Dealing with rusted up camshafts (Engine sat open)

[KingCake]

I've got an engine that sat open (no valve covers) for a year and the cam lobes (and probably other things) are quite rusty.

I can't pull or replace the cams. This engine is a bit exotic and would require head replacement to do so and $400 in special timing tools.

Engine is mostly shot, I would just like to get the vehicle moving under its own power to make life easier.

I would appreciate any tips on dealing with this with cams in the heads.

Not worried about longevity here, engine will need replacement anyway.

 

[Farmer]

I'm no engine expert but I've heard people spraying penetrating oil home brew of ATF / Acetone.

 

[Doog]

I have freed up several seized rusted engines doing the following:

1. drain oil and change oil filter.(get water out)
2. refill with 15w40 HDEO and cheap filter.
3. remove spark plugs...spray marvel mystery oil in all cylinders then cover with rags.
4. remove valve covers and soak upper cylinder area and valves and cams with MMO (spray on with spray bottle)
5. let MMO sit on parts and cylinders for 24-72 hours.
6. Put a breaker bar and socket on crankshaft nut and see if you can rotate engine freely.
7. If engine rotates easily rotate on starter motor in 3 second bursts to pre-oil. do 5-10 bursts.
8. replace valve covers and spark plugs and give the air intake a shot of starting fluid.
9. Start her up and let idle for 5 minutes. Shut down and check for leaks. apologize to neighbors for smoke cloud.
10. Start and idle for 10 minutes then take it out for a ride.
11. drive it for 30 minutes and then change oil and filter.

Done. Note: I have driven a rusted out engine like that for 50,000+ miles. I did cheap oil changes every 500 miles for the first 2000 miles then it ran fine.

Next time you have an open engine like that spray it with G96 gun treatment. It won't rust.

 

[OneEyeJack]

You might want to change the fuel filter, put some gas treatment in the fuel tank and flush out the cooling system along with checking the hoses and clamps.

Look at the brakes, too. Oh, and look at the tires.

 

[hansj3]

Doug has the right answer. I just want to know what engine is a bit exotic

 

[Gasbuggy]

Doug has it right. I would make one change; I would spray it down with MMO or whatever you want to use and rotate the crank as much as I could stand, then spray it down again to rinse the rust off and wait for that to drip down, then change that old oil.

I would also use oil that came out of another car rather than waste new oil. Maybe treat one of your rides to an early change and dump that in there.

 

[KingCake]

Originally Posted By: Doog
I have freed up several seized rusted engines doing the following:

1. drain oil and change oil filter.(get water out)
2. refill with 15w40 HDEO and cheap filter.
3. remove spark plugs...spray marvel mystery oil in all cylinders then cover with rags.
4. remove valve covers and soak upper cylinder area and valves and cams with MMO (spray on with spray bottle)
5. let MMO sit on parts and cylinders for 24-72 hours.
6. Put a breaker bar and socket on crankshaft nut and see if you can rotate engine freely.
7. If engine rotates easily rotate on starter motor in 3 second bursts to pre-oil. do 5-10 bursts.
8. replace valve covers and spark plugs and give the air intake a shot of starting fluid.
9. Start her up and let idle for 5 minutes. Shut down and check for leaks. apologize to neighbors for smoke cloud.
10. Start and idle for 10 minutes then take it out for a ride.
11. drive it for 30 minutes and then change oil and filter.

Done. Note: I have driven a rusted out engine like that for 50,000+ miles. I did cheap oil changes every 500 miles for the first 2000 miles then it ran fine.

Next time you have an open engine like that spray it with G96 gun treatment. It won't rust.


Ok, this was the plan I had in mind. I just still pictured iron oxide getting into the main bearings but I'm probs being paranoid.

I have plenty of $1 oil from the autozone clearances a while back but I'll proba save some penzoil platinum from when I drain my truck.

I was thinking of putting assemply lube on the cams.

 

[Gasbuggy]

What kind of car/engine?

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
Originally Posted By: Doog
I have freed up several seized rusted engines doing the following:

1. drain oil and change oil filter.(get water out)
2. refill with 15w40 HDEO and cheap filter.
3. remove spark plugs...spray marvel mystery oil in all cylinders then cover with rags.
4. remove valve covers and soak upper cylinder area and valves and cams with MMO (spray on with spray bottle)
5. let MMO sit on parts and cylinders for 24-72 hours.
6. Put a breaker bar and socket on crankshaft nut and see if you can rotate engine freely.
7. If engine rotates easily rotate on starter motor in 3 second bursts to pre-oil. do 5-10 bursts.
8. replace valve covers and spark plugs and give the air intake a shot of starting fluid.
9. Start her up and let idle for 5 minutes. Shut down and check for leaks. apologize to neighbors for smoke cloud.
10. Start and idle for 10 minutes then take it out for a ride.
11. drive it for 30 minutes and then change oil and filter.

