What should I use to break my Lotus engine free?

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44)
06/05/2015 at 08:56 • Filed to: None

The Lotus has been sitting without a real air cleaner for 5 years and has seized up. What should I do to un-stick it? Most people have told me to just fill it up with Marvel Mystery Oil and let it soak for a long time. Should I just pour it through the spark plug holes? Ideas?

DISCUSSION (41)

McMike > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 08:58

Kerosine? (wait for second opinion)

CalzoneGolem > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:00

Yeah pour it in through the plug holes.

itschrome > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:01

pop out the plugs and sick a m80 in each cylinder. light in firing order. it’ll be freed up in no time!!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:02

Yep, pretty much. ATF also works and will probably be cheaper. Just put a shitload in and let it sit for a while. At least a week or so.

McMike > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:03

Kinja'd!!!

Damn, you really do need a frame.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > McMike
06/05/2015 at 09:04

Kerosene and ATF.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > McMike
06/05/2015 at 09:05

That part actually just unbolts. it’s pretty easy to replace. It’s missing two braces which triangulate it and would have prevented it from bending there. No idea where they went or why they’re gone.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > itschrome
06/05/2015 at 09:08

Kinja'd!!!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:09

As everyone has said, ATF in the plug holes, possibly with some acetone, diesel, or kerosene to speed it on its way. Then, with all the plugs out some time later, a good-size breaker bar on the crank bolt. No more than five years, you shouldn’t have to resort to the Fun Methods, which are things such as popping the oil pan, unbolting the conrods, and hitting the pistons from below with a BFH and block of wood.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:09

Kinja'd!!!

Sweet turbo.

StoneCold > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:14

Personal opinion? Strip it down to the the short black and get everything jetted/hot tanked anyway.

For the matter at hand? Get some sort of penetrating oil good and soaked into everything that moves on the car.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:17

If these don’t work, it’s an electrical problem

Kinja'd!!!

JR1 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:28

ATF down the plugs and I would pour diesel into the oil filler cap. Has to be drained before you really try to crank the engine. On the bright side you should use less diesel than the 8+ gallons it took to fill the 430 in the Lincoln

kanadanmajava1 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:34

Does the car roll or did it have also some non-rotating wheels?

If it rolls I would try soaking the cylinders from the spark plug holes (and maybe the valvetrain too) with a daily dose of CRC 5-56, WD-40, Wera schraubenlöser or similar for a week or two. DIY Acetone-ATF mix works also really well but it has a tendency to destroy any applicator bottle’s rubber parts.

Then I would put the car into the highest gear and push it back and forth. If the force isn’t enough you could try the same but with the clutch, a friend and a bit more pushing speed.

crowmolly > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:38

50/50 Acetone/ATF mix down the plug holes.

But more importantly- how do you plan on spinning the engine?

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > crowmolly
06/05/2015 at 09:39

Big wrench on the crank pulley probably

desertdog5051 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:39

Cletus, I am seriously beginning to question your sanity. The car is not drivable in present form. Are you intending to salvage the engine for another project? Are you thinking you can rebuild the frame? My curiosity is raging.

505Turbeaux > JR1
06/05/2015 at 09:43

ah so I have you signed up on the ATF program? I looked at the title and said - I should go copy my comments from your post haha

Cé hé sin > CalzoneGolem
06/05/2015 at 09:45

All going well the plugs aren’t seized in there too...

64Mali > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:48

Normally I would say pull the heads off and take a look but apparently the 1.6 has a very weird way of doing the heads/sleeves/gaskets. So I would resort to what everyone else says. You can always pull the intake off and see if you see major signs of water.

This might help a little bit

http://www.lotus-europa.com/manuals/r16wor…

Its the rebuild manual for the engine.

505Turbeaux > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:48

push it down a hill and pop the clutch! If you fixed the rolling gear that is

crowmolly > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:49

If you mean the crank bolt I’d be wary of it breaking off. If the engine is frozen up tight and you use a breaker bar it’s a good possibility.

pip bip - choose Corrour > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:51

strip it & rebuild.

64Mali > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 09:57

Go Kinja duplications

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > desertdog5051
06/05/2015 at 10:01

Well I have to start somewhere. And only the front of the frame is trashed. The rest is pretty decent. So I’ll weld it myself (I have the build plans) or pay someone else to weld it. The car is ugly but actually pretty solid in terms of rot from what I can see. I won’t really know until I take the body off

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > 64Mali
06/05/2015 at 10:07

Thanks for the link! This is a big help.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 10:09

Jack hammer?

64Mali > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 10:11

Become 1 with this website

http://www.lotus-europa.com/manuals/index.…

We have been printing out most of them. The fun part is going to be making the custom tooling.

64Mali > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 10:17

It almost looks like someone tried to tow/pick up the car with that brace.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > 64Mali
06/05/2015 at 10:30

Wait, custom tools? That sounds awful

64Mali > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 10:36

If you look through there are mentions of special alignment tools, engine cradle, etc. I’m planning on going to a Lotus meet @ Larz Anderson in Mass (British day June 28th) and see if I can talk to people who have rebuilt one before. All repair manuals list custom tools of some sort the trick is how can you make them yourselves.

My BIL who is the shop manager at the garage has a whole box of tools he made so he didn’t have to buy the special one.

JR1 > 505Turbeaux
06/05/2015 at 10:37

Trust me I want to use ATF but the spark plugs refuse to be moved. So what I did is poured ATF down the carb

desertdog5051 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 10:37

Good Luck, my friend. (and I mean that is the most sincere way).

punkgoose17 > 505Turbeaux
06/05/2015 at 11:24

Were you able get the Goliath wagon?

BJ > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 11:28

This is probably the best worst idea project anybody has actually started done on Oppo. If I’m ever in Toronto, you can bet I’m gonna stop by for a peek (and a ride in the Chrysler).

505Turbeaux > punkgoose17
06/05/2015 at 11:49

should be already picked up and sitting up at my girls dads property by now. Havent been able to check with him on it yet

505Turbeaux > JR1
06/05/2015 at 11:51

I would have been soaking the base of the plugs with the same mix too

tromoly > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/05/2015 at 13:24

My question is, whatever has built up to seize the engine, do you really want that stuff floating around your cylinder walls?

JR1 > 505Turbeaux
06/05/2015 at 13:29

With the angle of the plugs it drains out kinda quick

Caspar Dioge > 64Mali
06/05/2015 at 13:45

This is a pretty simple, if fussy engine. These were pretty loose engines to begin with ... so, pull the plugs ... and squirt straight diesel into the plug holes. wait over night, then put the wrench on ... and lean ... Unless you’ve got water in the cylinders, you’re going to be ok

Likely, it will turn ... and you should be good. In terms of rebuilding, these are a breeze. Pull the head, remove the cylinders and source some new ones, or get them re-finished. just put new cylinder block seals back in ... This is a simple engine ... so there will be no surprises. Read the manual ... and proceed.

Jedidiah > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
06/07/2015 at 11:14

Kerosene, ATF, PB-Blaster or MMO down the plug holes

Fill the crank case with diesel fuel

Let it sit for a long time

Drain it, refill with oil, try to crank with empty plug holes until it breaks free

Be sure to use a thinner oil in order to ensure enough oil is able to flow