resurrections on this forum. Follow the help you get here. Once you get it cleaned, oiled and moving, the path to recovery is clear. These engines can come back from a lot. There are many stories on this forum of seized engines brought back to life. Thanks for the photos and please keep us posted. The mystery 'sawdust' in the third cylinder looks like oily salt water rust evaporated over 5 years. Good Luck!

[Al Schober]

Wow! Hard to believe that muck in the cylinders.
Recommend you a) remove the manifold and make sure the inlet/outlet passages are clear, b) remove the cover plate over the tappets and check out that area, and c) remove the large pipe plug under the carb and stick one of those smartphone camera probes into the oil pan. Use the probe directly and also with the 45 deg mirror. See what you see.
I caution you to go easy on the gear teeth in the flywheel. I'd hate to break a tooth and have to replace the ring gear. Much easier to replace a bent flywheel stud.
Doubt if it's the aluminum piston that's corroded. More likely the piston rings are stuck to the cylinder wall. Pistons #1 and #4 are at TDC, so any rotation of the crank is trying to pull them down. While holding some torque on the crankshaft, I'd encourage those pistons to move down by tapping on them. Take a short piece of 2x4 and relieve the center so you're hitting the edge of the piston (don't want to collapse the crown) and give #1 and #4 some 'encouragement to move'.
On the plus side, the small flywheel motion that you're seeing now indicates to me that your bearings are in good condition. Your rings are stuck. The motion you're seeing is due to clearance between the rings and the piston, and clearances at the bearing at both ends of the piston rods.
I think you have a good engine. Worst case I can see is that you take the engine home, remove the oil pan and crankshaft, then drive the pistons out.

[romantic comedy]

I would take the crank out and you have access to both sides of the pistons. Who knows what you will find at the crank.....

[RobbyBobby]

What do you have in the tank? Maybe somebody used diesel?

What do you have in the tank? Maybe somebody used diesel?