Done. Note: I have driven a rusted out engine like that for 50,000+ miles. I did cheap oil changes every 500 miles for the first 2000 miles then it ran fine.

Next time you have an open engine like that spray it with G96 gun treatment. It won't rust.


Ok, this was the plan I had in mind. I just still pictured iron oxide getting into the main bearings but I'm probs being paranoid.

I have plenty of $1 oil from the autozone clearances a while back but I'll proba save some penzoil platinum from when I drain my truck.

I was thinking of putting assemply lube on the cams.


I would modify Doog's procedure in step 9 by running the engine at ~2500 rpm, once you verify good oil pressure. This will reduce the peak valvetrain load and help distribute oil to the moving surfaces.

Coat the cam lobes as much as you can with cam assembly lube.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: KingCake

I was thinking of putting assemply lube on the cams.


Yup.

I had my 2.5 OHC dodge dakota valve cover off for a few weeks. Was doing a head gasket, life got in the way. Sure the hood was down but it got humid in there. Flash rusted on the shiny surfaces. I didn't do anything putting it back together and it ran fine. Must have polished itself.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
Originally Posted By: Doog
I have freed up several seized rusted engines doing the following:

1. drain oil and change oil filter.(get water out)
2. refill with 15w40 HDEO and cheap filter.
3. remove spark plugs...spray marvel mystery oil in all cylinders then cover with rags.
4. remove valve covers and soak upper cylinder area and valves and cams with MMO (spray on with spray bottle)
5. let MMO sit on parts and cylinders for 24-72 hours.
6. Put a breaker bar and socket on crankshaft nut and see if you can rotate engine freely.
7. If engine rotates easily rotate on starter motor in 3 second bursts to pre-oil. do 5-10 bursts.
8. replace valve covers and spark plugs and give the air intake a shot of starting fluid.
9. Start her up and let idle for 5 minutes. Shut down and check for leaks. apologize to neighbors for smoke cloud.
10. Start and idle for 10 minutes then take it out for a ride.
11. drive it for 30 minutes and then change oil and filter.

Done. Note: I have driven a rusted out engine like that for 50,000+ miles. I did cheap oil changes every 500 miles for the first 2000 miles then it ran fine.

Next time you have an open engine like that spray it with G96 gun treatment. It won't rust.


Ok, this was the plan I had in mind. I just still pictured iron oxide getting into the main bearings but I'm probs being paranoid.

I have plenty of $1 oil from the autozone clearances a while back but I'll proba save some penzoil platinum from when I drain my truck.

I was thinking of putting assemply lube on the cams.


If you get grit in the bearings then you get grit in the bearings...it's the chance you take. But instead of assembly lube use any Xw40 or higher motor oil. 15w40 will do fine. I did have a friend of mine use a a 3000 psi power washer to clean the heads while on the engine. But he had the oil pan off while doing it. He used gunk spray soaking for 24 hours and blasted away. It worked.

 

[KingCake]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Originally Posted By: KingCake
Originally Posted By: Doog
I have freed up several seized rusted engines doing the following:

1. drain oil and change oil filter.(get water out)
2. refill with 15w40 HDEO and cheap filter.
3. remove spark plugs...spray marvel mystery oil in all cylinders then cover with rags.
4. remove valve covers and soak upper cylinder area and valves and cams with MMO (spray on with spray bottle)
5. let MMO sit on parts and cylinders for 24-72 hours.
6. Put a breaker bar and socket on crankshaft nut and see if you can rotate engine freely.
7. If engine rotates easily rotate on starter motor in 3 second bursts to pre-oil. do 5-10 bursts.
8. replace valve covers and spark plugs and give the air intake a shot of starting fluid.
9. Start her up and let idle for 5 minutes. Shut down and check for leaks. apologize to neighbors for smoke cloud.
10. Start and idle for 10 minutes then take it out for a ride.
11. drive it for 30 minutes and then change oil and filter.

Done. Note: I have driven a rusted out engine like that for 50,000+ miles. I did cheap oil changes every 500 miles for the first 2000 miles then it ran fine.

Next time you have an open engine like that spray it with G96 gun treatment. It won't rust.


Ok, this was the plan I had in mind. I just still pictured iron oxide getting into the main bearings but I'm probs being paranoid.

I have plenty of $1 oil from the autozone clearances a while back but I'll proba save some penzoil platinum from when I drain my truck.

I was thinking of putting assemply lube on the cams.


If you get grit in the bearings then you get grit in the bearings...it's the chance you take. But instead of assembly lube use any Xw40 or higher motor oil. 15w40 will do fine. I did have a friend of mine use a a 3000 psi power washer to clean the heads while on the engine. But he had the oil pan off while doing it. He used gunk spray soaking for 24 hours and blasted away. It worked.



I just noticed you said 15w-40. Can I ask why so heavy? Wouldn't you want a thin oil to get through the engine faster?