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Is an Engine That Has Sat Full of Water Worth Rebuilding?
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donmac
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:59 am    Post subject: Is an Engine That Has Sat Full of Water Worth Rebuilding? Reply with quote

Bought a '74 Bug for parts. The engine had no plugs or distributor and was full of water/oil. The engine can't be spun. Pulled the valve covers and the valve springs had some surface rust. My question is; is this engine even worth considering for a rebuild? What is likely to be ruined due to rust that might otherwise have been good; crank? cam? Thanks.
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hon
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Open it and see if there is anything worth saving.
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Gary
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had an old early Type 2 engine pulled from a car that had about a cup of water that came out with the oil. A friend of mine took it home and opened it up (engine was seized). He went through it and built it up and now uses it as a spare. Give it a whirl and see what you find.
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joescoolcustoms
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 7:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
What is likely to be ruined due to rust that might otherwise have been good; crank? cam? Thanks.


Anything up to everything. Engine most likely froze due to water in P/C from open valve and rusted to the point it will not move.

Pay special attention to the sump area of the block. Water, iron and magnesium do not mix very well. The mag will "give" itself up to slow the corrosion of the steel components. I have seen sumps so thin from loosing material to corrosion that they were not usable. But I have also used engines just like you describe to build perfomance engines in the past before new cases where cost effective or avaliable.

So....
Quote:
Open it and see if there is anything worth saving.

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tumtum
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

if you can get in there with a wire brush and take out all the rust it will be fine.
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veedubcrazy
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is an engine that I am working on that has some water in it. I think its definitely worth saving as it is a AS21...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


This is one pic of an intake. The other side is the same.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Best case, the heads, pistons and cylinders will need to be replace with new parts.
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[email protected]
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The primary thing you want to look at is that sump area. Even if it's been severly coroded, it can be fixed as long as the rest of the case is good.
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Jason C
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pour some marvels mystery oil in the plug holes and let it sit a day or two. Then try to turn it over. It would be easier to tear down if you can get it to trun over.
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fredster
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bet whatever you find in the crankcase it WILL NOT be as bad as what i found in a junker engine I bought for the tinware. prepare yourselves...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Believe it or not, crankshaft was fine after a good clean! Bearing journals all still shiny. Alternator was good too. This on an engine that had sat outside for seven years. Heads good and in a damn worse state cosmetically than those pictured above. I shit you not.
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dwayne prince
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fredster wrote:
I bet whatever you find in the crankcase it WILL NOT be as bad as what i found in a junker engine I bought for the tinware. prepare yourselves...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Believe it or not, crankshaft was fine after a good clean! Bearing journals all still shiny. Alternator was good too. This on an engine that had sat outside for seven years. Heads good and in a damn worse state cosmetically than those pictured above. I shit you not.
good god that looks like not just shit but hammered shit
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joe cool
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got a couple of engines from an outdoor lot and I am having a hell of a time getting them apart. I can get the heads off, but it seems that the rings and barrels are rusted together and I can't seem to get them apart or separated from the case. I haven't resorted to destructive measures yet. Any suggestions? The engines were free, I am just hoping for some core parts.
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num1bum
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I say yes, a motor that's had water in it is worth rebuilding. Or if your lucky like I was you wont even have to rebuild it, I took the motor out of my bug that had been sitting in a field for a few years, took the heads off and dumped all the rust of the cylnders, put it all back together not expecting much then to my suprise the damn thing ran. This same motor is now used as a back up for either my baja or my sandrail, and currently it is in the sandrail running like a champ.
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fredster
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 2:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

joe cool wrote:
I've got a couple of engines from an outdoor lot and I am having a hell of a time getting them apart. I can get the heads off, but it seems that the rings and barrels are rusted together and I can't seem to get them apart or separated from the case. I haven't resorted to destructive measures yet. Any suggestions? The engines were free, I am just hoping for some core parts.


I had exactly the same problem with the horror story pictured above. In the end I had to resort to a large sledge-hammer (sorry, uk term). The barrels disintegrated pretty quickly.
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veedubcrazy
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The same engine above revealed these lovely pix as well...
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Inside should be interesting...
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66zeke
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

damn Shocked
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Glenn Premium Member
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fredster wrote:
I bet whatever you find in the crankcase it WILL NOT be as bad as what i found in a junker engine I bought for the tinware. prepare yourselves...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Believe it or not, crankshaft was fine after a good clean! Bearing journals all still shiny. Alternator was good too. This on an engine that had sat outside for seven years. Heads good and in a damn worse state cosmetically than those pictured above. I shit you not.


Damn... almost lost my dinner.
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joe cool
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fredster wrote:
joe cool wrote:
I've got a couple of engines from an outdoor lot and I am having a hell of a time getting them apart. I can get the heads off, but it seems that the rings and barrels are rusted together and I can't seem to get them apart or separated from the case. I haven't resorted to destructive measures yet. Any suggestions? The engines were free, I am just hoping for some core parts.


I had exactly the same problem with the horror story pictured above. In the end I had to resort to a large sledge-hammer (sorry, uk term). The barrels disintegrated pretty quickly.


So would the next step for me be to destroy the cylinders in hope of getting to the piston pins? I think so. I hope to save the crank, cam and rods as cores, if the case could be saved that would be a nice bonus.
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Jason C
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

joe cool wrote:
I've got a couple of engines from an outdoor lot and I am having a hell of a time getting them apart. I can get the heads off, but it seems that the rings and barrels are rusted together and I can't seem to get them apart or separated from the case. I haven't resorted to destructive measures yet. Any suggestions? The engines were free, I am just hoping for some core parts.


Tip the engines on their side and pour in marvels mystery oil on the pistons and let it sit over night. The next day flip it over and do the other side. After soaking give them a little tap with a hammer and a wood block to help break them loose.
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69 Jim
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenn wrote:
fredster wrote:
I bet whatever you find in the crankcase it WILL NOT be as bad as what i found in a junker engine I bought for the tinware. prepare yourselves...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Believe it or not, crankshaft was fine after a good clean! Bearing journals all still shiny. Alternator was good too. This on an engine that had sat outside for seven years. Heads good and in a damn worse state cosmetically than those pictured above. I shit you not.


Damn... almost lost my dinner.



lol-Gex?
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